THE FINE ART OF LOSING CONTROL

The book presents a tour of the science of impulse control that shows readers what happens when the "impulse" and "control" areas of the brain go out of balance, leading to many of the self-destructive behaviors.

Not all impulses are destructive of course. The impulse to stand up and scream along with everyone else in the stadium when your team scores a winning goal, and the impulse to stand up and scream at your boss during a staff meeting are divided only by a few brain circuits that assess context and social consequences. The book uses modern neuroscience and psychology to show how the brain processes impulses. Dr. Berlin shows how the brain works, why impulses sometimes lead us astray, and what you can do to take control of your own thoughts and behavior, and make your brain work for you.

Dr. Berlin demonstrates how if we can learn the mechanisms of impulse control, we have the potential to lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives. Countless years of life are lost, and countless chances at happiness are missed, because of our unhealthy relationship with impulses, which we usually control too little (addiction, explosive anger) or too much (repression, anxiety). The book shows how to control these destructive impulses while discussing the surprising positive effects of losing control at the right time and in the right place.

Dr. Heather Berlin is a neuroscientist and professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai and hosts Startalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and the PBS series Science Goes to the Movies. In her research, she explores the neural basis of impulsive and compulsive psychiatric and neurological disorders with the aim of developing novel treatments. she is also interested in the brain basis of consciousness, dynamic unconscious processes, and creativity.