New Books in Psychology

Camilla Nord, "The Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health" (Princeton UP, 2024)

Jan 15, 2025

Camilla Nord, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, delves into the fascinating relationship between the brain and mental health. She discusses how our brains strive for balance amid life's challenges and the neurobiology behind joy, pain, and desire. Nord explains the impact of therapy and medication on brain structure, the significance of belief in health, and the transformative power of lifestyle changes like exercise. She also explores innovative treatments such as electrical stimulation, highlighting their potential to reshape mental health care.

39:22

Episode guests

Camilla Nord

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Quick takeaways

Understanding mental health requires recognizing the biological connections between neurological factors and psychological states, challenging the mind-body dualism.

Lifestyle choices, particularly exercise, significantly influence mental health outcomes by engaging biological mechanisms comparable to traditional pharmacological treatments.

Deep dives

The Connection Between Brain Chemistry and Mental Health

The understanding of mental health is deeply intertwined with biology, as neurological factors contribute to mental conditions such as depression. Early education on the biological aspects of both neurological disorders and mental health established a foundation for this perspective. Acknowledging the commonalities allows for a more comprehensive approach to treatment, moving away from the simplistic separation of mind and body. This shift is imperative for reducing stigma and improving treatment efficacy across varied mental health conditions.

Intro

2min

Mind-Body Connections: Unraveling Mental Health

18min

The Power of Belief in Health

7min

The Impact of Therapy and Medication on Brain Function

2min

Exploring Non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation for Mental Health

3min

Exercise as a Pathway to Mental Wellness

5min

There are many routes to mental well-being. In this groundbreaking book, neuroscientist Camilla Nord offers a fascinating tour of the scientific developments that are revolutionising 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: The Science of Mental Health (Princeton UP, 2024), Nord explains how our brain constructs our sense of mental health--actively striving to maintain balance in response to our changing circumstances. While a mentally healthy brain deals well with life's turbulence, poor mental health results when the brain struggles with disruption. But just what is the brain trying to balance? Nord describes the foundations of mental health in the brain--from the neurobiology of pleasure, pain and desire to the role of mood-mediating chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and opioids. She then pivots to interventions, revealing how antidepressants, placebos and even recreational drugs work; how psychotherapy changes brain chemistry; and how the brain and body interact to make us feel physically (as well as mentally) healthy. Along the way, Nord explains how the seemingly small things we use to lift our moods--a piece of chocolate, a walk, a chat with a friend--work on the same pathways in our brains as the latest treatments for mental health disorders.

Understanding the cause of poor mental health is one of the crucial questions of our time. But the answer is unique to each of us, and it requires finding what helps our brains rebalance and thrive. With so many factors at play, there are more possibilities for recovery and resilience than we might think.

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