Your Brain in a Crisis
- Kimberly Mahr
- Nov 7
- 7 min read
How the SNAP Suspension Hijacks Your Nervous System
The text message announcing that you will not be receiving SNAP benefits this month.
And just like that, your entire nervous system goes into overdrive. You’re trying to focus on your work, but your brain is full of static. You find yourself snapping at your kids or your partner for no reason. You’re exhausted, but you can’t sleep, lying awake with a racing heart and a knot of pure, cold dread in your stomach. Panic is pervasive: “How am I going to feed my kids, much less myself?"
Let me be perfectly clear: You are not broken. You are not weak. What you are experiencing is not a character flaw. It is a sane, biological, and predictable human survival response to a massive, life-altering threat. Your brain fog, your anxiety, and your irritability are not signs that you are failing. They are a sign that your nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight mode, and it just got validation that the tiger is real and at the door.
It’s time to stop blaming yourself for a physiological reality. The suspension of SNAP isn't just a political headline; it's a direct and profound assault on your nervous system.
The Science: This Is Your Brain on Scarcity
Food insecurity is a profound psychological stressor (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2018). It’s not a background worry; it’s an immediate, primal threat to your survival. When your brain perceives a threat—whether it’s a physical attacker or a systemic removal of your food source—it does one thing: it activates your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the "fight-or-flight" response (Sapolsky, 2004).
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This system floods your body with adrenaline and cortisol, powerful hormones designed to help you survive an acute crisis. They make your heart pound, sharpen your senses, and prepare your muscles to run or fight (Sapolsky, 2004). This is a fantastic system for a short-term crisis. It is a terrible, destructive system to live in 24/7.
The problem with a chronic threat like food insecurity—now made terrifyingly acute by the SNAP suspension—is that the "off" switch for your stress response never gets flipped. Your nervous system gets stuck in a state of high alert, a condition known as chronic stress (Lupien et al., 2009).
You are physiologically exhausted from being in a constant state of fight-or-flight, and your brain is diverting all its resources from long-term planning to short-term survival.
The "Cognitive Load" of a National Crisis
Think of your brain as a computer with a limited amount of processing power. When you are feeling reasonably food secure (or at least know you have a food safety-net such as SNAP), most of that power can be dedicated to "executive functions"—the high-level tasks that make you a functional adult: planning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and focusing on your job (Mani et al., 2013).
But now, with this news, a huge chunk of that processing power has been hijacked by a single, relentless, survival-based program running in the background: “How will I feed my family? Where will I get food? What do I do now?”
This is what researchers refer to as cognitive load (Mani et al., 2013). That brain fog you feel? It’s not you being bad at your job. It’s your brain’s processing power being maxed out by a more urgent, non-negotiable survival task. That irritability? It’s a classic symptom of a nervous system that is overtaxed, depleted, and screaming for a sense of safety (Martin et al., 2021). You can’t be a calm, patient, long-term planner when your entire being is convinced you are in immediate, existential danger.
Your 3-Step Action Plan to Reclaim Your Nervous System
You cannot, by yourself, reverse this national decision. However, you can regain control of your body and mind. This is an act of radical responsibility—not for causing the problem, but for managing your response to it.
1. Re-label the Feeling: The next time you feel that wave of irritability or brain fog, stop. Do not label it "I'm a loser;" re-label it with the biological truth: "My sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated by a real threat" or "My cognitive load is maxed out." This act of naming moves you from a place of shame to a place of objective self-awareness.
2. Manually Reboot Your Nervous System (For Free): When your SNS is in overdrive, you have to activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) manually—the "rest and digest" system. You can do this right now, for free.
The Action: Tactical Box Breathing. This technique is used by military personnel and first responders to calm the stress response in high-stakes situations.
Inhale slowly for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale slowly for a count of 4.
Hold the empty breath for a count of 4.
Repeat for 2-3 minutes.
This simple, structured breathing pattern sends a direct signal to your brain that you are not, in this exact moment, in danger of dying (Jain et al., 2021). It helps downregulate cortisol and allows your executive functions to come back online.
