Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do

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.

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.