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This small nucleus contains almost half of all the brain neurons that use norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter. The locus coeruleus also projects its axons to those parts of the brain that may be associated with panic disorders (the amygdala, hippocampus, septum, cortex, brainstem, reticular formation, etc). Stimulating an animal's locus coeruleus, like stimulating its amygdala, produces anxiety behaviours.
Anxiety changes your brain chemistry, and has the ability to affect the way you think. Anxiety does this in such a natural way that you may not even realize it's happening, which is why one of the main concerns about living with anxiety is the idea that it can cause you to have bad thoughts.