Given that we have over one hundred years of science examining symptoms, it would be tempting to assume we know what symptoms like anxiety, depression, or addiction are all about by now. We certainly know more of what happens in the brain, but we seem to have forgotten that we are more than just biological creatures. It is the impression of many people in the helping professions that the whole emphasis has moved away from people having some kind role in the symptoms that develop to people being the unfortunate recipient of symptoms caused by bad genetics which are best addressed by medication. This emphasis on the medical and biological side of symptoms takes a great deal of power and control away from people who need it the most and puts it in the hands of professionals, who are supposed to be the experts at relieving the symptoms.
Recognizing that we are far more than just biological beings helps us understand that symptoms like anxiety and depression are more than just chemical reactions in the brain caused by poor genetics. A basic starting point for understanding our brain chemistry is that our brain’s electrical chemical makeup is always appropriate to what we are thinking and doing. Our mind and behavior influence the electrical chemical activity of the brain and the activity of the brain then influences what we think and do. If you think negatively and behave angrily, you will feel bad. Your brain chemistry will match your thinking and behavior.
Two Ways Of Going Through Life
There are two basic types of thinking and behavior patterns. These patterns then influence how the brain develops over time, and how symptoms develop when people are under stress. The key elements of these two patterns are love and fear. When fear is dominant, we are insecure and become self-focused. When love is dominant, we are secure and other centered.
This is a very broad generalization, but people are either secure, loving, and successful at dealing with the problems of life, or they are insecure, fearful, and self-focused when dealing with disappointments, failures, loss, rejection, and difficulty. When we see ourselves as secure and successful, we have the resilience and skills we need to overcome problems as they occur. When we are driven by fear, we lack the foundation of skills and security to bear up under stress, face challenges, and focus more on feeling good rather than doing what is good.
When we are unable to solve problems, have our needs met, and deal with the challenges of life, the brain gives off a warning signal that says, “Pay attention! There is something not right here. There is a threat to my security and well-being.” That warning message will come in the form of a symptom. Depending on the context of the situation and the make-up of the person, the symptom could almost be anything. It could be hives, a headache, anxiety, angry behavior, or an eye begins to twitch. The key indication of a problem is that the person changes how he normally feels, acts, and thinks because of the symptom.
The focus on the symptom as being “the problem” is to miss the point of why we have symptoms. Symptoms are the brain’s way of sending a message, “Pay attention! One of your basic needs is not being met! A spiritual, social, emotional, or physical need is not being met. If you do not figure out how to act and think differently to solve this problem, you are in trouble.” Recognizing that symptoms are just the output of the brain—not the cause of our problem—helps us look in the right place to make the changes we need in order to find relief.