Mindful Exposure

The amygdala in the brain is important for management the body's sympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for increasing adrenaline, elevate heart rate...essentially prepare for "fight or flight") in response to a threat. This is essential for survival in a hunter-gatherer society, but, in modern life, the amygdala may label a threat that is not truly there.

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Simplifying the the role of the amygdala for our purposes, we can note it has 3 jobs: (1) detect threats ("there is a venomous snake in the bushes!"), (2) sounds alarm (activate sympathetic nervous system, such as elevating heart rate), (3) watches response (did you stay or did you run away?). This app focuses on managing #3. When you leave a stressful/anxiety-provoking situation (this can happen in various ways, in behavioral therapy we call these "safety behaviors"), you are supporting your amygdala's appraisal that this situation (or thought) is indeed a threat. In the future, the amygdala will sound the alarm faster and possibly with more strength. Over time, one can see how this could develop into a formal anxiety disorder.

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Thought exposures are a common tool in behavioral therapies. The idea is to "fuse" with a difficult thought, sit with the anxiety (mindfully), and ultimately accept it. By not performing any safety behaviors in the setting of a stressor, the brain is then retrained that a certain thought or situation is not a true threat. This is a process that may take multiple attempts over several sessions with a therapist. In behavioral therapy, it does not matter if the thought is true or not...rather how ruminating on this thought affects your ability to match your life goals.

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Mindful Exposure focuses on this particular technique. By typing your most difficult thoughts, staring at them on the screen, watching the font size grow, turning the text red, and having your thought read back to you in an eerie, robotic voice, you have the opportunity to "fuse" with your anxiety and track your level throughout the exposure. Remember, the goal is actually to get your anxiety high and to welcome it. You may use this in a therapist's office or in your own home (although it is suggested you first discuss this with your therapist and possibly perform it first in session, if possible). You can use the graph display to review thought exposures performed at home in session with your therapist.

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For a more detailed explanation, Dr. Majeres, a behavioral psychiatrist based in Cambridge,  has an excellent and thorough YouTube video which further explains the root of anxiety and the goals of behavioral treatment.