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The Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health
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 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, 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.
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, 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.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
152 people are currently reading
1884 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 22, 2024
I love love loved this book. I listened to the audio, which I think really helped keep me engaged amongst the big concepts. This book was not self help and it did not prescribe any one thing to help with mental health.
She simply outlines what research is being done on mental health, and lets you come to your own conclusions on what works for you.
She not only summarizes research, but she also gives examples of ways you can try out different methods on your own.
In the midst of social media mental health warriors and drug laws changing for peoples’ mental health this book objectively breaks down the benefits, pseudo benefits, and disadvantages of the practices we are told about mental health today.
She simply outlines what research is being done on mental health, and lets you come to your own conclusions on what works for you.
She not only summarizes research, but she also gives examples of ways you can try out different methods on your own.
In the midst of social media mental health warriors and drug laws changing for peoples’ mental health this book objectively breaks down the benefits, pseudo benefits, and disadvantages of the practices we are told about mental health today.
April 21, 2025
This book offers a neuroscientific look into the realm of mental illness, exploring the mind-body connection and underlining how inextricable physical health is from mental health and vice versa. Habits, routines, and patterns shape our mental health and our physical health. Lifestyle interventions cause biological changes that are key to recovery for some but useless or dangerous to others. The part that spoke to me most was the study of the effects of placebos, gut bacteria and antidepressants.
The pages bombarded me with information, which is why I think I might have appreciated the audiobook more in this case. Although an interesting topic, the writing style and chapter division made it hard to focus.
The pages bombarded me with information, which is why I think I might have appreciated the audiobook more in this case. Although an interesting topic, the writing style and chapter division made it hard to focus.
March 12, 2024
I listened to the audiobook. This was so interesting, well-written, and research driven!!
March 7, 2024
What a fantastic book. If you’re interested in the topic of mental health (which we all should be), this is a great book that breaks down the actual science of mental health without being too “sciency”. Camilla Nord dives into so many topics around how our bodies and affect different aspects of our mental health. This is one of my favorite topics, so I’ve read a ton of books on the topic, but this book had so much research I hadn’t heard of yet.
Nord discusses how food affects our mental health as well as exercise and many other aspects of our lives. She discusses a lot of the latest research into how electro therapy and magnetic stimulation therapy is being used to treat depression. She writes a ton about different drugs, how they’re tested, what does and doesn’t work so you can have the right expectations if you start taking mental health meds.
This book just has everything you would really want to learn about the science of mental health. She doesn’t dive too far into the aspect of talk therapy, but that’s not the primary focus of the book, and she touches on it a few times. Overall, it’s a great book that you should definitely read.
Nord discusses how food affects our mental health as well as exercise and many other aspects of our lives. She discusses a lot of the latest research into how electro therapy and magnetic stimulation therapy is being used to treat depression. She writes a ton about different drugs, how they’re tested, what does and doesn’t work so you can have the right expectations if you start taking mental health meds.
This book just has everything you would really want to learn about the science of mental health. She doesn’t dive too far into the aspect of talk therapy, but that’s not the primary focus of the book, and she touches on it a few times. Overall, it’s a great book that you should definitely read.
April 7, 2024
Lots of interesting thoughts!
December 31, 2023
In this fantastic book Camilla Nord looks at mental health through the lens of perception about internal and external stimuli. She looks at pleasure, pain and the impact of stress on its perception. She examines how internal stimulus from the body such as your digestion impact your mental health. This means that mental health can vary from person to person, which she also highlights by saying that there are many symptoms of major depression and the chance that two people with depression have the same symptoms is unlikely.
“You can think of smoking as a distal, far-away cause, and biological changes in the lungs, throat, trachea, etc., as proximal causes. In the case of mental health conditions, social factors are often distal causes (trauma, long-term stress, economic insecurity) but they affect mental health via biological changes in the brain (and body) - the proximal cause. The final common pathway for mental ill-health is the nervous system.”
