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Happy diverse people holding lgbt rainbow flag outdoors - Diversity concept - Soft focus on Asian woman young woman face

<p>Cameron is pregnant. You are listening to them telling Jesse how excited they are to start shopping, but frustrated because they have to wait until they know for sure if it’s a boy or a girl to choose the right things. Jordan leans forward, eyes bright. "But why do we even do that?" they ask. "Why can’t we just let kids be kids? We’re always pushing them into gender boxes. That’s why so many kids struggle with gender identity later. It’s all that social conditioning. It’s so outdated." You can see Cameron gasp to start the argument. You nod politely, swirling your fruit punch, hoping you won’t be called on to pick a side. You can’t quite remember what you know about gender and sex. Something about chromosomes, hormones, maybe even the brain ... but the details are foggy.</p><p>Take a breath. Let’s walk through it together. It’s Pride Month, this seems like as good a time as any to refresh our memory. We’ll peel back the layers, one by one, to understand how sex and gender develop, and how the simple-seeming question, "is it a boy or a girl", unfolds into a story written in biology, timing, and life’s unpredictable currents.</p><figure id="figure-jl6jwc9spfmbthe1fa"><img id="jl6jwc9spfmbthe1fa" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1460460045/photo/woman-contemplates-rainbow-from-top-of-mountain.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=D6z2OEQQ9tFpLeiDpMT1948mvM-GWPjA7rsMATQSAUs=" alt="It's Pride Month" title="It's Pride Month" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1460460045/photo/woman-contemplates-rainbow-from-top-of-mountain.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=D6z2OEQQ9tFpLeiDpMT1948mvM-GWPjA7rsMATQSAUs=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>The First Strand: Chromosomes at Conception</h2><p>At the very beginning, before names or nursery colors, before anyone is expecting anything at all, there is a cell. That cell carries chromosomes, those tightly wound threads of genetic instruction inherited from two parents. Most commonly, a person receives either two X chromosomes, which tends to set the body on a female developmental path, or one X and one Y chromosome, which typically steers development toward the male form.</p><p>But biology has never been fond of clean lines. Sometimes, a person might carry a different combination, like XXY, XYY, or just a single X (XO). These unusual&nbsp; combinations happen because of a process called nondisjunction during the formation of egg or sperm cells. Normally, each parent contributes one sex chromosome. But sometimes, chromosomes don’t separate properly, and a cell ends up with an extra or missing one. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">These conditions usually arise by chance, not because of anything either parent did. And they show that biology doesn’t always follow the rulebook, it follows possibility.</span></p><p>The differences, like like XXY, XYY, or XO, can ripple into the development of the body and brain in ways that are subtle or profound. The blueprint, in other words, doesn’t always follow the most common script. And from the very start, we are reminded that nature writes in variations, not binaries.</p><figure id="figure-atmey3rn2mbtj15im"><img id="atmey3rn2mbtj15im" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2165752502/photo/green-trefoil-on-a-hand.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=6drd4cJxo1QAAVi0F41oJ4PzB8-Zj9IPI1_ZIyMi2fE=" alt="Biology doesn’t always follow the rulebook, it follows possibility" title="Biology doesn’t always follow the rulebook, it follows possibility" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2165752502/photo/green-trefoil-on-a-hand.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=6drd4cJxo1QAAVi0F41oJ4PzB8-Zj9IPI1_ZIyMi2fE=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The Flesh Takes Shape: Developing Sex Organs</h2><p>Around the sixth week of pregnancy, the fetus still floats in possibility. The tiny body has the structures it needs to become either male or female, depending on which biological signals show up first and how loudly they speak.</p><p>If the Y chromosome is present and doing its job, it triggers the growth of testes. The Y chromosome usually carries a gene called SRY (Sex-determining Region Y), which is what initiates the development of testes. If testes form, they begin to release testosterone, the chemical messenger that helps sculpt the body into its male form. The clitoris begins to lengthen into a penis; folds of tissue fuse to become the scrotum.&nbsp;</p><p>If there is no Y chromosome (or if the Y is silent) the fetus continues along the path that is, biologically speaking, the default: a body with a clitoris, labia, and ovaries begins to take shape. What do i mean by an silent Y?</p><p>The Y chromosome may ve present, but it fails to produce or trigger the hormonal cascade that would normally masculinize the fetus. Several reasonf for that exist:</p><ul><li>Even though the person has a Y chromosome, the SRY gene might be missing or nonfunctional.</li><li>The body might not respond to testosterone properly, due to a condition like androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). In complete AIS, the body is completely unresponsive to testosterone, so the person develops a typically female body, even though they have XY chromosomes and functioning testes inside the abdomen.</li><li>There might be errors in hormone production that prevent the necessary testosterone surge, despite the presence of the Y chromosome.</li></ul><p>So, not every body follows this script exactly. Sometimes the fetus makes testosterone but doesn’t respond to it fully. Sometimes hormones drift across the placenta from the mother or arise from unexpected genetic variations. The result can be ambiguous genitalia: bodies that do not fit neatly into either male or female categories. In such cases, a baby may be born intersex: not a disorder, but one of nature’s many alternatives.</p><figure id="figure-i7kh21bbcbmbtj4cc9"><img id="i7kh21bbcbmbtj4cc9" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/649245970/photo/bond-of-love.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=891MR1v1a34Jm6jwmIOmwv9eZe4fupPlYvBLzhxwqGs=" alt="Not every body follows this script exactly" title="Not every body follows this script exactly" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/649245970/photo/bond-of-love.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=891MR1v1a34Jm6jwmIOmwv9eZe4fupPlYvBLzhxwqGs=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The Silent Sculptor: Brain Development in the Womb</h2><p>In the second trimester, the brain begins to take on its shape. This is not simply about intelligence or personality, but also about how the brain will be wired to respond to the world. In male fetuses, testosterone again plays its part, crossing into the brain and shaping certain regions associated with spatial navigation, aggression, sexual behavior, and more. This process is called "brain masculinization". In female fetuses, the absence of this testosterone surge means the brain follows a different developmental path, what scientists sometimes refer to as the "protected female default".</p><p> But again, the womb is not a sealed chamber. Stress, illness, or medications can influence how much testosterone a fetus is exposed to. A female fetus, for example, might be exposed to more testosterone than usual and develop some brain structures in a more male-typical way.&nbsp;Conversely, a male fetus might fail to receive a timely hormonal surge and develop a brain that leans more toward female-typical patterns. These differences in brain structure and sensitivity may later shape not only interests and behavior, but also how someone experiences gender itself: whether it fits their body or not.</p><h2>The Awakening: Puberty and the Second Wave</h2><p>Puberty is the second great hormonal wave, arriving like spring after a long winter. Testosterone in boys begins to deepen the voice, grow facial hair, and fuel sexual desire. Estrogen in girls rounds the hips, builds breasts, and triggers menstruation. These hormones also intensify whatever was laid down earlier in the brain: reinforcing patterns of attraction, confidence, and gender expression.</p><p>For most people, this activation confirms what was already forming. But for others, puberty brings confusion or pain: a sense that the body is moving in a direction that doesn’t feel quite right. Sometimes the receptors for hormones don’t work as expected. Sometimes the brain and body feel out of sync. It’s one of the many natural ways in which human development varies.</p><figure id="figure-woyqg7n6hhmbtjtp0y"><img id="woyqg7n6hhmbtjtp0y" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/511789520/photo/cat-warms-chicken.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=3t1NCFBThYHWemNVEv9wbzE7v34TidPvFxBoGGdmno8=" alt="Nature doesn’t deal in straight lines, it favors possibility" title="Nature doesn’t deal in straight lines, it favors possibility" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/511789520/photo/cat-warms-chicken.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=3t1NCFBThYHWemNVEv9wbzE7v34TidPvFxBoGGdmno8=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>How Environment Shapes Sex and Gender</h2><p>While the blueprint of sex and gender is biological, it is also deeply responsive to the environment. A mother’s stress, especially if it’s prolonged or intense, can change the hormonal landscape of the womb. Certain medications or chemicals in the environment, like endocrine disruptors found in plastics or pesticides, can also influence fetal hormone levels.&nbsp;This means that two fetuses with the same chromosomes might develop differently depending on what the mother’s body is going through. These differences are often invisible at birth but can surface later in how a person feels, behaves, or identifies. The body is not a machine. It’s a living, listening organism, shaped not just by genes, but by the world around it.</p><p>After birth, biology passes the baton to culture. Gender is taught and reinforced in the way people speak to you, dress you, praise you, or correct you. A baby boy in a blue onesie is treated differently from a baby girl in a floral dress, often before they can even hold up their heads.&nbsp;As children grow, they absorb not only their bodies and feelings, but the expectations placed upon them. What toys are for them, what behavior is "normal", what futures are available.&nbsp;And so, sex and gender are never just biology or just culture. They are woven together, threads of flesh and meaning, of cells and stories, that shape the way we each walk through the world.</p><p>Because so many moving parts are involved, from chromosomes, hormones, timing, stress, to genetics and cultire, it’s no surprise that variation is the rule, not the exception. Most people develop in ways that align body and brain neatly. But many do not. A person might be born with a female body and a brain that carries more male-typical traits. Another might have a male body but never feel quite at home in it. These are not failures of development. They are expected outcomes in a system that values flexibility and diversity over rigid categories. Nature doesn’t deal in straight lines, tt favors possibility.</p><h2>The Gentle Reminder</h2><p>Sex and gender emerge through a long, sensitive process involving chromosomes, hormones, the timing of developmental events, and the environment both inside and outside the womb. The outcome is rarely perfect symmetry. Often, it is complexity.&nbsp;That complexity can be bewildering, especially when it doesn’t align with what you’ve been taught to expect. But it is how biology works when it’s doing its job well: allowing space for life to respond to many possibilities.&nbsp;</p><p>And so, when Cameron sighs over tiny onesies and Jordan raises their eyebrows at gender boxes, you can sit with your fruit punch a little more at ease. You don’t have to take sides. You know now that both of them are brushing against different edges of a story that, for some people, is hard to grasp. A story written in chromosomes and hormones, in silence and surge, in culture and care. A story where the question “boy or girl?” is simply too small. And in that space beyond the question, there is room to be curious, to be kind, and above all, to love every living being as they are, in all their own unfolding.</p><figure id="figure-u2kolmk1zmbtjq91s"><img id="u2kolmk1zmbtjq91s" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1946201747/photo/pride-month.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=WIheOASBsMGgG30k88tdLny5ldPo86dOdnaJJVJ-KDU=" alt="The question “boy or girl?” is simply too small." title="The question “boy or girl?” is simply too small." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 85% 50%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="85%" data-positiony="50%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1946201747/photo/pride-month.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=WIheOASBsMGgG30k88tdLny5ldPo86dOdnaJJVJ-KDU=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 85% 50%;"></figure><p><br></p><h2><br></h2>

