Neuromind

Neuromind presents a new approach to mental health for providers from multiple disciplines, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse specialists, and other skilled providers. Mental health is adapting to the social environment and is accomplished using brain pathways. The brain is a biological computer, different from silicon computers, as explained in chapter one. The essential operations of mental health are the communication of messages over neural pathways that follow the classic approach of Donald Hebb. Each of the first six chapters describes a pathway, incorporates research in cognitive neuro-science regarding the pathway, along with clinical correlations, and case examples. The social system modifies and programs these pathways in procedures described in chapter two. In chapter three, the many motivation system links between body and brain are detailed. The variations in memory/significance are related to variations of schizophrenia in chapter four. A special emphasis is given to the attention pathways in chapter five, which produce "subjective awareness" or "consciousness", because the ability to consciously adjust to changes in the environment, "agency", is essential to mental health. Chapter six describes the integration of separate information pathways to coordinate choice of behavior and how this integrates to produce "personality". Attachment and sexuality are the two fundamental affiliation processes that coordinate behavior as described in chapter seven. Response to danger is the other learning process, in chapter eight, including a description of multiple clinical patterns and PTSD. This chapter also raises questions about the lack of response to danger. Chapter nine describes how addictions "hijack" the motivation system. Most mental health problems occur when pathways get "stuck", for one reason or another, and do not make necessary adjustments. The last three chapters apply the concepts to clinical practice. Chapter ten revises the diagnostic system to focus on pathways, the factors that alter them (etiologies), and the assessment of adaptive function. Chapter eleven discusses specific topics in psycho-pharmacology, including the inherent limitations of this modality. Chapter twelve explores "re-programming", i.e. psychotherapy, considering the interpersonal variations, the nature of information transfer, the balance of cognitive and emotional focus, and special techniques. Neuromind is not a "self help" book, but can be read by non-professional readers with an appreciation for neuroscience.