We have trillions of neurons in our brain, and certain neurons that join together to form our thoughts and actions, explains Dr. Jenny C. Yip, clinical psychologist, anxiety/OCD expert, executive director of the Renewed Freedom Center, and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. When we have similar thoughts continuously, we strengthen that team of neurons. Eventually, neurons get used to their synaptic firings as a team and our reactions become automatic… If you tell yourself unconsciously or otherwise, ‘I can’t do that, so why try,’ that set of neurons is going to be activated. Eventually, that reaction will get stronger and you will truly believe you won’t be able to do it, explains Yip. But that doesn’t mean that you’re damned or stuck for life. You can rewire groups of neurons or produce new pathways.
