The Biological Mechanism: Cognitive Appraisal - What is happening?

"Your words are not just thoughts. They are instructions your nervous system is listening to."

The brain's amygdala does not see the outside work directly: it relies on your interpretation of it. (Lazarus and Folkman)

When we use catastrophic language:

1. My body is failing, I can't cope" , the brain registers a physical threat. This triggers the Hypothalamic - Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis to flood the system with cortisol.

   When we use supportive, buffering language:

2. "This is a transition , and I am learning how to navigate it" The brain shifts from a "Thread Appraisal, to a "Challenge" Appraisal "signaling the HPA axis to keep cortisol stable.

“Science shows that negative, threat-based words act as chemical instructions. When you change the story you tell yourself about menopause, you are quite literally changing your hormone production.”