From Chromosomes to Choices: The Journey of Sex and Gender

Three Young Female Friends Meeting Sit At Table In Coffee Shop And Talk

The Illusion of Separating Emotion from Reason: Damasio's Challenge to Descartes

<p><br></p><p>You open your laptop and try to write a reply. Just one reply, you tell yourself. But the words don’t come. The screen just glares back. There’s that squeeze behind your eyes again, and the same unread messages blinking in the corner like distant alarms you’ve stopped hearing. You feel tired, and also defeated. Everything is too much, and yet nothing seems to matter. You haven’t cleaned the sink. You haven’t replied to Alice. You haven’t been to the gym. You vaguely remember this state—not in sharp detail, but enough to recognize its shape. You’d been doing well long enough that you assumed it was behind you. That whatever weighed you down had been outgrown, resolved, and left in the past. But now, something’s stirring again. You find yourself retracing the days, scanning for triggers, wondering if there was a moment that tipped the balance. Still unsure whether this is just a passing turbulence, or the return of something insidious.</p><p>Somewhere else, in a parallel life, another version of you sits in the same chair, opens the same laptop, and tension is already in the room. You’re not focused, you’re scanning, and your mind is spinning. You already regret what you haven’t yet written. Your hands move quickly, flicking between tabs, checking messages, closing windows, reopening them seconds later. There’s a current of urgency behind every movement. You start typing, stop, rephrase, delete. You skim emails but retain nothing. Your body is bracing: shoulders rigid, breath shallow, jaw tight. Every ping feels like it might be bad news. You reread drafts compulsively, unsure what sounds right. You toggle between apps, circling, checking, looping. You’re not sure what you’re looking for, only that it feels like your job to stay alert. Because something will go wrong. And when it does, you'll be prepared.</p><p>What are you more prone to: depression or anxiety? Which pattern feels more familiar: the heaviness that pulls you down, or the tension that wraps around your ribs like a tightening vine? Or is it both? That’s entirely possible. And you don’t need a clear answer to keep reading. Today, we’re looking at both. These moods feel different in your body, but they all rise from the same place: the hidden kitchen of the brain, where your emotions are slow-cooked from ancient recipes.</p><figure id="figure-xyqxtew17nmam98ukj"><img id="xyqxtew17nmam98ukj" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1352810855/photo/shot-of-spilled-coffee-on-paperwork-and-a-laptop-in-an-empty-kitchen-during-the-day.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Us2MXA6xGvCal773KDQ0RxYkV-TQGLM4Hpx-Hx-RwiA=" alt="Shot of spilled coffee on paperwork and a laptop in an empty kitchen during the day" title="Shot of spilled coffee on paperwork and a laptop in an empty kitchen during the day" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1352810855/photo/shot-of-spilled-coffee-on-paperwork-and-a-laptop-in-an-empty-kitchen-during-the-day.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Us2MXA6xGvCal773KDQ0RxYkV-TQGLM4Hpx-Hx-RwiA=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The Seven Core Emotional Systems: The Mechanics Behind Your Well-Being</h2><p>Your feelings don’t float in from nowhere. They grow from an inner ecology of neural circuits, each evolved to handle specific challenges life once posed. But they weren’t shaped to make you happy. Emotional life wasn’t sculpted for contentment or personal fulfillment. It was sculpted to serve biology’s deepest mandate: keep the genes to travel forward. Your joy, your dread, your bursts of longing or grief, they’re all rooted in patterns grown across millennia. When your inner landscape starts drifting away from nature’s ancestral priorities, discomfort follows. Sadness, panic, numbness, fear, these are the messages. Nature’s intentions don’t always rhyme with yours. The feelings arise from your primary emotional neural networks that go by names that sound deceptively innocent: [1]</p><ul><li>SEEKING: Promotes exploration, curiosity, learning, and goal pursuit.</li><li>PANIC/GRIEF: Signals separation or loss, prompts social reconnection.</li><li>PLAY: Facilitates social bonding, learning, and emotional resilience.</li><li>FEAR: Orchestrates threat detection and protective withdrawal.</li><li>RAGE: Asserts boundaries and mobilizes defensive action.</li><li>CARE: Motivates nurturing, caregiving, and social support.</li><li>LUST: Coordinates reproductive behavior.</li></ul><p>When things go well, these neural webs work quietly in your favor, like a well-tended garden that blooms without much supervision. Each one knows its season, its rhythm, its task. But in depression and anxiety, the balance wobbles. Some parts fall silent before their work is done and others grow wild and overtake the rest. What should be a living harmony turns uneven: too much, too little, all at once. It depends on which system is speaking, how loudly, and whether the rest of the inner chorus knows how to respond.</p><h2>Depression: A Loss of Drive and Connection</h2><p>Depression moves in slowly, like winter seeping into the bones of your inner world. The emotional landscape dims, not all at once, but in pieces. Curiosity fades first, then the pleasure of small things, then the instinct to reach out. The SEEKING neural web, which normally stirs you toward new experiences and rewards, grows quiet. The world turns flat and flavorless, and even the things you once loved lose their pull [2,3]. The PLAY web , too, curls inward. Social moments feel distant, like scenes from a play you no longer know how to enter. Laughter, conversation, the ordinary joys of contact drift out of reach [4]. Even the CARE web softens its voice. The warm impulse to nurture, to connect, to feel close begins to dim. You might still love, but it no longer feels vibrant. You feel further away from others, even when they’re right in front of you [4].</p><p>Meanwhile, the PANIC/GRIEF web begins to stir, like a low and steady wind through an open field. It hums with the ache of loss, not always tied to something concrete, but there nonetheless. The body picks it up before the mind does. A hollow in the chest with a tightness behind the eyes. You wake with a weight you can’t explain [4,5]. Elsewhere, the deeper brain regions stay too alert. The amygdala, that old sentinel of threat and sorrow, becomes overly sensitive. A small slight echoes for hours and a passing thought becomes a spiral. Emotional shadows grow longer, and harder to shake [5]. Even your rational governor, the prefrontal cortex, which helps you pause, plan, and find perspective, begins to slow. It goes quiet, as if it, too, has grown tired [2,3,5].</p><p>All together, these shifts form a kind of emotional eclipse. Emptiness and at the same time a different kind of fullness: muted, heavy, and hard to carry.</p><figure id="figure-5bygf9rka8mam9l035"><img id="5bygf9rka8mam9l035" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/695270060/photo/girl-on-a-swing-shadow.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=g7Xrk2FUJ76s7eWcuxjbRfXe1MTV-O4j-ySE3W7olGI=" alt="Girl on a swing shadow" title="Girl on a swing shadow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/695270060/photo/girl-on-a-swing-shadow.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=g7Xrk2FUJ76s7eWcuxjbRfXe1MTV-O4j-ySE3W7olGI=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>Anxiety and PTSD: An Edge Always on the Horizon</h2><p>Anxiety gathers with urgency, like a windstorm that rattles your inner branches and makes it hard to stand still. You feel it before you name it: a stir in the chest, a quickening of breath, a flicker of movement at the edges of your awareness. Your attention sharpens, but it doesn’t settle. It circles and scans. The FEAR web is in charge now, and it doesn’t trust the stillness. It wants motion, vigilance, preparation, ass if danger might emerge at any moment, from anywhere [2,5].&nbsp;Your thoughts race to keep pace. There’s a tension between needing to act and not knowing what to do. The world feels full of potential threats, small ones, large ones, invisible ones. Your amygdala, the brain’s sentinel, is wide awake and overly talkative. It feeds your attention a steady stream of alarms, each one subtle, but convincing [5]. It pairs easily with the RAGE web, especially when irritability rises or frustration simmers just beneath your words. You may snap or at least feel like you’re always moments away from saying or doing something you'll regret [4].