Why do we think, feel, and act in ways we wished we did not? For
decades, New York Times bestselling author Dr. David A Kessler has
studied this question with regard to tobacco, food, and drugs. Over the
course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism
common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon--capture--is
the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains
commandeered by forces outside our control.
In Capture, Dr. Kessler considers some of the most profound questions
we face as human beings: What are the origins of mental afflictions,
from everyday unhappiness to addiction and depression--and how are they
connected? Where does healing and transcendence fit into this realm of
emotional experience?
Analyzing an array of insights from psychology, medicine, neuroscience,
literature, philosophy, and theology, Dr. Kessler deconstructs centuries
of thinking, examining the central role of capture in mental illness and
questioning traditional labels that have obscured our understanding of
it. With a new basis for understanding the phenomenon of capture, he
explores the concept through the emotionally resonant stories of both
well-known and un-known people caught in its throes.
The closer we can come to fully comprehending the nature of capture, Dr.
Kessler argues, the better the chance to alleviate its deleterious
effects and successfully change our thoughts and behavior Ultimately,
Capture offers insight into how we form thoughts and emotions, manage
trauma, and heal. For the first time, we can begin to understand the
underpinnings of not only mental illness, but also our everyday worries
and anxieties. Capture is an intimate and critical exploration of the
most enduring human mystery of all: the mind.
