Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do

by David Theodore George, Lisa Berger

Overview

Don't let emotions—your own, or someone else's—control your life!

Feeling extreme emotion is part of being human. We may feel overwhelming joy at the birth of a child, crippling terror at the sight of an intruder in our home, or unbearable sadness upon the death of a loved one. While we may be surprised at the force of our feelings, they are normal and are not a cause for concern. What's concerning is when strong emotions cause us to spin out of control and make us behave in ways we later wish we hadn't.

In Untangling the Mind, Dr. George explains how to:

• Identify the difference between a legitimate emotional reaction and a pathological one
• Understand the biological basis of your hard-wired reactions
• Recognize why your distress is caused by a neurological malfunction

Dr. George, a psychiatrist, has accessed the most cutting-edge technology, such as fMRI, facial analysis, PET scans, and chemical infusions. With this technology, he is able to provide a deep understanding of the inner workings of the brain that can portray a clear picture of what happens—chemically and physically—when we get depressed, act out, or fall into an addiction. Once we understand what happens, we can start to live a calmer, more harmonious life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062127778
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,152,523
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.90(d)

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