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It's not you, it's your limbic system, research over the past few decades has helped us understand

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the role of the brain in producing our emotions.

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Scientists have identified a key group of their brain structures called the limbic system that underlies

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emotional experience.

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The limbic system includes areas like the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, olfactory bulb

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involved in the sense of smell, thalamus and hypothalamus.

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The limbic system plays a key role in activating the body's stress response through the hypothalamus,

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which controls our hormone system, thanks to our limbic system, we can feel strong emotions, avoid

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danger, form new memories, experience of pleasure and many other essential functions.

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The limbic system and parts of the prefrontal cortex are believed to have complementary roles with limbic

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regions generating emotions and the prefrontal cortex regulating those emotions.

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For example, activity in the amygdala increases when we are frightened, whereas activity in the prefrontal

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cortex increases when we try to control our emotions.

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At times, the limbic system can be out of balance.

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For example, many psychiatric conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder

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have been linked to overactivity in the amygdala.

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It's easy to blame ourselves for our emotional struggles.

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After all, it's our feelings and our behavior that are affected.

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At the same time, if an overestimate the control we have over our brain function when we've gone through

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a major trauma.

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For example, we will likely experience a change in the in our hippocampus that has nothing to do with

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our will or our strength of character.

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Many factors outside our control can affect our brains and emotions, brain activity very based on genetic

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differences, current mood changes in the weather, even variety.

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And yet we're not to merely passive recipients of our brain states.

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Just as experiences outside our control can change our brains, we can also reach them based on how

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we choose to think and act.

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For example, we can quite literally change the structure of our brains through regular meditation practice.

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We can also quite an overactive limbic system and increase activity in Kiprop prefrontal cortex regions

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through certain kinds of therapy.

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So there is good news when we cannot choose the brain we are born with or control everything that happens

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to us.

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We can use our brains to fix our brains.

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As you do your CBT work, keep in mind that you are changing your brain.