December 29, 2024
Overall a good read, however I felt that the first 100 pages were not essential and they could have been skipped through. I found that the information in the second part of the book about antidepressants, sleep, exercise, diet, etc. Was much more important and could have benefited from further expansion. I am also not sure why the different parts if the brain were not discussed further, in layman language, as well as the role of neurochemicals. Additionally, when I finished the book, I am not sure I was able to take away a message other than that the science of mental health is incredibly complicated with conflicting research. I feel the book could benefit from a more structured thought process that could lead the reader to one or a couple of messages at the end of the book
April 3, 2024
This book was really great to listen through. I believe in order to get the best out of this book, you do need to have a baseline interest in mental health, psychology or learning more about the brain in general. Some topics I did already know about, others it was brand new information. However, I will say that there were a few chapters that really stood out to me as they related back to me personally. I do recommend this book to anyone that is interested to take a deeper, more scientific approach to learning more about mental health.
March 8, 2024
great, informative read
I enjoyed reading the scientifically backed concepts in this book related to mental health, physical health, and alternative interventions. Very informative and eye-opening. Assisting in creative ways health can be improved.
I enjoyed reading the scientifically backed concepts in this book related to mental health, physical health, and alternative interventions. Very informative and eye-opening. Assisting in creative ways health can be improved.
May 7, 2024
Excellent book if you want to understand the challenges behind trying to determine mental health, both the conditions and causes.
October 2, 2024
An honest book that does not claim any miracle cure. At the end of the day though, I learn medical science has not learn much about our brain. It is a humbling, even if disappointing acknowledgement.
January 23, 2025
To tytuł, który porusza fascynującą, szeroką gamę tematów dotyczących mózgu.
Autor w przystępny sposób tłumaczy skomplikowane procesy neurologiczne i psychiczne, koncentrując się na tytułowej równowadze w kontekście relacji między ciałem, a mózgiem.
O czym tu przeczytasz?
O tym, jak depresja związana jest ze stanami zapalnymi i czym jest „męska grypa”. O różnicach między probiotykami a prebiotykami i o tym jak mikrobiom wpływa na zdrowie psychiczne. O ryzyku ADHD u dzieci urodzonych przez cesarskie cięcie, pojęciu „hangry”, błędach statystycznych i predykcyjnych oraz roli dopaminy w procesie uczenia się. A także wiele innych!
Jest dość szczegółowa, występują tu nazwy substancji czy procesów nieznanych dla osób nie zagłębionych w medycynę. Mając to na względzie polecam poznawać jej treść wtedy, kiedy czujesz że masz zasoby by się skupić.
Mimo wielu detali, liczne anegdoty i przystępne wyjaśnienia ułatwiają zrozumienie złożonych zagadnień i wyłapanie wysoko poziomowego przekazu w konkretnych fragmentach. Szczególnie, że autor sprawnie łączy naukową treść z nutką ironii podczas przywoływania przykładów znanych wielu czytelnikom z codzienności.
Dostałam od niej dokładnie to czego oczekiwałam, a przede wszystkim dobrze spędzony czas, nową wiedzę i ustrukturyzowanie tego co gdzieś wcześniej zasłyszane.
Jeśli lubisz popularnonaukowe treści, które tłumaczą przyczynę ludzkich zachowań i działania sfery psychicznej oraz fizycznej albo znasz i lubisz „Hormonalną rewolucję”, „Rewire” czy „Tak działa mózg” to ta książka będzie dobrym wyborem dla Ciebie.
To wartościowa lektura, która łączy naukę z codziennym życiem w sposób zrozumiały i inspirujący. Gorąco polecam!
Autor w przystępny sposób tłumaczy skomplikowane procesy neurologiczne i psychiczne, koncentrując się na tytułowej równowadze w kontekście relacji między ciałem, a mózgiem.
O czym tu przeczytasz?
O tym, jak depresja związana jest ze stanami zapalnymi i czym jest „męska grypa”. O różnicach między probiotykami a prebiotykami i o tym jak mikrobiom wpływa na zdrowie psychiczne. O ryzyku ADHD u dzieci urodzonych przez cesarskie cięcie, pojęciu „hangry”, błędach statystycznych i predykcyjnych oraz roli dopaminy w procesie uczenia się. A także wiele innych!
Jest dość szczegółowa, występują tu nazwy substancji czy procesów nieznanych dla osób nie zagłębionych w medycynę. Mając to na względzie polecam poznawać jej treść wtedy, kiedy czujesz że masz zasoby by się skupić.
Mimo wielu detali, liczne anegdoty i przystępne wyjaśnienia ułatwiają zrozumienie złożonych zagadnień i wyłapanie wysoko poziomowego przekazu w konkretnych fragmentach. Szczególnie, że autor sprawnie łączy naukową treść z nutką ironii podczas przywoływania przykładów znanych wielu czytelnikom z codzienności.
