It's not you, it's your limbic system, research over the past few decades has helped us understand
the role of the brain in producing our emotions.
Scientists have identified a key group of their brain structures called the limbic system that underlies
emotional experience.
The limbic system includes areas like the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, olfactory bulb
involved in the sense of smell, thalamus and hypothalamus.
The limbic system plays a key role in activating the body's stress response through the hypothalamus,
which controls our hormone system, thanks to our limbic system, we can feel strong emotions, avoid
danger, form new memories, experience of pleasure and many other essential functions.
The limbic system and parts of the prefrontal cortex are believed to have complementary roles with limbic
regions generating emotions and the prefrontal cortex regulating those emotions.
For example, activity in the amygdala increases when we are frightened, whereas activity in the prefrontal
cortex increases when we try to control our emotions.
At times, the limbic system can be out of balance.
For example, many psychiatric conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder
have been linked to overactivity in the amygdala.
It's easy to blame ourselves for our emotional struggles.
After all, it's our feelings and our behavior that are affected.
At the same time, if an overestimate the control we have over our brain function when we've gone through
a major trauma.
For example, we will likely experience a change in the in our hippocampus that has nothing to do with
our will or our strength of character.
Many factors outside our control can affect our brains and emotions, brain activity very based on genetic
differences, current mood changes in the weather, even variety.
And yet we're not to merely passive recipients of our brain states.
Just as experiences outside our control can change our brains, we can also reach them based on how
we choose to think and act.
For example, we can quite literally change the structure of our brains through regular meditation practice.
We can also quite an overactive limbic system and increase activity in Kiprop prefrontal cortex regions
through certain kinds of therapy.
So there is good news when we cannot choose the brain we are born with or control everything that happens
to us.
We can use our brains to fix our brains.
As you do your CBT work, keep in mind that you are changing your brain.