Have you found your balance? Understanding Panksepps Emotional Systems

Understanding Panksepp’s Emotional Systems

Have you ever wondered why we feel the way we do? Why certain situations spark joy, fear or anger seemingly without conscious thought? Why sometimes our interactions with others end up being going completely wrong? These emotions aren’t random, they are deeply rooted in our brain's architecture. Neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp’s ground-breaking work sheds light on this, revealing seven core emotional systems that drive our behaviour and experiences.

On my drive to school this morning, one of my children was trying to make sense of something that had happened to them and I found myself explaining some of Panksepp’s emotional systems to him in a way that he would understand even given his young age. Whilst these systems can be complex, understanding them can help to understand our own and others behaviour, even as children. I thought sharing this knowledge might help you or someone you love, exactly as it helped my children and helps the clients that we support in our therapy rooms in Chester, so let’s explore these systems in simple terms.

The 7 Emotional Systems

Panksepp identified seven emotional systems that exist in both humans and animals. These systems are innate, meaning we are born with them, and they play a crucial role in our survival and social connection.

SEEKING: The drive to explore and learn

This system is the one that propels us to explore the world, go on adventures, seek out resources and satisfy curiosity. When you feel excitement about a new hobby or enjoy solving a puzzle, that’s your SEEKING system at work. It’s the brain’s way of rewarding you for discovering and learning.

RAGE: The fight response

RAGE is activated when we encounter obstacles or threats. It’s the system behind anger and

frustration. Anger can get out of hand, be destructive and hurtful and get activated in situations that aren’t a match for the level of anger. It is this destructive anger that had earnt the emotion of anger a bit of a bad rep. Anger can be misunderstood as a ‘bad’ emotion, however empowered anger (rather than destructive anger) helps us protect ourselves and those we love or assert our boundaries. While it can be overwhelming, RAGE has its purpose: ensuring we stand up for what matters to us.

FEAR: The survival alarm

This system keeps us safe by alerting us to danger. Whether it’s a real threat (like a wild animal or a road traffic accident) or a perceived danger (like public speaking), FEAR prepares the body to fight, freeze or flee from danger. It’s a powerful mechanism for survival, though it can sometimes misfire or be overly activated leading to disproportionate responses. These responses can seem bizarre to those watching (triggering judgement, impatience or worry), scary for those experiencing the fear and negatively impact upon peoples experience of life.

LUST: The drive for reproduction and connection

LUST governs sexual attraction and reproduction. It ensures the continuation of our species and also fosters intimate connections between partners. Beyond physical attraction, this system supports bonding, emotional intimacy and closeness.

CARE: The nurturing instinct

CARE drives us to protect and nurture others, particularly our children and those we love. It’s the system behind parental love, empathy and acts of kindness. When you comfort a friend, offer support or feel moved to help someone in need, CARE is guiding your actions.

PANIC/GRIEF: The response to loss

This system triggers feelings of separation distress when we lose someone or something important.

It is why babies cry when separated from their caregivers and why we feel heartache after a

breakup. But loss extends beyond bereavement and separation from other people and can be

triggered by major life events, loss of identify, loss of role or position in a family (for example when others join a family), loss of routines or control or accepting the realities of a situation.

PANIC/GRIEF can fill us with sadness and distress, however it also motivates us to seek connection and repair bonds to mitigate the loss.

PLAY: The joy of social interaction

PLAY is the source of fun and laughter, particularly in social contexts. It helps us learn social rules, build relationships, triggers happy neurotransmitters and release energy. From children chasing each other to adults joking with friends, PLAY fosters connection and happiness.

Why do these systems matter? How can you balance them?

Understanding Panksepp’s emotional systems helps us make sense of our behaviours and emotions as well as making sense of the actions of others too. These systems help to make sense of internalworlds, providing insight and fostering understanding. It reminds us that many of our feelings are not flaws that we should beat ourselves up about but biological responses shaped by evolution.

Understanding the systems can also give us insights as to what us or others might need. For

example:

• If you feel restless or bored, your SEEKING system may be urging you to explore something

  new.

• Struggling with grief after a loss? That’s your PANIC/GRIEF system processing the change and beginning to encourage you to reconnect.

• Anger in a conflict can signal that your RAGE system is protecting your boundaries or unmet needs.

While these systems are essential, they can sometimes become overactive or underactive, leading to us and our emotions feeling unbalanced. For example:

• Overactive FEAR can result in anxiety disorders

• Suppressed CARE might make it harder to connect with others

• An underutilised PLAY system could leave you feeling isolated or joyless

• An overactive RAGE system could lead to social difficulties, out of control anger or overreactions

Our therapy clients are often struggling with over or under active emotional systems. We support them in developing their understanding of themselves and their emotions so that they can learn to manage their emotional states. Recognising these patterns allows us to take steps towards finding our balance again, leading to a sense of peace and contentment that is an absolute gamechanger.

Finding balance starts with understanding so that we can approach our feelings (and the feelings of others) with greater compassion and insight. Practices like mindfulness, therapy and healthy social interactions can help regulate these systems.

If you feel like you need some help to find that sense of balance then please reach out to us. It

would be our privilege to be alongside you in your journey.

Happy regulation everyone!