Dostałam od niej dokładnie to czego oczekiwałam, a przede wszystkim dobrze spędzony czas, nową wiedzę i ustrukturyzowanie tego co gdzieś wcześniej zasłyszane.
Jeśli lubisz popularnonaukowe treści, które tłumaczą przyczynę ludzkich zachowań i działania sfery psychicznej oraz fizycznej albo znasz i lubisz „Hormonalną rewolucję”, „Rewire” czy „Tak działa mózg” to ta książka będzie dobrym wyborem dla Ciebie.
To wartościowa lektura, która łączy naukę z codziennym życiem w sposób zrozumiały i inspirujący. Gorąco polecam!
December 22, 2024
Overall I loved this book and found the studies mentioned really interesting. It's written in a very accessible way so anyone could enjoy it if they have an interest in neuroscience.
My only problem with it was its focus and prioritisation of the body - of course our mental health is manifested biologically, but my professional and academic understanding is that mind, body and emotions interact, it's hard to say that one thing comes first. This was partially acknowledged, by pointing out the cognitive mechanisms behind depression (negative thoughts / interpretations of the world) but the role of emotions was overall not touched. For instance, insecure / avoidant attachment and mental health difficulties are often correlated. Therapies, especially non-CBT ones, try to counteract this by building a containing relationship. The cognitive and biological impact of relational building is not mentioned in the book, an integral part of what makes us human. It is a very cognitively-led book, evidenced by only mentioning CBT in the therapy chapter.
Despite its gaps it was very thought-provoking, well-written. The main messages of treating people individually and raising awareness about the interaction between our bodies and minds (something that typical therapists/ counsellors all too often forget) is crucial for the future of mental health.
My only problem with it was its focus and prioritisation of the body - of course our mental health is manifested biologically, but my professional and academic understanding is that mind, body and emotions interact, it's hard to say that one thing comes first. This was partially acknowledged, by pointing out the cognitive mechanisms behind depression (negative thoughts / interpretations of the world) but the role of emotions was overall not touched. For instance, insecure / avoidant attachment and mental health difficulties are often correlated. Therapies, especially non-CBT ones, try to counteract this by building a containing relationship. The cognitive and biological impact of relational building is not mentioned in the book, an integral part of what makes us human. It is a very cognitively-led book, evidenced by only mentioning CBT in the therapy chapter.
Despite its gaps it was very thought-provoking, well-written. The main messages of treating people individually and raising awareness about the interaction between our bodies and minds (something that typical therapists/ counsellors all too often forget) is crucial for the future of mental health.
March 23, 2025
I wanted to enjoy this book but it was meandering and lacked clear direction. Nord did a lot of talking about how we can’t really know anything about the brain and mental health for certain because research is flawed (truth —but why are you writing this book then?).
For some reason I kept holding out hope that she’d say something impactful or let me as the reader in on why she needed to write this book. I got to the final pages only to be disappointed. She states that we need an “existential shift in thinking about mental health” and this “shift requires two urgent changes”.
She sums them up as follows:
(1) we can’t separate the brain from the body when it comes to our mental health and (2) we need to take into account that what works for one person’s depression/anxiety/etc may not work for another person’s (and may even be harmful).
Neither of these notions are new or revolutionary, and I believe those in the mental health sector are well aware of both these truths.
I would also add that her personal anecdotes and blithe attitude about recreational drug use did not endear me to her as a respectable scientist.
For some reason I kept holding out hope that she’d say something impactful or let me as the reader in on why she needed to write this book. I got to the final pages only to be disappointed. She states that we need an “existential shift in thinking about mental health” and this “shift requires two urgent changes”.
She sums them up as follows:
(1) we can’t separate the brain from the body when it comes to our mental health and (2) we need to take into account that what works for one person’s depression/anxiety/etc may not work for another person’s (and may even be harmful).
Neither of these notions are new or revolutionary, and I believe those in the mental health sector are well aware of both these truths.
I would also add that her personal anecdotes and blithe attitude about recreational drug use did not endear me to her as a respectable scientist.
May 28, 2025
Good, not great. 3.8 stars. The presentation as a little too erudite. The concepts were easily understood, but not being familiar enough with the terms caused a bit of delay anytime they were used and made the presentation hard to follow at times. At one point she spoke about how people take science research and extrapolate applications too far where it is no longer reflecting the findings. She seemed to play on the safe side of this problem and the book is largely just reviews of the latest findings without much practical application at all. I think she went too far. This is like going to a public science conference where the presenters just highlight different areas that affect mental health without connecting the dots too clearly.