</p><p>Meanwhile, the parts of you that usually help you slow down and find perspective are hard to reach. The prefrontal cortex, your inner guide and planner, struggles to be heard over the noise. Its voice is softer, and the system doesn’t wait for soft voices [3,5]. The SEEKING web, too, quiets down. Curiosity dries up, replaced by worst-case scenario rehearsals [4]. The PLAY web, which draws you to levity and connection, becomes wary. Everything light begins to feel suspicious. You smile less, laugh less, and social spaces feel like tightropes [4]. In this state, you are always in motion but never moving forward. You act, but not with ease. You respond, but never with rest. And under it all, the nervous system buzzes like an overworked machine, trying to anticipate a future that keeps shape-shifting just out of view.</p><figure id="figure-yv2a5m9jomam9g116"><img id="yv2a5m9jomam9g116" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/849034226/photo/shoes-standing-on-the-edge-of-cliff-over-ocean.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=IDxjZnj8l8A8LyN2EwG4S-apAUT6cbXLDz4WSD2N5hY=" alt="Shoes standing on the edge of cliff over ocean" title="Shoes standing on the edge of cliff over ocean" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/849034226/photo/shoes-standing-on-the-edge-of-cliff-over-ocean.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=IDxjZnj8l8A8LyN2EwG4S-apAUT6cbXLDz4WSD2N5hY=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>When Depression and Anxiety Entwine</h2><p>Many times, your experience doesn’t fall into clean shapes. Depression and anxiety often move together, their threads twisted so tightly they become hard to tell apart. The SEEKING web quiets, its currents no longer pulling you forward. The PLAY thread frays, taking with it the lightness of interaction and the ease of connection. Yet the FEAR web still vibrates, sharp and bright, while sadness lingers in the background like a low, unceasing drone [3]. You may feel slowed and still, and at the same time, on edge. Numb, but also flooded. Detached from your own life, yet alert to every small disturbance within it. It’s a strange combination, muted and overstimulated, shut down and spun up, a tangle of opposites held together inside a single body.</p><p>Chronic stress deepens this knot. It stirs the RAGE web, not necessarily in the way that bursts into yelling or fists, but the kind that settles into the cells, whispering inflammation through your tissues. Your microglia, the microscopic caretakers in your brain, begin to stir with restlessness. Usually quiet, cleaning and restoring, they become irritable, reactive, like anxious sentinels pacing the corridors, wielding their cytokines like brooms turned into spears [6]. And so, the threads pull in different directions, some slack with stillness, others taut with alarm. You live inside this tension, like a wind-chime in a storm, rattling even in silence, waiting for the next gust.</p><h2>When the Threads Snarl: A Closing Reflection</h2><p>By now, you understand how your emotional webs can fray. Depression quiets some threads until they fall slack: your SEEKING web grows still, your PLAY and CARE fibers&nbsp;go dim, and the prefrontal regions that once helped you plan and pace seem to lose its grip. At the same time, the threads of SADNESS and alarm pull tighter, tugged by a hyperactive limbic system, thrumming grief through your bones. Anxiety and PTSD weave their own distortions. The FEAR web is strung too tight, vibrating constantly at the slightest touch. Your RAGE web stirs beneath the surface, and the amygdala flares like a faulty lantern, casting shadows where none exist. The parts of your brain meant to anchor and regulate go quiet, while the rest shout over them, drowning out calm with signal noise.</p><p>These patterns speak of a spirit pulled out of alignment, echoing an ancient design shaped for the survival of your genes. Your emotions were not woven to make you happy, but to pass on life. And now, they’re tangled in the pressures of modern life: inboxes, calendars, deadlines, and news alerts. Even so, these patterns don’t hold you in place forever. With the right attention and enough patience, they can be softened, stretched, rewoven. Given time and guidance, the same nets that once trapped you can be taught to hold you. This is what emotional growth truly is: not becoming someone new, but coaxing your nature into a shape that fits your life.</p><p>You inherited emotional fibers that pull toward survival and reproduction, not peace or purpose. And there's the tension from a clash with modern life. Tangled in all these pressures, those strands&nbsp;can feel like they’re pulling you apart. Finding steadiness here takes more than effort. It takes care and clarity, that honor your nature while gently reshaping it. You can learn to work with these inherited threads guiding them, reworking their shape, teaching them to carry not only survival, but direction. Your emotional web isn’t fixed in stone. It shifts with repetition, with reflection and attention. The same signals that once overwhelmed you can become cues for choice and action. With deliberate, steady persistence, you can reshape your emotional inheritance into something that holds, not haunts you.</p><figure id="figure-rw0xzuwbqmam9xysp"><img id="rw0xzuwbqmam9xysp" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/507905636/photo/women-knitting-with-red-wool-eldery-woman-transfering-knitting-knowledge.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=bC4gk6F6INwgdg32c4d_ICYITmk6SESjBgj7C1bQyEA=" alt="Women knitting with red wool. Eldery woman transfering knitting knowledge" title="Women knitting with red wool. Eldery woman transfering knitting knowledge" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/507905636/photo/women-knitting-with-red-wool-eldery-woman-transfering-knitting-knowledge.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=bC4gk6F6INwgdg32c4d_ICYITmk6SESjBgj7C1bQyEA=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><p><strong>Sources</strong></p><p>[1] Panksepp, J. (2004). Affective neuroscience: The foundations of human and animal emotions. Oxford university press.</p><p>[2] Int-Veen, I., Laicher, H., Torka, F., Kroczek, A., Bihlmaier, I., Storchak, H., Velten-Schurian, K., Dresler, T., Täglich, R., Fallgatter, A. J., Ehlis, A.-C., &amp; Rosenbaum, D. (2023). Prefrontal hypoactivation induced via social stress is more strongly associated with state rumination than depressive symptomatology. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 15147. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41403-y</p><p>[3] Schlund, M. W., Verduzco, G., Cataldo, M. F., &amp; Hoehn-Saric, R. (2012). Generalized anxiety modulates frontal and limbic activation in major depression. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 8(8), 1-5. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-8-8" data-mce-href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-8-8">https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-8-8</a></p><p>[4] Montag, C., &amp; Panksepp, J. (2019). The Dutch translation of the Brief Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (BANPS). Personality Neuroscience, 2, e6. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/pen.2019.6" data-mce-href="https://doi.org/10.1017/pen.2019.6">https://doi.org/10.1017/pen.2019.6</a></p><p>[5] Sha, Z., Wager, T. D., Mechelli, A., &amp; He, Y. (2019). Identification of common neural circuit disruptions in emotional processing across psychiatric disorders. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(3), 265–273. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0370-3</p><p>[6] Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., Zhang, Y., &amp; Wang, Y. (2023). Persistent increase in microglial RAGE contributes to chronic stress-induced priming of depressive-like behavior. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 115, 101–113. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.005" data-mce-href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.005">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.005</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Why You Feel Like a Zombie: Emotional Bugs in Depression and Anxiety

