The Balanced Brain

The Science of Mental Health

By: Camilla Nord

Narrated by: Camilla Nord

This audiobook narrated by Camilla Nord reveals how we can use what we’ve learned about the brain to improve our mental health

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 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 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. Finding what helps your brain rebalance and thrive means finding the answer to this question. With so many factors at play, there are more possibilities for recovery and resilience than we might think.

©2024 Camilla Nord (P)2024 Princeton University Press

Critic reviews

“This excellent book is a breath of fresh air . . . anyone reading it will come away with a kinder, better understanding of themselves. A clear-thinking tour of the latest research from a leading mental health scientist and an accessible exploration of how our bodies and minds make us feel the way we do—or better or worse.”—Lucy Foulkes, author of What Mental Illness Really Is . . . (and what it isn’t)

“This is a wonderful, living history of how scientists have gained insights into and currently think about the dynamic health of the brain. Nord’s narrative style is intimate and engaging, making you feel almost as though you were there when breakthroughs were made. The denouement is a deeply compelling message. To navigate the fleeting joys and transient displeasures of life, there is one sustaining imperative—namely, balance.”—Karl Friston, University College London

“Fascinating . . . Camilla Nord, one of our most original thinkers, writes compellingly about the complexities of the brain and mental health. She presents new insights from neuroscience about how the brain generates our mental state, thoughts, moods and feelings, and what happens when things go wrong. This thought-provoking book is an essential resource.”—Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, author of Inventing Ourselves

Fantastic

Fantastic overview of the current state of the science, not selling BS, being realistic about what we understand, being brilliantly integrative, and offering plenty of hope for the future.

thorough and scientific

I appreciate that Camilla organized a huge subject and boiled it down to its relevant parts. It encourages my curiosity to learn more about mental health. Thanks for what you've done.

Mildly informative, minimally actionable

This is a bit like a dinner conversation with a neuroscience expert.
Many topics are mentioned, some novel ideas are raised, but nothing really actionable is proposed. Basically, a lot of different things work in different cases. This is a pleasant optimistic outlook.

There were two concepts I recall being particularly interested in. First was her focus on tiny barely noticeable neurological imbalances which can over long periods of time slowly self reinforce to a significant imbalance.

The other was her focus on “drive” as distinct from desire/want/like. This is an interesting topic that needs more research and is only touched on in this book

The author’s narration was excellent.