3. Stabilize Your Blood Sugar: This crisis will likely force a reliance on the cheapest, most processed foods, which are high in sugar and refined carbs. These foods cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, followed by a severe crash, which in turn throws your mood and hormones into chaos, exacerbating anxiety (Razzoli et al., 2017).
The Action: When you do have access to food, focus on protein and fiber first. Even if it's a can of beans, a couple of eggs, or a jar of peanut butter, these nutrients will keep your blood sugar far more stable than a meal of pure carbohydrates, which gives your nervous system a chance to stay calm and regulated.
4. Activate Your Local Safety Net (Without Shame): You would use a tool to fix a broken car. It’s time to use the tools designed to patch a broken system. You are not a "charity case." You are a strategic adult leveraging an available resource to regain control of your brain.
The Action: The federal system has failed. Your community is your new safety net. Call 211 immediately to get connected with local, private, and municipal resources. Find your local food bank via FeedingAmerica.org. Seeking help is not an admission of failure; it is you taking strategic, decisive action to reduce your cognitive load, calm your nervous system, and reclaim your mental resources so you can feed yourself and your family.
Your panic is not a sign of weakness.
Your panic is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign that your survival instincts are working perfectly. This systemic failure is a profound, real-world threat, and your body knows it. But understanding why your brain is hijacked is the first step to taking back the controls. You are not broken. You are a human being in a crisis, and you have the tools to manage your own physiology. The most radical act of defiance in the face of this systemic failure is to take care of your own mind.
You Are Not Alone. Get Reinforcements.
Knowing why you feel this way is a superpower. But sometimes, understanding isn't enough to calm the storm, especially when the crisis is real and ongoing. If you are feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or unable to cope, it is a signal to seek professional help. Using these resources is not an admission of defeat. It is a strategic, powerful, and courageous act of self-preservation.
Resources for Arizona Residents:
Arizona's Crisis Line:
Call 988. This is the national suicide and crisis lifeline. In Arizona, it is run by Solari, which provides 24/7/365 confidential support from trained professionals. If you are in immediate, overwhelming distress, this is your first call.
AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid):
If the SNAP suspension impacts you, you may qualify for Arizona's Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). This is Arizona's Medicaid program, which provides comprehensive, free mental and physical health care. Do not wait. Apply today.
2-1-1 Arizona:
Call 2-1-1 or visit their website. This is a free, confidential service that connects you to a massive database of community resources, including local food banks, utility assistance, and free or low-cost counseling services in your specific zip code. This is your one-stop shop for building a new safety net.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Arizona:
NAMI Arizona offers numerous free online and in-person peer-led support groups. You are not the only one feeling this way. Connecting with others who understand the struggle is a powerful tool for building community and resilience.
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective:
This is a national non-profit for people who may not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford typical therapy rates. For a one-time lifetime membership fee (around $6
University of Phoenix Counseling Skills Center:
https://www.phoenix.edu/student-resources/counseling-skills-centers.html
(602) 557-2217
The University of Phoenix offers free counseling services in-person (downtown near the airport) or via secure telehealth.
The services are provided by Master's students in Clinical Mental Health Counseling who have completed their program and are obtaining supervised practice hours, serving Arizonans.
Consider A Counseling Intern:
Best Damn You has a highly qualified, EMDR and EFT-trained intern who offers counseling services at a significantly reduced rate ($30 for individuals, $50 for couples).
You can book a free consultation with Karen Culp by clicking the link above.
References
Gundersen, C., & Ziliak, J. P. (2018). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs, 37(3), 500-500.
Jain, S., Singh, S., & Singh, A. (2021). A randomized controlled trial of yogic breathing for anxiety: A study of 100 cases. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 31(1), 2021-D-20-00013.
Lupien, S. J., McEwen, B. S., Gunnar, M. R., & Heim, C. (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 434–445.
Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). Poverty impairs cognitive function. Science, 341(6149), 976–980.
Martin, M. S., Maddocks, E., Chen, Y., Kmove, B., & Colman, I. (2021). Food insecurity and mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1108.
Razzoli, M., Pignatelli, D., & Bellistri, A. (2017). The role of the microbiome in the relationship between diet and mood. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 73, 145-154.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don't get ulcers: The acclaimed guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. Henry Holt and Company.y.
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