Back view Asian woman tourist backpacker travel in Khao San road, Bangkok, Thailand

<p>If you’ve spent time with any of my writings, whether a blog post, an Instagram story, or a quietly reflective essay, you already know this: emotions are not just decorative flourishes. They are the soil from which your entire life grows. And if this is your first visit, welcome. You’re about to discover that your emotions have been shaping your days like an old-fashined gardener tending a vast and intricate landscape. Just like a garden doesn’t cultivate itself but follows patterns laid down by the seasons and soil, you are guided by an evolutionary script that was written long before there were offices, grocery stores, or self-improvement workshops. This ancient code lives deep within the root systems of your mind, in the most timeworn layers of your neural landscape.</p><p>There, nestled like the roots of a tree, lies the brainstem, one of the oldest parts of your neural architecture. It doesn’t busy itself with lofty reflections or future plans; its mission is to keep you alive. Here, among other guards of your living being, like the breathing and eating governor, you’ll find your core emotional networks. Seven of them, to our current knowledge, were laid into your cradle, an inheritance you were born with. These are the seedlings from which your emotional life sprung. As you grew, early experiences begun to shape your fields of feelings, cultivating mid-level emotional networks that branch and intertwine. By adulthood, the core and mid-level systems work alongside the higher, more elaborate structures of the mind, reason and discipline for example. But they are all root in your emotional core.</p><p>Among other core emotions, one stands particulary apart: the SEEKING system. The SEEKING emotion acts like the vital water channels, ensuring your entire being to thrive. Let's take a closer look at it.</p><figure id="figure-47vja5o3okm7itqhs5"><img id="47vja5o3okm7itqhs5" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2159904444/photo/colorful-flowerbed-with-echinacea-poppy-thistles-and-much-more.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=8HCP4sviDY-6JLkmiYgYdMdsKLl2dC7tGZVxniAblCU=" alt="Colorful flowerbed with echinacea, poppy thistles and much more" title="Colorful flowerbed with echinacea, poppy thistles and much more" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2159904444/photo/colorful-flowerbed-with-echinacea-poppy-thistles-and-much-more.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=8HCP4sviDY-6JLkmiYgYdMdsKLl2dC7tGZVxniAblCU=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The SEEKING Network: Your Inner Compass for Growth</h2><p>The SEEKING system is your internal cheerleader, your instigator for discovering new opportunities, rewards, and experiences. Whether it’s brainstorming about a new project, looking for a new course, or searching for that final piece of dark chocolate in the fridge, it sparks excitement and gets you our of the bed in the morning. It spans from the ancient root structures of your mind to the highest branches of your thought. It drives every pursuit, and supplies other emotions with initiatives, ideas, and energy. It's the universal emotion of moving, and it doens't even care so much if it's forward or backward.&nbsp;</p><p>When active, it inspires engagement, curiosity, and a readiness to embrace life: taking on new challenges, exploring ideas, and investing in projects that stretch your potential. When overgrown, it can become restless, scattering your energy across countless pursuits, leaving you overcommitted and exhausted. At its most unruly, it fuels manic striving, chasing ambitions without pause for rest. When undernourished, it can leave you listless, like a parched patch waiting for rain: unmotivated, drained, and unable to find the spark to move ahead. In this state, life feels flat and colorless, like a neglected flowerbed.</p><figure id="figure-dhtwqdldklm7itrseu"><img id="dhtwqdldklm7itrseu" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2189401835/photo/tourist-exploring-lisbon-with-map-and-backpack-enjoying-summer-vacations-in-portugal.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=7_U1Vc23v4um7fXF1VZ2pW6LnPuB3LtaH-YyIo2PGSY=" alt="Tourist exploring lisbon with map and backpack enjoying summer vacations in portugal" title="Tourist exploring lisbon with map and backpack enjoying summer vacations in portugal" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2189401835/photo/tourist-exploring-lisbon-with-map-and-backpack-enjoying-summer-vacations-in-portugal.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=7_U1Vc23v4um7fXF1VZ2pW6LnPuB3LtaH-YyIo2PGSY=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Your Daily SEEKING Rituals: The Rhythm of Renewal</h2><p>The buzzing of the SEEKING web is expressed with searching, wanting, desiring, being interested, longing, motivation, enthusiasm, anticipation, and excitement. On a behavioral level, it manifests as seeking, exploring, and trying things out.&nbsp; SEEKING emotions maintain your curiosity and interest on all levels, from everyday grocery shopping and browsing TV channels or the internet to the most complex intellectual endeavors and problem-solving.&nbsp; Every time you search, explore, or investigate something, your SEEKING web fires up and gives you a dopamine treat. It’s the reason you:</p><ul><li>Check your phone as soon as you wake up, hoping for news that might change the shape of your day.</li><li>Wander the kitchen, opening the fridge again and again as though a different outcome might await you.</li><li>Scroll social media in search of that one post that promises a sudden sense of connection or insight.</li><li>Watch documentaries on topics that, only yesterday, you didn’t know you cared about.</li></ul><p>The SEEKING web doesn’t draw its energy from having something but from the process of longing, discovering, and pursuing. This is why it’s not the victory that keeps you invested but the possibility of what lies ahead. The neurotransmitter dopamine feeds this system, releasing its motivating energy each time you step into the unknown—whether exploring a new career path or reimagining the direction of your life.</p><h2>SEEKING vs. Depression: When the Piano Falls Silent</h2><p>A shutdown of the SEEKING web is one of the two core mechanisms of depression. When the SEEKING energy fades, life loses its spark, its tempo, and its momentum. Your mind feels like a forgotten piano in a dimly lit room, keys untouched, strings quiet, the air heavy with stillness. Instead of looking for opportunities, solutions, or new experiences, your mind withdraws, letting the notes fall silent. You feel tired, discouraged, demoralized, apathetic, and unmotivated. The sensation is deeply uncomfortable, but it’s a biological safeguard. When dopamine levels deplete from sustained activation, the mind naturally steps back to prevent exhaustion and preserve energy. The SEEKING shutdown helps you conserve strength and avoid the dangers of burnout, giving your system time to restore balance before resuming the melody of life.