Читать книгу Anxiety For Dummies - W. Doyle Gentry, Laura L. Smith - Страница 45

The brain takes in information about the world through sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch. Constantly scanning the world for meaning, the brain integrates information from the past with the present and plans what actions to take. For most people, most of the time, the brain does a pretty good job. But for those with chronic anxiety, something goes awry.

Billions of nerve cells (neurons) reside in the brain. They’re organized into a variety of complex structures or circuits. Some of these structures are particularly involved in producing feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress. These brain structures communicate with one another by sending chemical messengers, known as neurotransmitters, back and forth among them.

In the following sections, we explain how the brain interprets information and what role the brain’s chemicals play in making you anxious.