One thing I want to go back to is the 4th chapter on drive and motivation. Nord goes through an outline of mental health points that lead to depression (sometimes). I really want to outline all the points and then parallel them for the opposite of depression. If we can have these default outlooks that all build to depression, could we not do the same to whatever we call the opposite of depression? That would be really valuable to me.
One thing I want to go back to is the 4th chapter on drive and motivation. Nord goes through an outline of mental health points that lead to depression (sometimes). I really want to outline all the points and then parallel them for the opposite of depression. If we can have these default outlooks that all build to depression, could we not do the same to whatever we call the opposite of depression? That would be really valuable to me.
June 30, 2024
Book 80 of 2024: The Balanced Brain - Camilla Nord
Neuroscientist Camilla Nord examines the scientific and technological developments in mental health and wellbeing.
Review:
⭐️ 5/5
A fascinating read with so much information and research. I really appreciated how mental illness is represented as a physical illness and that the correlations between chronic physical illness and mental illness are examined. This is a very interesting and well written scientific working, I’m glad she so openly admitted that the research will move along and this book won’t always be up to date with time.
Challenges:
📚Books in 2024: 80/60
📚52 Book Club Summer Challenge: 7/24
📚Prompt #10 of the 52 Book Club Summer Challenge: Balance Beam - About Finding Balance in Life
Book Information:
📖 Pages: 288
📖 Format: Audiobook
📖 Type: Non-Fiction
📖 Genre: Psychology, Science, Health
Favourite Quotes:
“Joy is such an human madness”
Neuroscientist Camilla Nord examines the scientific and technological developments in mental health and wellbeing.
Review:
⭐️ 5/5
A fascinating read with so much information and research. I really appreciated how mental illness is represented as a physical illness and that the correlations between chronic physical illness and mental illness are examined. This is a very interesting and well written scientific working, I’m glad she so openly admitted that the research will move along and this book won’t always be up to date with time.
Challenges:
📚Books in 2024: 80/60
📚52 Book Club Summer Challenge: 7/24
📚Prompt #10 of the 52 Book Club Summer Challenge: Balance Beam - About Finding Balance in Life
Book Information:
📖 Pages: 288
📖 Format: Audiobook
📖 Type: Non-Fiction
📖 Genre: Psychology, Science, Health
Favourite Quotes:
“Joy is such an human madness”
Read
March 13, 2025Well I don't think I'm going to remember everything from this, but it gave me a lot of food for thought. It was interesting learning about (or expanding my knowledge on) the numerous studies that have been done regarding treating mental ill-health. I liked having someone who is familiar with the process (as she has conducted research on depression) talk about what could be learned from the experiments and also what to question. It was especially upsetting learning about one study that was done in the 50s and I'm glad she warned that it would be unpleasant. I just cannot believe what people were able to get away with... horrid stuff. I feel like if you have an interest in this topic, in this way, then you will probably also enjoy this book.
April 9, 2024
Me gusta cómo termina la autora. Según Nord, para mejorar el tratamiento de la salud mental necesitamos dos cambios importantes:
• Primero, debemos centrarnos en tratamientos personalizados basados en mediciones precisas de lo que realmente necesita cada persona, en lugar de usar un enfoque general para todos.
• En segundo lugar, debemos dejar de dividir los problemas de salud en «psicológicos» o «físicos», pues todos tienen una base biológica que puede medirse y tratarse, reconociendo que la salud mental y la física están profundamente conectadas y se afectan mutuamente.
Un buen libro si quieren ciencia pura sobre salud mental.
• Primero, debemos centrarnos en tratamientos personalizados basados en mediciones precisas de lo que realmente necesita cada persona, en lugar de usar un enfoque general para todos.
• En segundo lugar, debemos dejar de dividir los problemas de salud en «psicológicos» o «físicos», pues todos tienen una base biológica que puede medirse y tratarse, reconociendo que la salud mental y la física están profundamente conectadas y se afectan mutuamente.
Un buen libro si quieren ciencia pura sobre salud mental.