</p><p>The disengagement of the SEEKING web is asociated with the empty kind of depression as oposed to the pain kind of depression. They often go hand in hand, but if you look closer, pain depression is the kind when you lose someone or something essential, like a relationship, a role, or a dream. It too, is a biological safeguard. Your mind perceives loss as a threat to survival. In earlier times, losing a key source or connection might have meant losing protection, resources, or a safe place. Today you are always surrounded by people and conveniences, but your mind’s ancient script still responds. It pulls back, conserving energy, and waits for the right conditions to play again. B<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">efore that, your brain might have fought to restore something that's gone missing. The pain kind of depression is asociated with the PANIC/GRIEF network. It's a two-pased emotional response.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In the initial phase, the SEEKING and PANIC/GRIEF networks might work together in a desperate duet: searching for solutions, trying to get what or who you lost back, replaying every possible scenario where things could have gone differently. But when the loss is irreversible, the SEEKING web shuts down. It’s safer to stop searching and conserve energy. This is where the GRIEF system takes over, like hitting a psychological safe mode. In evolutionary terms, curling up in a ball and doing nothing for a while makes sense. If you were lost, isolated, or separated in the wilderness, staying put increased the chance that help might find you. In your own life, this retreat is your mind’s way of saying: hold steady, conserve your energy. The world is unpredictable. Listen and wait.</span></p><p>So, when grief silences your SEEKING emotions and leaves you empty, that stillness is part of your nature’s composition. It’s a protective pause, a time to gather strength until the music of life feels safe to play again.</p><figure id="figure-wp97gjttrqmbi6ah5g"><img id="wp97gjttrqmbi6ah5g" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/901538534/photo/close-up-of-happy-womans-hand-playing-the-piano-in-the-morning.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=mU6Yx4VBfsOiNBOWX1-qPlYz0OjXt03xB-lPsM3UR9k=" alt="A shutdown of the SEEKING web is one of the core mechanisms of depression." title="A shutdown of the SEEKING web is one of the core mechanisms of depression." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/901538534/photo/close-up-of-happy-womans-hand-playing-the-piano-in-the-morning.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=mU6Yx4VBfsOiNBOWX1-qPlYz0OjXt03xB-lPsM3UR9k=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Healing SEEKING: Can We Tune the System?</h2><p>Science is getting creative with depression treatments, and one of the most promising approaches is deep brain stimulation (DBS), essentially a way to retune your SEEKING web. Electrodes are placed in specific areas of the brain to restore motivation and energy, like a piano tuner adjusting the strings to bring the music back to life. But DBS isn’t just a brute-force fix anymore. Recent developments have taken it to a more refined level:</p><ul><li>Personalized DBS: Scientists are now mapping individual brain activity to tailor the stimulation to each person, like a pianist adjusting touch and tempo to match the piece being played.</li><li>Biomarkers for Recovery: Researchers are identifying subtle signals that mark the brain’s readiness to resume its song, allowing stimulation to be fine-tuned in real time—no more playing blindly.</li><li>Smarter Stimulation Devices: The newest DBS devices act like skilled musicians, adapting dynamically to the mind’s rhythms, ensuring the SEEKING system stays balanced—neither too subdued nor too intense.</li></ul><p>And there’s more: non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are also showing promise. Imagine a device that lets you bring your SEEKING system back to life without surgical intervention, a gentle metronome, helping your mind find its tempo again. While these tools are currently reserved for the most challenging cases of depression, they hint at a future where restoring your mind’s music might become part of your personal care routine.</p><p>Of course, while the promise of brain stimulation is compelling, it’s not the only way to nurture your SEEKING system. Many well-established approaches—psychotherapy, journaling, mindfulness practices, movement, time in nature, social connection, and creative exploration, can gradually restore motivation and engagement. These tools work like slow, patient practice sessions, helping you retrain the mind’s rhythms one note at a time. Yet for them to flourish, they need to be implemented deliberately, with steady commitment, and they require time. There are no shortcuts to building the enduring strength that helps your inner music play.</p><figure id="figure-1y69vlknmlm7ituy5m" class=""><img id="1y69vlknmlm7ituy5m" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2200617023/photo/close-up-of-hands-of-a-young-woman-tuning-guitar.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=tHjsXzHwdyiGlMaz557xcpTXWZpfz7mCwWpydZMtkYI=" alt="One of the most promising approaches is deep brain stimulation (DBS)" title="One of the most promising approaches is deep brain stimulation (DBS)" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2200617023/photo/close-up-of-hands-of-a-young-woman-tuning-guitar.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=tHjsXzHwdyiGlMaz557xcpTXWZpfz7mCwWpydZMtkYI=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>In Short</h2><p>Your SEEKING web is the living thread that sustains your motivation, curiosity, and drive. It keeps you engaged in learning, growth, and new possibilities. When it’s alive, you feel inspired, ready to reach for new goals, and open to life’s experiences. Depression is what happens when this inner music quiets and the garden lies still, when the melodies that once stirred your spirit fade and the vibrant blooms retreat beneath the soil. But it’s not a personal failing, it’s a biological safeguard, a pause to help you conserve energy and recover. Whether through deep brain stimulation or the steady tending of your mind’s garden, through therapy, journaling, mindfulness, movement, and connection, healing the SEEKING web requires patience and deliberate care. With time, the music returns, and your life blooms again, one note and one blossom at a time.</p><figure id="figure-s8l66v7l17mbi8fyni"><img id="s8l66v7l17mbi8fyni" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1161036665/photo/young-woman-smelling-flowers-in-garden-gardener-taking-care-of-lilies-gardening-concept.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=j0SXLHl-Fv4v1dvmHVh_iJ13FS9qtrNRVClKvoxK0ic=" alt="With time, the music returns" title="With time, the music returns" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>References</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Davis, K. L., Montag, C. (2019). Selected principles of Pankseppian affective neuroscience. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12(1), 1025.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Badt, K. (2017). A Conversation with Neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp. Retrieved from HuffPost.</p>

Core Emotion: SEEKING

<p>You may already know very well how a panic attack feels. Overwhelming and unstoppable, like a sudden storm sweeping through your body. You may also know that, at its core, it’s your nervous system responding to threats, real or imagined. But why does this happen to some people and not to others? Why does one person shake off stress like leaves in a breeze, while another is overtaken by a surge of fear over a passing thought about leaving the stove on? Like most things in psychology, panic disorder is not the work of a single culprit but rather a tapestry of factors wreathed together. Over the years, different theories have been proposed<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">, each offering a glimpse of the larger picture. Some highlight neurotransmitter imbalances; others point to overactive fear pathways, metabolic sensitivities, or ingrained patterns of thinking. Yet none of these fully explain the deeper question: Panic disorder doesn't seem to carry any good. Why does it exist at all?</span></p><p>Evolution rarely keeps traits around that drain energy without offering some advantage. If panic attacks were merely a flaw, natural selection would have quietly removed them from the gene pool. Yet they remain, affecting countless lives. If panic persists, it must have served a purpose, at least in the past. So, what is happening beneath the surface? We have been exploring this question for decades, examining the roots of panic disorder from every angle. And while we have uncovered valuable clues, the complete picture is still coming into focus. Like a puzzle slowly assembling itself, each piece revealing a bit more of the larger design.</p><figure id="figure-7rdqsv7wbm7iqtj2f"><img id="7rdqsv7wbm7iqtj2f" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2157040006/photo/woman-putting-together-a-jigsaw-puzzle-during-self-quarantine.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Ty08cx7nXTbiAYHR13_WLng3WnjreF3NsRnMqwH1vzo=" alt="Why does panic disorder exist at all?" title="Why does panic disorder exist at all?" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2157040006/photo/woman-putting-together-a-jigsaw-puzzle-during-self-quarantine.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Ty08cx7nXTbiAYHR13_WLng3WnjreF3NsRnMqwH1vzo=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Theories of Panic: From Brain Chemistry to Evolutionary Peculiarities</h2><p> </p><p>Over time, different theories have tried to explain why some&nbsp; minds slip into high alert over seemingly minor stressors. Early models laid the groundwork but didn’t fully explain the emergence of panic. The biochemical theory linked panic attacks to imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, while the metabolic theory highlighted triggers such as lactic acid, CO2, caffeine, and nicotine. These insights revealed biological sensitivities but didn’t explain why some people are more vulnerable than others [1]. Psychodynamic and cognitive theories explored unconscious conflicts and distorted thought patterns. Later, integrative models knit these perspectives together, emphasizing that panic disorder arises from genetic sensitivities in the nervous system combined with early life stress [2,3]. Although these theories provided valuable insights, they often stopped at highlighting associations, leaving questions about how these factors interweave to create chronic panic episodes. To understand why panic disorder exists at all, we must examine through an evolutionary lens. Anything that doesn’t enhance the survival of your genes tends to fade away. So panic, or panic disorder, must bring something essential to the table.</p><p>The first important realization in this context is that panic itself is not a defect. It’s a survival mechanism that, in the right context, protects your life. A racing heart, rapid breath, and heightened alertness may feel overwhelming, but they evolved to keep you connected to the people and resources that ensured your ancestors’ survival. Imagine an infant who senses its caregiver is gone, crying out to call them back. That same system of distress and alarm kept our ancestors safe from the dangers of social isolation. It's a cry for help for others and to others. Therefore, the sensations may rush in when you feel disconnected, even if no immediate threat is present. The flood of sensations you call a panic attack is your body’s way of sounding the alarm: "Call help." In panic disorder this system misfires. Instead of activating only in moments of genuine disconnection or loss, it can be triggered by situations that pose no real danger at all, like a crowded room, a fleeting thought, or sometimes no obvious cause [4]. Why does this happen? Let’s explore.</p><p>It often stems from a combination of inherited sensitivities and early experiences. And those experiences don’t need to be dramatic to leave a mark. What matters is how your child self perceived them. A small disappointment, like not getting a lollipop, could have felt earth-shattering at the time. You don’t need to dig up traumatic memories to understand this; it’s about how your young mind interpreted the world. Most importantly, this is a feature, not a flaw. Evolution favored those who overreacted and survived over those who missed real exposure. This "better safe than sorry" design persists because it works. It’s those very genes, carrying a blueprint for a sensitive panic system, that may have helped ensure survival, giving their carriers an edge to escape danger and pass those genes along. If you live with panic disorder, it’s a testament to your body’s ancient survival blueprint, a system that’s simply trying a little too hard [4].</p><figure id="figure-jafxzjaqmm7iqxdb9"><img id="jafxzjaqmm7iqxdb9" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1471227719/photo/shopping-street-in-europe-in-winter-with-anonymous-backlit-people.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=OFmcIxNlWTbdehh-PXNS3x8zT9LYIwIER7noHAYDfRg=" alt="Panic disorder can be triggered in a crowded place" title="Panic disorder can be triggered in a crowded place" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1471227719/photo/shopping-street-in-europe-in-winter-with-anonymous-backlit-people.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=OFmcIxNlWTbdehh-PXNS3x8zT9LYIwIER7noHAYDfRg=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Panic Disorder and the Fear of Disconnection: The Missing Link</h2><p>So, what is this panic system working so hard to protect you from? Panic disorder is often linked to fear of external threats, but a closer look at the mind’s patterns reveals a deeper layer. Panic isn’t just about the shadowy figure in the alley or the cyclist that appears out of nowhere; it’s about facing threats alone. Humans are deeply social creatures, evolved to flourish within groups. Connection offers safety, resources, and shared protection. Isolation, however, magnifies vulnerability, making the fear of separation deeply embedded in your biology. In panic disorder, this fear of loss, of connection, security, or belonging, takes center stage. Panic doesn’t just ignite the general FEAR web; it foremost activates the separation distress emotions: the PANIC/GRIEF network. This system drives the intense emotional reaction tied to feelings of abandonment or isolation. It’s not about the fear of a particular threat, but the overwhelming sense of facing the world without support [5].</p><p>This underlying fear of separation explains why panic disorder often emerges during major life transitions or losses, like moving to a new place, losing a loved one, or facing significant changes. These experiences can leave you feeling adrift, increasing your vulnerability to panic. Early life experiences also matter. Childhood separation anxiety, emotional neglect, or feelings of loneliness can affect the development of your emotional regulation, leaving you less equipped to manage distress later in life. Panic disorder often reflects unacknowledged feelings of isolation and unmet needs for connection. But it’s not the events themselves that matter most, it’s your experience of them. The same situation can leave a lasting impact on one person but be a passing memory for another. For instance, getting lost in a grocery store as a child might be a minor story for one person but a lasting source of vulnerability for another [5].</p><figure id="figure-ot5ft583zmbj1egs3"><img id="ot5ft583zmbj1egs3" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1481852536/photo/young-asian-woman-unpacking-cardboard-boxes-while-moving-into-a-new-home.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=rCgB84VZVEM-IWp2n9dzHqWoU6Z55vPFyR_tDfERpUY=" alt="Panic disorder often emerges during major life transitions" title="Panic disorder often emerges during major life transitions" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1481852536/photo/young-asian-woman-unpacking-cardboard-boxes-while-moving-into-a-new-home.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=rCgB84VZVEM-IWp2n9dzHqWoU6Z55vPFyR_tDfERpUY=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h2>Panic Disorder: Learning to Recalibrate</h2><p>Panic attacks can be devastating, shaking the ground beneath your feet and leaving a deep imprint on your quality of life. Yet panic disorder is highly treatable, and behavioral approaches consistently bring about positive outcomes. Your mind’s timeworn alarm system evolved to protect you, even if it sometimes overreacts to modern challenges. But with steady practice and the right tools, you can help it find a calmer rhythm. Emotional helath isn’t about silencing every note or achieving constant peace, life is more dynamic than that. It’s about learning to steady yourself when the tempo quickens, and finding moments of grace even in the most discordant passages. Whether you chose grounding techniques, recalibrating your inner responses, or reshaping old emotional patterns, every step strengthens your capacity to meet the challange with more composure.</p><p>Panic may be part of your composition, but it doesn’t have to define your entire&nbsp; life. The rest of the way forward is yours to choose. Emotional health is your steady companion on this path, a practice of learning to hear the notes of your own mind and guide them toward harmony. Like a traveler learning to navigate winding paths and shifting landscapes, you can learn to work with your system, one step, one landmark, one steady breath at a time.</p><figure id="figure-hbla744ifkmbj1t5x8"><img id="hbla744ifkmbj1t5x8" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/615913026/photo/woman-traveling-in-munich.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=CZxGxR_MvH9AYML7eaTDco8yRyqQoT_fHvOuQyQBmXE=" alt="You can learn to work with your system" title="You can learn to work with your system" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>[1] Ankrom, S. (2019). Biological theories of panic disorder. https://www.verywellmind.com/biological-theories-of-panic-disorder-2583924.<br>[2] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[3] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[4] Nesse, R. M. (1987). An evolutionary perspective on panic disorder and agoraphobia. Ethology and Sociobiology, 8(1), 73-83.<br>[5] Francesetti, G., Alcaro, A., &amp; Settanni, M. (2020). Panic disorder: attack of fear or acute attack of solitude? Convergences between affective neuroscience and phenomenological-Gestalt perspective. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 23(1), 77-87. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2020.421</p>

The Roots of Panic: Understanding The Factors Behind Panic Attacks

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<p>Today’s personal development movement draws from an ever-evolving blend of ancient philosophy, traditional psychology, and modern science. It’s a fine recipe passed down through generations, each era adding its own must-have ingredient, perfecting the dish over time. My mission is to introduce one more indispensable component: emotional health. When starting out, I worked as a generalist, helping clients from all walks of life. That broad exposure revealed a pattern: the biggest obstacle in people’s paths is themselves. And by zooming in it comes clear that the part of the self in the way are: emotions. After yeas of tending to the tangled knots and everyday jumble of people’s lives I'm confident to say: by prioritizing your emotional health, you open the door to deeper, more sustainable personal growth.</p><h3>Personal Development: A Journey Through Time</h3><p>The roots of self-improvement strech far. Between 300 BC and AD 500, the Stoics, like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, emphasized self-mastery, resilience, and discipline through rational thought. They were the earliest guides in personal growth, reminding people to cultivate composure and resilience long before motivational quotes became a trend. Across the world, Buddhism and Confucianism taught mindfulness, discipline, and self-cultivation as pathways to wisdom. In the late 1800s, the New Thought Movement brought a new dimensiona with ideas about positive thinking, mental control, and self-reliance. Ralph Waldo Emerson became the hero for this philosophy, encouraging people to believe in themselves before motivational posters made it mainstream [1]. Around the same time, psychology took its first steps as a formal discipline. Thinkers like William James explored how the mind shapes behavior, laying the foundation for understanding personal performance [2]. Fast forward to the mid-20th century, and Dale Carnegie’s <em>How to Win Friends and Influence People</em> taught us that likability can be learned, while Abraham Maslow assembled human needs into a pyramid, showing how to ascend toward self-actualization. By the late 20th century, Tony Robbins and Stephen Covey were packaging personal empowerment into digestible frameworks; motivating people to take charge of their lives, one leadership principle at a time.</p><p>In the digital age, the rise of blogs and podcasts allowed pioneers like Tim Ferriss and Dave Asprey to popularize the science of productivity, longevity, and life optimization. Ferriss’ <em>The 4-Hour Workweek</em> (2007) and Asprey’s <em>Bulletproof Diet</em> (2014) introduced life-optimization into the mainstream, and the rise of online platforms made self-improvement more accessible than ever. With the increased availablility of scientific research, today’s leading influencers are developing and introducing new cutting-edge approaches to personal growth, focusing on how bodily and mind’s functions can be optimized for performance, productivity, longevity, and well-being. &nbsp;Yet amid this flourishing conversation, one essential ingredient often stands in the shadows: emotional health. Emotional health. It is only occasionally being addressed and paid attention to and remains a relatively marginal and sometimes overlooked niche, overshadowen by cold plunges, time-blocking, and nootropics. Yet affective science (the science of emotions) starts uncovering that emotional health constitutes the foundation of human mental functioning. In doing so, it represents the key to optimal performance and sustained well-being.</p><figure id="figure-c82k0pf1fm615n53v"><img id="c82k0pf1fm615n53v" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1085206000/photo/fit-woman-performs-ice-swim-in-the-ice-hole.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Nos0RkLVPUK4lpIEfLKUFi1lFjWsitiRzkPsDIJ8iQo=" alt="Emotional growth remains a relatively marginal and sometimes overlooked niche" title="Emotional growth remains a relatively marginal and sometimes overlooked niche" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1085206000/photo/fit-woman-performs-ice-swim-in-the-ice-hole.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Nos0RkLVPUK4lpIEfLKUFi1lFjWsitiRzkPsDIJ8iQo=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Emotions: Your Foundation to Living Well</h3><p>Emotional health refers to a state of emotional well-being and functionality characterized by the ability to harness emotions effectively so that you may act on your values, pursue your goals, and maintain mental prosperity. While emotions are often relegated to the realm of romantics and mystics, the reality is far more gorunded and biological. Your emotions aren’t decorative fairy lights; they’re the central wiring of your behavioral and cognitive system [3]. Emotional functioning is the biological basis of your behavior, cognition and the fundamental block of your well-being [4]. Emotions are principal, mostly unconscious behavior motivators. Fear makes you retreat, excitement makes you move forward, anger makes you fight, and love makes you care, literally and figuratively [3,5]. Emotions operate as biological programs, part hardwired, part shaped by life, interpreting your subjective experience of the world and guiding your actions. They provide your subjective meaning of perceived circumstances and guide you to move accordingly [4,5]. Your emotions are working 24/7, continuously processing an infinite amount of data from the past and present, from today’s small disappointments to the echoes of something said three years ago. They keep you moving toward or away from something, after identifying risks and opportunities. Importantly, emotions also ultimately determine the very feel of your life [3,4].</p><p>Despite being the foundation of human functioning and well-being, emotions often feel like the overlooked middle child in the quest for self-actualization. They are yet to be recognized as the full human potential in the quest for realizing their full potential. Their ubiquitous nature sometimes leads to their presence being forgotten. Components of emotional health, such as emotional intelligence, have only recently started to gain traction in the mainstream personal development debate, and there remains a widespread lack of awareness regarding how profoundly emotions influence the main aspects of life. While thought leaders like Daniel Goleman and Marc Brackett are waving the emotional fitness flag and bringing affectology to the forefront, the awareness of its importance has yet to permeate the field. Much of the personal development industry is still rooted in traditional models prioritizing physical health, sleep, discipline, and willpower, leading emotions to be significantly underrepresented in self-improvement strategies. Emotional factors remain ignored mainly, with a general lack of a clear understanding of how emotions work and how they influence well-being by determining our behavior. There’s a collective shrug when it comes to emotions. Yet, they are the unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior, dictating how you act, react, and overreact. It’s a glaring oversight.</p><figure id="figure-j4ah5im3s8mbkjm20a"><img id="j4ah5im3s8mbkjm20a" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1145005728/photo/woman-artist-in-home-studio-creating-stop-motion-animated-video-using-digital-camera-to.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=bbVKUISDvU4nOLd93M_0YF1LBCmDKELJDLxcgAIcI7g=" alt="Emotions are unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior" title="Emotions are unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><h3>Emotional Growth: Rewriting the Old Script</h3><p>Several misconceptions about emotions make applying them as self-improvement tools feel like trying to bake a complex recipe without the instructions and with ingredients from three different pantries. Much like complex recipes, emotions can leave you wondering how each element fits into the final dish. Without understanding their purpose, emotions can seem like those unruly houseguests, disrupting the harmony of your home and leaving you puzzled about how to manage them. One common misunderstanding is the tendency to demonize uncomfortable emotions, overlooking their original value. It's like resenting a smoke alarm for warning you of a real danger. Another blind spot is forgetting that emotions didn’t evolve to make you the best version of yourself, they evolved to keep your genes in the evolutionary dance. From a biological perspective, emotions aren’t goals in themselves; they’re the means. The ultimate goal of nature is reproduction. Emotions evolved to guide behavior in ways that ensured your ancestors pass on their genes [3, 6]. There’s no such thing as a "good" or "bad" emotion in nature’s blueprint, both pleasant and unpleasant feelings serve the same essential purpose. The biological goal is not your happiness, but the survival of your offspring. This means that emotional functioning can sometimes work at odds with your own aspirations for success and fulfillment. In your journey toward greater health, well-being, and growth, it’s essential to learn to collaborate with these emotional principles, rather than simply following the organic script. Like updating the blueprints of a well-loved home, emotional patterns can be revised to better support the life you wish to build.</p><p>As our understanding of human emotional functioning continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly clear that emotional health is the crucial component of optimizing personal performance, health, and well-being. Current personal development models and approaches alone are insufficient without integrating emotional growth into the equation. Emotions are primary reactive forces that guide your perceptions, script your cognitive prototypes, pilot your habits and behavior, and ultimately influence your life outcomes. Optimizing your emotional responses and patterns allows you to align your customs with your personal goals rather than defaulting to evolutionary impulses that prioritize reproduction over personal fulfillment. When you understand basic emotional laws and take proactive steps to rewrite your emotional programs in line with your values, you unlock a new frontier in personal development. Improving your emotional intelligence, agility, and resilience secures cognitive and physical capacities to achieve the next level in your growth. Your emotional development and health are indispensable pieces in actualizing your potential and reaching sustained well-being.</p><h3>The Final Piece: Your Competitive Advantage</h3><p>Emotional health isn’t just another aspect of personal development. Rest assured, it’s a foundational element that is often overlooked. Emotions are fundamental strategies for productivity, discipline, and physical health. They are central to your life and personality. They shape your state of mind, drive your attention, mood, and behavior, and directly and indirectly determine your well-being. Emotional growth is essential if you want to align your functioning with your ambitions and values. Without upgrading your internal system to operate more effectively, you risk being stuck in outdated patterns, guided by instinctive impulses rooted in evolutionary calligraphy. Personal development is about growth, and true growth lies in aligning your goals with the internal mechanisms that drive your thoughts and behaviors. Affective science provides the foundation to navigate life’s challenges with clarity and resilience. The first step is integrating emotional literacy and functionality into your journey. When you understand how emotions work and learn to engage with them intentionally, you unlock the potential for meaningful and lasting transformation. With emotional proficiency, you gain full control of your life, aligning your behavior with your values and aspirations.</p><figure id="figure-0tvm8cqbkmbkjetl1"><img id="0tvm8cqbkmbkjetl1" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1219944808/photo/closeup-of-young-female-hands-chopping-fresh-vegetables-on-chopping-board-while-in-modern.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=fKWoF31fltef6JdcMD1iYny6tcuBv0o_6ipy5wKDPis=" alt="Emotions are fundamental strategies for productivity, discipline, and physical health." title="Emotions are fundamental strategies for productivity, discipline, and physical health." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1219944808/photo/closeup-of-young-female-hands-chopping-fresh-vegetables-on-chopping-board-while-in-modern.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=fKWoF31fltef6JdcMD1iYny6tcuBv0o_6ipy5wKDPis=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><p>[1] Abella, A., Anderson, M., Anderson, M, Angell, K., Ascierto, J., ... Zelazko, A. (2024a). New Thought. Encyclopedia Britannica. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought" data-mce-href="https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought">https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought</a><br>[2] Abella, A., Anderson, M., Anderson, M, Angell, K., Ascierto, J., ... Zelazko, A. (2024b). Psyvhology. Encyclopedia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/science/psychology<br>[3] Panksepp, J., and Davis, K. (2018). The Emotional Foundations of Personality: A Neurobiological and Evolutionary Approach. New York: W. W. Norton &amp; Company.<br>[4] Panksepp, J., and Biven, L. (2012). The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotion. New York: W. W. Norton &amp; Company.<br>[5] Panksepp, J. (1998). Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. New York: Oxford University Press.<br>[6] Dawkins, R. (2016). The selfish gene. Oxford university press.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Emotional Health as the Frontier in Personal and Professional Development: Why It’s Key in Well-Being, Productivity, and Performance

Malka Ceh, PhD, MSc, cNPA

I'm an Affectologist. I work online with ambitious individuals worldwide who want to optimize their emotional health, fitness, and functioning to achieve better results in various fields of life, e.g., lifestyle, health, wellness, relationships, career, etc. My approach is science-based. I draw on psychodynamic concepts (unconscious processes, defense dynamics, etc.), developmental and relational theories, and the latest biological insights from evolutionary psychiatry and affective science, evolutionary psychology, and neuroscience. I use psychoanalytic and existential methods, phenomenological research, and motivational interviewing. I'm a Certified NeuroPsychoanalyst, PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology, MSc in Psychotherapy.


My services:

Your Experience of Life: The Foundation of Well-Being
Discover how emotional patterns shape your daily consciousness. When your emotional system is fit, negative triggers lose their power while positive experiences gain richness. You’ll develop an internal landscape where curiosity replaces anxiety, where setbacks trigger resilience rather than despair, and where self-awareness becomes your gateway to lasting contentment.

Health Goals: From Struggle to Natural Flow
Why do some people effortlessly maintain healthy habits while others constantly battle their impulses? The answer lies not in willpower, but in emotional patterning. By recalibrating your emotional responses to health-related triggers, you transform dreaded exercises into anticipated activities and healthy foods into preferred choices. Your emotions become allies in your health journey.

Relationships: Dancing with Others’ Emotions
Every interaction is an emotional tango where both partners’ patterns create the dance. Understanding your own emotional choreography while reading your partner’s emotional signals transforms relationships from mysterious struggles into fascinating collaborations. Learn to create harmony in relationships by mastering the rhythms of emotional exchange.

Professional Success Through Emotional Intelligence
Your career advancement depends less on technical skills and more on emotional patterns than you might think. Whether managing workplace relationships or maintaining focus on complex tasks, emotionally fit individuals naturally navigate professional challenges. Transform workplace triggers from sources of stress into opportunities for growth

Family Bonds: From Pain Points to Growth
As a grown child, you might still wrestle with your parents’ authority, carry unresolved emotional wounds, or struggle with evolving care roles. With siblings, natural competitions for resources and attention often persist, masked as adult conflicts over inheritance, parent care, or status. Through emotional fitness, you can recognize these patterns, transforming old triggers into opportunities for mature relationships. Your family dynamics become a laboratory for growth rather than a source of recurring pain.

Modern Parenting: Meeting the High Expectations
Your emotional system evolved when resources were scarce, and survival was paramount. Today’s parenting ideals create an emotionally demanding mismatch. Through emotional fitness, you can bridge the gap, transforming instinctive reactions into conscious responses. Learn to navigate between programmed impulses and contemporary parenting values, creating an environment where both you and your child can thrive.

Transform Your Emotional Landscape for Lasting Success
Emotions are the foundation of your moods, thoughts, actions, and, ultimately, your happiness and outcomes. In life, emotional health is your greatest asset. My approach provides the tools to optimize your emotional skills, enhance your mental capacities, and elevate your overall well-being, setting you on the path to sustained personal fulfillment. Join me in redefining what’s possible through a science-driven, pragmatical approach to emotional fitness.

Science Meets Every-Day Application
Each strategy is grounded in evidence-based science, ensuring reliability and effectiveness.
Solutions are customized for real-world application, meeting the demands of achievers and organizations alike.
Discover how personalized, science-backed insights can transform your emotional health and optimize performance.

Malka Ceh, PhD, MSc, cNPA

Articles

From Chromosomes to Choices: The Journey of Sex and Gender

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The Roots of Panic: Understanding The Factors Behind Pani...

Emotional Health as the Frontier in Personal and Professi...