About this episode
Anxiety that you cannot control, that keeps coming back, that you don't understand and are terrified of, will trick you into believing that something is really wrong. But what if that intense fear you experience—while absolutely real—is based on a prediction your brain is making that isn't actually true?In this episode, I speak with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, neuroscientist and author of How Emotions Are Made and 7 1/2 Lessons About The Brain about how anxiety is constructed in the brain. Dr. Barrett explains the theory of constructed emotions and how your brain uses predictive processing to create your internal experience of fear and anxiety.In this conversation, we explore:How anxiety is constructed in the brain through predictive processing, not reactive circuitsWhy your brain's primary job is managing your "body budget" and how this relates to anxietyThe difference between your experience being real versus the prediction being accurateHow your brain uses past experiences to construct categories and predict future threatsWhy anxiety disorders may involve predictions that are either too general or too specificWhat "practicing predicting differently" means and how it can help with anxiety recoveryDr. Barrett's personal experience using these principles to manage stage fright before her TED talkThe role of interoception in how your brain constructs anxietyWhy changing how anxiety is constructed in your brain is hard work that requires practiceThis conversation gets technical at times, but offers valuable insights into why anxiety feels so real and compelling, even when you're not actually in danger. Understanding how anxiety is constructed in the brain has important implications for how we approach recovery from panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and other anxiety disorders.Resources mentioned:Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's website: LisaFeldmanBarrett.comHow Emotions Are Made by Dr. Lisa Feldman BarrettDr. Barrett's TED Talk7 1/2 Lessons About The Brain by Dr Lisa Feldman BarrettFor Show Notes On This Episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/327Send in a question or comment via text.Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me