May 19, 2024
Este libro ayuda a entender la complejidad de la salud mental y de como no hay soluciones universales para sus manifestaciones. Dos ideas me llamaron especialmente la atención: La primera es que aunque han habido grandes avances en neurociencia y en las terapias, seguimos sin entender como funciona el cerebro. Y la segunda, que el efecto placebo no solo es poderoso( funciona, incluso si sabes que no es medicina "real"), sino que se debe concebir sin los estigmas que giran entorno a ello. En otras palabras, me hizo cuestionarme si la homeopatía es solo charlatanería inútil.
Muy buena lectura. Y muy recomendada.
Muy buena lectura. Y muy recomendada.
December 15, 2024
I just finished The Balanced Brain by Camilla Nord, and it was super informative and well put together. The introduction didn’t really click with me, but the main chapters were great. I especially liked how she broke down nuances of different treatments like medication and therapy and also the complexity of RCT in neuroscience research. The chapter on antidepressants was my favorite since I was recently prescribed them-it helped me understand what to expect and what not. (since there's a ton of myths and scaries around it online by "experts" and randos alike)
4/5
4/5
April 19, 2024
So so good! Highly recommend for everyone - you don’t need to know a lot about mental health to be able to understand this book. It breaks down disorders that we see in our everyday lives such as depression, anxiety, ptsd etc, but it also touches on how our brain is stimulated and changed form our environment without even knowing. Highly recommend. I listened to it as an audio book while at work, so I’ll definitely be listening to it again when I am not distracted by other things!
April 29, 2024
A good overview of neuroscience as it currently stands and some ways it practically applies to day-to-day life. The book was a bit dry and technical in places for a layperson though and could have done with a lighter touch or more emphasis on how some of the theories aspects could be applied in the real world. Having said that, there were some interesting insights into the workings of the brain and suggestions about ways to live better.
July 27, 2025
Easy to for a lay person to consume this scientist’s explanation of the current state of neuroscience and mental health. Thought provoking.
Dr. Nord speaks plainly about the science of mental health and clearly describes the growing understanding of why current paradigms of diagnosis and treatment are insufficient in the face of an ever-growing body of evidence identifying the biological processes underlying mental health and illness.
Dr. Nord speaks plainly about the science of mental health and clearly describes the growing understanding of why current paradigms of diagnosis and treatment are insufficient in the face of an ever-growing body of evidence identifying the biological processes underlying mental health and illness.
March 16, 2024
I listened to this on Audible and it is probably better in the written form. It is a good book, well written and loaded with good information and scientific analysis. It is the type of book you want to go back to and review certain concepts, which is why it is better in the written format. Very difficult subject and a good addition to the wealth of books written on this subject.
May 4, 2024
The balanced brain
Issue of what constitutes good mental health and how to achieve it is very relevant in the times we live in..The author delves through various interventions that have been explored electrical shocks, diet exercise but at the end there seems to no one silver bullet. Different approaches work for different people.
Issue of what constitutes good mental health and how to achieve it is very relevant in the times we live in..The author delves through various interventions that have been explored electrical shocks, diet exercise but at the end there seems to no one silver bullet. Different approaches work for different people.
August 3, 2025
Should be an easy book to read given the intuitive approach Camilla lays out and her avoiding confusing medical nomenclature.
Had lots of sentences that were written confusingly or as a run-on. It got to the point where I had to constantly reread what I was coming across to make sense of it. Wanted to finish the book but literally had to shelf it bc of this.
Had lots of sentences that were written confusingly or as a run-on. It got to the point where I had to constantly reread what I was coming across to make sense of it. Wanted to finish the book but literally had to shelf it bc of this.
February 17, 2024
The best line I would pick up from this book is this: ”Mindfulness teaches you to break up these negative thought networks using self-compassion and acceptance, or at the very least, blissful indifference." In other words, be stoic.
August 29, 2024
This was an excellent and well-rounded overview of the bio-psycho-social elements of mental health. Dr. Nord is an superb writer and science communicator. This is for anyone curious about the current state of science around mental health.
Read
October 2, 2024My interview with Dr. Camilla Nord about "The Balanced Brain" for The Armen Show:
http://www.armenshirvanian.com/podcas...
http://www.armenshirvanian.com/podcas...
December 28, 2024
Brilliant guide to how mental health is currently understood from a more neuroscientific perspective. Demonstrates in a popular level how social and psychological factors impact the brain, a decent resource for avoiding dualism which is so common in popular understanding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews