Transcription
Ever lie in bed, exhausted, but your chest is pounding like you just ran a race? Your Fitbit says resting, but your brain's revving at 6,000 revs per minute. Most people call that anxiety. But what if that's the wrong word? What if the real problem is a faulty circuit stuck on go?
Today, I'll show you the hidden switch that keeps millions permanently wired and how to flip it back. I'm Dr. Sil reggae, consultant, psychiatrist and educator. We throw the word anxiety at every uptake in heart rate, every jitter, every restless night. But here's what I want you to know. The brain speaks in three alarm tones. One, the soft violin of worry. That's anxiety. Two, the shrill trumpet of activation. That's hyperarousal. And three, the pounding drum beat. That's agitation. And most of the wired messages that I get on the comments, they fall squarely in that second or third bucket, hyperarousal or agitation. Label it wrong and you'll pick the wrong tools, whether it's a supplement, a strategy, or a medication.
So, here's our plan today. First, I'll show you the wiring from the brain stem to the cortex. Two, we'll break three myths that keep people stuck in overdrive. And third, we'll learn a four-step protocol that you can start tonight. Grounded, practical, and personal. So, let's jump straight in. Let's start off with myth busting.
The first myth, wired feelings always start in the mind. Nope. The locus ceruius deep in the brain stem fires a surge of noradrenine before your conscious brain even realizes something's wrong. That's not you overthinking. That's your autonomic nervous system going ary. The locus ceruius responds to signals from the body. Could be inflammation, blood sugar crashes, even loud noises.
Myth number two, breath work always works. Not always. Breath work is powerful, but only if the chemical amplifier, which is noradrenaline, isn't already maxed out. Sometimes the system is too primed. You have to lower the gain before the techniques stick.
Myth three, all anti-depressants calm you down. Not quite. SSRIs dampen the amygdala. However, in some individuals, it can activate. Anti-depressants that potentiate dopamine and noradrenaline can significantly make someone wired if they're already wired. In someone wired, that can actually make things worse. Think jaw clenching, restlessness, and insomnia. Right medication, but wrong brain circuit.
So, let's try to understand what wired really means. Think of your brain like a car engine. It's designed to idle calmly at about 800 revs per minute. But chronic stress turns that up to 3,000. Now, you're stuck in the garage, but your engine's still screaming. The question is what's happening under the hood? First, stress activates the HPA axis, a chain from the hypothalamus to the adrenal glands. Next, cortisol rises and with it nor adrenaline, fuel for your engine. In a normal system, cortisol shuts itself off at night. But poor sleep or chronic stress breaks this feedback loop. You wake at 3:00 a.m. and your engines still firing. Here's what happens next. Your prefrontal cortex, the brain's brake pedal, can't regulate when it's sleepdeprived. The amygdala, then starts tagging neutral sounds or sensations as threats. The hippocampus records the wrong story. This is danger. That's how you get wired without any real threat. For clinicians watching, if someone startles at small noises or flinches when you tap your pen, they're living with a brain that's stuck in red alert mode. Look out for symptoms of hyperarousal and agitation.
So, now that we understand the basis behind being wired, let's look at the four-step dewiring protocol that I use in clinical practice. The key here is you'll see dozens of tools on the internet, but don't grab them at random. Learn the principle, then pick what works for you.
Step one, sematic grounding. Show your brain you're safe through the body. So, what can you try? Do a 5 4 3 2 1 sensory scan. Five things you can see, four you can touch, and so on. Add a 30 second isometric muscle hold like tensing your thighs when seated. Pair it with a slow sigh. Inhale through the nose and then long open mouth exhale. These large predictable sensory signals tell the spinal cord there's no danger. You can stop alerting the brain.
Step two, the circadian reset. The principle here is restore the sleepwake cycle because cortisol listens to light. Here's what you can try. Get sunlight in your eyes within 30 minutes of waking. No sunglasses. Even on cloudy days, it works. Now, one may consider a tiny melatonin dose about 5 hours before your target bedtime. But of course, discuss this with your medical professional. Magnesium, glycinate, or 308 can be helpful when taken with dinner as it can assist with sleep. These aren't sedatives, they're rhythm cues. You're retraining the internal clock.
Step three, breath and nutrition. Here the principle is calming the system through oxygen, carbon dioxide balance and glucose regulation. So here's what you can try. One, the physiological sigh. Two quick inhales and a long slow exhale. Five rounds of these. Or try box breathing. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and then hold again for 4 seconds. both downshift the locus ceruius, the part of the brain that responds to stress. Think of it like adjusting the volume on your internal alarm. Here are some nutrition tips. Cut caffeine after 10:00 a.m. Yes, it matters because caffeine's halflife means it lingers into your bedtime. Eat a protein dominant dinner. 30 g of protein or more. This helps stabilize blood sugar throughout the night. There is a link between blood sugar drops and hyperarousal in the form of nightmares or vivid dreams. Other options include fish oil or omega-3s if your diet lacks oily fish. Remember breath and nutrition are levers. We want to use them appropriately with other strategies.
And step four, targeted medications to be used only with a clinician. The principle is matching the right medication to the right circuit dysfunction. Here's how psychiatrists approach it. For anxiety, CBT or SSRIs work. But if you're hyperaroused, not anxious, then lowdose clonodine or prazisonin may be needed because they directly target the noradrenogic hyperactivity dampening it down improving overall sleep architecture. If you're wired and irritable, mood stabilizers may be needed or in some cases low doses of atypical antiscychotic medication. If you're wired and anxious, gabapentenoids such as pregabalin or guanosine can be especially helpful when ADHD is present as they kickstart the prefrontal cortex to take control over the hyperaroused brain. This is known as top-own inhibition. And if you become flat and foggy after a burnout, a gentle dopamine adrenaline boost may be needed. Agents such as stimulants or bupropion might help. The key here is regulation, not flooding of dopamine and noradrenaline. Remember, this isn't one-sizefits-all. These are tools, not cures. Always talk with your doctor and adjust based on what your body is telling you.
So, what does this look like in clinical practice? Let me tell you about Ella. She's 29, high performing triathlete, gave up caffeine, ate well, still woke up at 2:00 a.m. heart racing, drenched in sweat. She was diagnosed with anxiety and put on a highdose SSRI. Result: nightmares, jaw clenching, no relief. We changed the lens. We asked the question, is this anxiety or hyperarousal or agitation? The night sweats pointed to hyperarousal. So, we started evening grounding with a small dose of melatonin. We reduced the SSRI and considered cloned to reduce overall hyperarousal. We focused on sleep hygiene, morning lights, and slow breathing. Within 3 weeks, her heart rate improved by 20%. REM sleep was restful, and deep sleep was restored, which meant she woke up refreshed. That's the shift we're after.
If you watch my video on fatigue here, you'll remember this. Wired isn't the opposite of tired. It's the other side of the same circuit. The same overdrive that leads to burnout. also disrupts sleep, mood, and focus. So, let me give you a quick tip. You can use the pacus framework to map where you are. This is a very effective tool in clinical practice. P stands for perception. So, ask yourself, are you hyper sensitive to noise or light? For example, A, activity. Are you restless, pacing, can't stop? Cognition, racing thoughts, looping ideas. E emotion, irritable, angry, can't control emotions. and S sleep. Is it shallow, fragmented, REMd deprived, nightmares, vivid dreams? Where your symptom lands is where you target treatment.
So, I mentioned at the start of the video, I'll give you five things to try tonight. So, here's what you can do. First, cold face dunk for 30 seconds. Then follow with five slow physiological size. Two, ox breathing while lying down. The 44 44. Third, shut off screens 90 minutes before bed. No scrolling. Fourth, eat a proteinrich dinner. Low on carbs at least 30 g of protein. And number five, journal your wired triggers at 400 p.m., not at bedtime. Let your thoughts land earlier. Remember, you're not fixing everything in one night, but you're resetting the system for sustainability.
So, let me summarize all of this for you. Wired isn't just anxiety. It's a nor adrenaline loop stuck on on. It starts in the brain stem but is shaped by light, food, sleep, and stress. You can break the cycle with four levers. Grounding, circadian cues, breath, and nutrition, and medication if required. Supplements and routines are just tools. What matters is how you respond.
So, if this video helped make sense of something you've been feeling but couldn't name, give it a like. It tells the algorithm this content matters. Drop your story in the comment section. I read them all and I try my best to respond to them. I'm Dr. Ree and I look forward to seeing you in the next video. Until then, stay grounded and stay curious. Bye-bye. [Music]