Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health

Camilla Nord

Book cover for Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health
Image for variant 9780691261317
Book cover for Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health
Image for variant 9780691261317

Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health

Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health

Camilla Nord

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Description

'Simply brilliant. This is science writing at its best. If you want to understand mental health - really understand it - read this book' Nichola Raihani


A powerful reframing of mental health, grounded in cutting-edge neuroscientific research

There are many routes to mental wellbeing and award-winning neuroscientist Camilla Nord is at the forefront of finding them. In this ground-breaking book, she offers a revelatory tour of the scientific and technological developments that are revolutionizing the way we think about mental health, showing why and how events - and treatments - can affect people in such different ways.

In The Balanced Brain, Nord reframes mental health as an intricate, self-regulating process, one which is different for all of us. She examines a huge diversity of treatments, from therapy and medication to recreational drugs and electrical brain stimulation, to show how they work, and why they sometimes don't. In doing so, she reveals how the small things we do to lift our mood during the course of a day - a piece of chocolate, a coffee, chatting to a friend - often work on the same pathways in our brain as the latest pharmacological treatments for mental health disorders. Whether they help us to manage pain, learn from experience or expend energy on the things that are important for our survival, these conscious actions are part of a complex process that is unique to each individual and the constant backdrop to our everyday lives.

Nord shows that, with so many factors at play, there are more possibilities for recovery and resilience than we might think. Whether you're suffering or simply doing your best to stay afloat, this book is an invitation to discover what makes each of us feel better, and why.

About the Author

Camilla Nord leads the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge. Her research has been featured in the New Statesman, the Daily Mail and the British Journal of Psychiatry, and on the BBC.

Critical Reviews

"Optimistic. . . . Her writing is masterfully nuanced in its treatment of depression, without sacrificing the clarity of her argument."---David Robson, The Observer

"Masterfully nuanced."---David Robson, The Guardian

"A fascinating read, one that is able to make sense of unexpected connections. . . . Nord makes a compelling case for rejecting any clear distinction between mental and physical illness."---Sophie McBain, Sunday Times

"A great deal of uncertainty remains in both neuroscience and mental health--messiness that Ms. Nord conveys exquisitely."---Matthew Hutson, Wall Street Journal

"Invigorating. . . . The research fascinates. . . . A superior volume on the biological underpinnings of mental health."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"An enlightening round-up of what scientists know about the workings of the brain, and how they know it."-- "The Economist"

"

Delightfully sinful. A whole chapter devoted to 'natural highs' is a refreshing departure from popular recommendations for lives devoid of cake, alcohol, fats and screen time. . . . In the realm of both pain and pleasure, Nord offers a plethora of interesting facts. . . . what quickly emerges as a central theme [is] the importance of honouring natural variation.

"-- "Irish Times"

"Fascinating. . . . [A] refreshing counterblast to many popular ideas about wellbeing."---Sarah Collins, Prospect

"Rigorous--but also engagingly personal. . . . The Balanced Brain provides an exciting snapshot of what we know so far about this vital organ's importance for maintaining our mental health."---Peter Carty, inews.co.uk

"[Nord] weaves stories from her personal and professional life skilfully into a scientific analysis of the huge range of treatments available."---Clive Cookson, Financial Times

Publishing Information

Publisher: Princeton University Press
Pub date: 2025-01-21
Length: 296 pages

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