Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do

by David Theodore George, Lisa Berger

Overview

Free yourself from emotional turmoileven when that turmoil is caused by others!

We have a much greater understanding of human behavior now than we did just a few decades ago. Yet even with this greater understanding of the human mind, why we do what we do can sometimes seem like a mystery. People are often left with unsettling questions about their own (or others') behavior.

We ask ourselves, Why did I make a spectacle of myself? Why am I so stressed? Why am I constantly so negative?

In his years as a clinician, Dr. Ted George has been struck by how much easier it is for people to say they have a physical illness than it is to admit they feel out of control with an emotion—be it anger, fear, or depression. With a physical issue, you have the source of the problem in concrete terms, such as in a lab report, but with an emotional issue, it can be much harder to define what's gone wrong. Untangling the Mind helps make sense of what's happening—and why. With knowledge of how the brain translates sensory signals into emotions, you will increase your understanding of your own—and others'—behaviors. As you learn about your psychological and neurological makeup, you will begin to see new possibilities for optimism, motivation, and well-being.

We can control our behavior and our feelings, no matter how much they may have ruled us in the past, and Dr. George helps us know how. Once you understand the deeply rooted instincts that activate your emotions, you can live more peacefully, behave in ways that are more in keeping with the person you'd like to be, and enjoy your life more fully. And you'll be better able to remain unaffected by the drama of other people's emotional storms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062127785
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/17/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	291
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Ted George, M.D., board-certified in psychiatry and internal medicine, is an associate clinical director at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and a clinical professor of psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. George has presented before numerous professional groups, such as the American Psychiatric Association, American Neuropsychiatric Association, and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Lisa Berger has written numerous popular nonfiction books, most of which deal with psychiatry, mental illness, and neuroscience.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Why Emotions Spin Out of Control

1 Patient Zero 11

2 It's All About Survival 27

3 What Ignites Your Emotions 45

4 An Answer in the PAG 65

Part II Losing It: Extreme Behavior

5 Hair-Trigger Tempers and Anger Unleashed 87

6 Desperate to Escape: Panic 109

7 Going into Shutdown 127

8 Stone-Cold Predators 147

9 Held Hostage by Trauma 167

10 Another Route to Survival or Sickness: The Reward Pathway 189

Part III Seeking Healthy Emotions

11 Smothering the Fire: Treatment 215

12 The Blame Game and Taking Personal Responsibility 235

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247

Index 261

About the Authors 277