“The Brain on Catastrophic Self-Talk: How Thoughts Shape Neural Pathways”
Three horizontal layers:
- Input / Thought Layer (Top)
- Brain Circuit Activation Layer (Middle)
- Behavioural & Emotional Output Layer (Bottom)
Thought Layer
Repetitive catastrophic statements:
- “I’m dying.”
- “I won’t wake up tomorrow.”
- “I’ll end up in a wheelchair.”
- “I can’t work; I’m too sick.”
Brain Circuit Activation
| Brain Region | Function | Visualization Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Amygdala | Fear, hyperarousal | Small alarm icon or glowing red node |
| HPA Axis (Hypothalamus → Pituitary → Adrenal) | Stress hormone release, cortisol | Arrow showing stress signal flowing |
| Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) | Executive function, regulation of thoughts | Shaded area showing “suppressed” control |
| Hippocampus | Memory consolidation | Memory icon, showing repeated stress being stored |
| Reward/Prediction Circuits | Reinforce repeated narratives (dopamine pathways) | Loop arrow from thoughts to reward node |
Behavioral & Emotional Output
- Anxiety, dread, hypervigilance
- Learned helplessness
- Reduced resilience / avoidance behavior
- Reinforced victim or negative identity
- Difficulty making rational decisions
[Catastrophic Thoughts]
│
▼
[Amygdala Activation] → [Stress Response / HPA Axis]
│
▼
[Memory Encoding / Hippocampus] ← [Prefrontal Cortex (suppressed)]
│
▼
[Behavioral Consequences: Anxiety, Avoidance, Learned Helplessness]
│
└─────────Feedback Loop─────────► [Catastrophic Thoughts]
