By not performing any safety behaviors in the setting of a stressor, the brain is then retrained that a certain thought or situation is not a true threat. The idea is to "fuse" with a difficult thought, sit with the anxiety (mindfully), and ultimately accept it. Thought exposures are a common tool in behavioral therapies. Over time, one can see how this could develop into a formal anxiety disorder.
In the future, the amygdala will sound the alarm faster and possibly with more strength. When you leave a stressful/anxiety-provoking situation (this can happen in various ways, in behavioral therapy we call these "safety behaviors"), you are supporting your amygdala's appraisal that this situation (or thought) is indeed a threat. Simplifying the the role of the amygdala for our purposes, we can note it has 3 jobs: (1) detect threats ("there is a venomous snake in the bushes!"), (2) sounds alarm (activate sympathetic nervous system, such as elevating heart rate), (3) watches response (did you stay or did you run away?). This is essential for survival in a hunter-gatherer society, but, in modern life, the amygdala may label a threat that is not truly there. The amygdala in the brain is important for management the body's sympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for increasing adrenaline, elevate heart rate.essentially prepare for "fight or flight") in response to a threat.
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