Dr. Zafirides Fear and Panic: How Our Brain Knows The Difference

[Peter Zafirides]

Hi Everyone,

I thought this study was relevant to those of us affected by TMS/PPD:

http://www.thehealthymind.com/2013/02/04/fear-and-panic-how-our-brain-knows-the-difference/

This was the first study to show that we process external threats in a different part of the brain than internal threats. They differentiated between fear (external threat response) and panic (internal threat response).

"If true, the newly discovered pathways could become targets for treating panic attacks, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and other anxiety-related conditions caused by a swirl of internal emotional triggers. “Our findings can shed light on how a normal response can lead to a disorder, and also on potential treatment mechanisms,” says Daniel Tranel, professor of neurology and psychology.

It is an early study in this space, but thought you would find it useful as both the physical pain and unconscious feelings of TMS/PPD are - to a large extent - internal threats.

Kindly,
Dr. Z