Can Emotions Take Over Our Brain – and How to Stop It?
Emotions guide us. They help us decide whether to start something, continue, change, or stop – depending on our current physical state, environment, and the meaning we assign to it.
In this way, emotions act as an internal compass – showing us what matters or warning us when something is wrong, writes psychologist Theo Causidis for Psychology Today.
Throughout the day, we experience a wide range of emotions. Most pass unnoticed. But there are three emotions that have the power to completely take over our brain – bypassing thought, blocking logic, and leading us to impulsive, often harmful actions, reports N1.
When these emotions overwhelm us, we lose emotional balance. We act on autopilot. The thinking part of the brain shuts down, and emotions take command. The longer they remain unchecked, the stronger they become – pulling us further away from what truly matters to us.
It's important to stress that these emotions are not "bad." No emotion is inherently bad. They are messengers, not enemies. They are here to deliver a message and serve a purpose – to help us survive, connect, and find meaning.
These emotions share common traits:
They narrow our focus solely to what triggered them. They create a strong internal pressure to be "released." They pull us away from core priorities – often without us realizing it.
The first two are fear and anger.
They are loud, quick, and familiar. But the third is less obvious – craving. Craving doesn’t shout. It whispers. And that’s precisely why it can just as powerfully hijack the mind.
Fear: Brain in Survival Mode
As soon as we face something that even slightly scares us, the brain registers it as a threat. Whether it’s a growling dog or a hostile look, the "fight or flight" response is triggered.
In that moment, everything non-essential is paused. Focus locks onto the threat and a possible response. Should we avoid it? Confront it? Freeze and hope it goes away?
The threat doesn’t even have to be real. Imagined fear is enough. For example? Stage fright – heart racing, mind blanking, body wanting to flee. That’s fear taking over.
When fear dominates, focus narrows, the body prepares for defense, and long-term planning disappears. Instead of strategy – survival.
This mechanism once saved our lives, but today it often holds us back – we avoid important conversations, miss opportunities, and shut down when we should open up.
Anger: Fast and Furious Reaction
While fear responds to threats, anger responds to insults. Insults don’t have to be words – they can be the feeling of being ignored, misunderstood, disrespected, or attacked.
When anger overtakes us, focus locks on what insulted us – and the person responsible. Instinctively, we strike back.
Our tone rises, body language becomes defensive or aggressive, words get sharper. We criticize others’ flaws, mistakes, and weaknesses. Reason and reflection vanish. The part of the brain that might say, “Maybe don’t post that now” – doesn’t function.
Anger hits like a wave – forcefully, until it throws us onto the shore. Sometimes unharmed, but often with consequences.
The same applies when we are the source of our own anger. Self-criticism can be just as ruthless. Instead of understanding – attack.
Think of the last heated argument with someone you love. Did you tell them how much you appreciate them? Or did you reach for “vinegar” instead of “honey”?
Craving: The Silent Saboteur
Craving is a universal emotion, but rarely spoken about openly. Even in therapy, it’s often avoided. It’s intimate. Private territory. But like fear and anger, it too can completely hijack our brain.
Craving isn’t just sexual. It includes longing for excitement, reward, fulfillment. When unchecked, it leads to obsessive thoughts, poor choices, and emotional detachment.
In extreme cases, it contributes to sexual or porn addictions, pathological jealousy, idealizing a partner, even self-degradation.
Craving focuses attention, narrows awareness, and shuts off judgment – quietly but persistently. It doesn’t shout – it whispers.
Scientific research shows that during sexual arousal, the brain areas responsible for reward and motivation become more active, while those for self-control and critical thinking diminish. Hormones like dopamine, testosterone, and oxytocin flood the system. Essentially – the entire brain is in action.
And interestingly – the object of desire doesn’t even have to be real. Fantasies and mental scenarios are enough. Just as imagined threats paralyze us with fear, imagined closeness sustains craving.
What Can We Do?
The goal is not to suppress these emotions. They are not enemies. But we can slow them down and activate the rational part of the brain.
This is where emotional regulation comes in – the ability to recognize what we’re feeling, understand how it affects us, and choose behavior that aligns with our values and goals.
One effective tool is the LAPS strategy:
Label
“I feel fear/anger/craving.”
By naming the emotion, we activate the awareness center and engage the rational part of the brain.
Allow
“It’s okay to feel this.”
Emotions are human. We shouldn’t demonize them.
Pause
“I won’t react yet.”
Create space between feeling and action. The wave will pass.
Shift
“What else can I do now?”
Redirect attention to something calming or mentally engaging. Activate the mind.
Fear, anger, and craving are part of the human experience. But if we give them too much space – they’ll take us where we didn’t want to go. Understanding how they work doesn’t make us cold – it makes us aware.
And awareness is the first step to regaining control over our own mind.
