Brain Basics
What part of the brain is the “alarm system” for fear?
Amygdala
Name 3 physical symptoms of anxiety.
Rapid heartbeat, sweating, shaking, shallow breathing
Name 2 grounding skills
5-4-3-2-1, physiological sigh, cold water reset, TIPP
What does grounding help bring you back to?
The present moment
In depression, motivation comes before action. True or False?
False
what system activates fight/flight/freeze
Nervous system / sympathetic nervous system
What is one way panic attacks can trick the body into thinking you’re in danger?
Racing heart, dizziness, shortness of breath mimics medical emergency
Describe the physiological sigh.
Double inhale through nose + long exhale through mouth
What does “name it to tame it” mean?
Labeling emotions reduces intensity and creates distance
What is behavioral activation?
Doing small actions even without motivation to interrupt shutdown
What is the difference between anxiety and panic?
Anxiety is sustained activation; panic is sudden intense spike of fear response
Why does depression often feel like exhaustion instead of sadness?
Nervous system enters energy conservation / shutdown mode
What is the purpose of cold water on the face in DBT TIPP skills?
Activates dive reflex → slows heart rate and calms nervous system
What does the brain assume during catastrophic thinking?
That future danger is currently happening or inevitable
Why is “10-minute rule” effective?
It bypasses avoidance and lowers activation barrier
What is the amygdala’s main job?
Detect threat and trigger survival response (even if inaccurate)
Why might panic mimic a heart attack?
Sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate, blood flow, and adrenaline
Explain why grounding works neurologically.
It shifts attention from internal threat simulation to external sensory input
What is cognitive fusion?
When thoughts feel like facts instead of mental events
What neurotransmitter system is often underactive in depression?
Dopamine (reward/motivation system)
Why is anxiety not always based on real danger?
Amygdala reacts to perceived threat, not accuracy or logic
What is the connection between trauma history and nervous system reactivity?
Trauma sensitizes threat detection, increasing baseline hypervigilance
Why is “trying to stop panic immediately” sometimes ineffective?
Resistance increases sympathetic activation and reinforces alarm loop
What is the therapeutic goal of “observing thoughts”?
Creating distance between self and thought to reduce reactivity
Why does depression often improve slightly after action, even small action?
Movement activates reward circuitry and interrupts shutdown cycle