This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health, and Nurturing Spiritual Growth

If I could do this review in just one word, it would be "Wow!" Seriously. I wish I walked away from every book with the understanding of the topic the way I did this one. And I hope that everything I write will do the same. This is a book about your brain - not so much about how you think, but about your brain itself. It even includes pictures. A lot of time and energy has been put into helping helping people's mental health. We look at their actions as symptoms of unhealthy minds and try to treat those mental health issues with medication and/or therapy. Dr. Henslin goes a step further. He believes that mental health is not the goal - brain health is. And when a person's mental health is off, that is not the problem, but rather another symptom of a deeper issue in the brain itself. And so into the brain we go on a journey that I found both fascinating and enlightening. This book included everything necessary for a captivating read: humor, pictures (both literal and mental pictures), stories, and good content. Dr. Henslin does an excellent job of explaining the medical terms of the brain in words that anyone can understand. For instance, the upper temporal lobes act like "Temper Lofts", while the basal ganglia houses our "Basement of Giant Fears". Using these descriptions throughout helps the common person (like me) understand the brain in a whole new way. Throughout the book we work our way through five main areas of the brain, exploring how a person acts when that part is healthy and when it is unhealthy. The recommended treatment for unhealthy brains usually follows a regimen of proper nutrition and supplements, exercise, Scripture and prayer. In very damaged situations, short-term medication may be necessary in order to bring the person to the place where the other things can begin to work. Dr. Henslin also suggests various aromas, music, movies, and books that are targeted to the person's specific need that will promote brain growth and health. Now if this sounds too easy, let me assure you that it's not. Dr. Henslin strongly recommends (almost demands) that all of this be done in conjunction with at least your medical doctor, if not also your pastor, therapist, etc. In cases where standard treatment has shown no improvement, or even made it worse, he recommends a SPECT brain scan to highlight the areas of the physical brain that are causing the problems. Some of the things covered in this book are: SPECT scans post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) ADD and ADHD bi-polar disorder depression eating disorders specific medications and the whole gamut of mental health issues that have become a part of our daily vocabularies. There is no way I can do justice to this book in a short review. I highly recommend This is Your Brain on Joy to anyone who works in the mental health field or who is close to someone who has (or has not) been diagnosed with a mental health issue.

This Is Your Brain On Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin is a cogent appeal for the use of diagnostic "brain imaging" as a foundational step in understanding and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral problems. Using humor and a sensitive, nuanced application of Biblical truth, Dr. Henslin manages to "lasso and subdue" the complicated terminology of brain research for regular folks. In This Is Your Brain On Joy, Dr. Henslin guides readers through a series of questions designed to uncover potential areas of over-functioning and sub-functioning in any of the five "rooms" of the brain. Then, he outlines how behavior, mood, and relationships are affected by improper blood flow to various parts of the brain. With great compassion, Dr. Henslin explores the interdependence between healthy brain functioning and the presence of "spiritual fruit" in the lives of Christians. He suggests that certain brain chemistries make joy, contentment, self-control, and other expressions of "spiritual maturity" impossible without physical healing of the brain, which he maintains is often possible through a combination of nutrition, exercise, supplements, and in some cases, medication. He does not suggest that Christians naively strive to eliminate all suffering from their lives, remembering that Jesus was a "man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief" (Isa. 53:3 NLT). Instead, he reminds his audience that God's offering to humanity is not "a perfect world, [but] perfect peace" (Henslin 197). Dr. Henslin includes a series of brain photographs throughout the book, providing a poignant and often gripping representation of minds pocked and dented by injuries and chemical imbalances. He goes on to show the physical changes in the same brains after he used SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging to design and implement appropriate therapies. Surprisingly readable, the book is full of touching examples of lives profoundly changed, from hateful, abusive geriatrics to raging, inconsolable little girls. This Is Your Brain on Joy will complicate all readers' understanding of sin and righteousness, and will explode their capacity for compassion--for other people, and for themselves. A must read for every burnt-out parent, exhausted spouse, committed teacher, and dedicated friend, This Is Your Brain On Joy rescues the "hope of joy" for Christians, dusts it off, and places it firmly back in view.

Do you know someone with ADD, ADHD, PTSD, or any other learning or emotional disorder? If so, you have to tell them about this book. The techniques and treatments described in the book have led to breakthroughs for many people suffering from a wide spectrum of brain disorders, from brain injuries to chemical imbalances. Unfortunately, the treatment is currently available only on the West Coast and in the D. C. area. However, if it is as promising as it appears to be, it shouldn't be long before it becomes available in other areas. I've read several books written by health professionals, and this is the first one that wasn't a struggle to read. Although there is plenty of scientific information, Dr. Henslin manages to impart his knowledge without resorting to medical-speak. He mixes anecdotes with information in a manner that holds your attention. He also includes plenty of sources of additional information. And---he communicates his message with a thoroughly Christian worldview. He relates stories of Christian people struggling with emotional and behavioral problems who thought they had spiritual problems. What a relief to know that their struggles were caused by abnormalities in their brains! I chose to review this book because I was attracted by the title, This Is Your Brain on Joy. It reminded me of the award-winning TV commercial: "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" In addition, who isn't attracted to the word "joy?" The subtitle is as provocative: "A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health, and Nurturing Spiritual Growth." Dr. Daniel G. Amen, who developed the medical tests and treatments described in the book, wrote the foreword. Not often can I say that a book lives up to its title, but this one does. The doctor is so happy to be able to help people with their seemingly insurmountable problems that he just exudes joy as he presents the material. My favorite story was that of one of the research subjects in the appendix, "The Day I Had My Head Examined." She describes her experience candidly and with humor.

New knowledge always promotes better understanding and it frequently challeges the status quo. This book does both in a very non-technical readable format. From a Biblical standpoint Dr. Henslin provides possible reasons and solutions for intractable problems that people of faith often wonder about after submitting themselves to counseling, prayer, fasting and other spiritual disciplines. If the truth of these concepts and the science and application can be grasped and embraced within the Christian community as another gift of God for healing, the ultimate result will be nothing less than revolutionary. Dr. Henslin and his writing collaborator , Becky Johnson, have written a book that every person involved in the people helping professions should read.

What does grey matter have to do with peace and joy? A lot more than most of us realize. Many of my clients who are deeply religious are both stunned and relieved when they find out that their behavior or mood issues may be physical rather than spiritual problems. So it is with great joy that I want to recommend a new book by dear friend and longtime colleague, Dr. Earl Henslin. Though the book will encourage people of any faith, it is written from a distinctly compassionate Christian viewpoint and may be especially helpful to the dazed and confused sitting in our church pews! Be ready to have a few of your long-held assumptions challenged, and discover some "ah-ha" insights that will deepen your understanding and widen your compassion. In this breakthrough book, Dr. Earl Henslin reveals how the study of brain imaging turned his practice of psychotherapy upside down - with remarkably positive results. He shares answers to puzzling questions such as: Why isn't my faith in God enough to erase my blue moods? Why haven't I been able to conquer my anger? Pray away my fear and worry? Why can't I find freedom from secret obsessions and addictions? Using my Amen Brain System Checklist and the 5 Basic Mood Areas in the brain, Dr. Henslin reveals what happens to our minds when any of those areas are out of balance. And the fun part? He applies the latest brain research to our everyday lives in an entertaining, enjoyable and informative way. (You don't have to be a neurosurgeon to love this book.) This Is Your Brain on Joy offers a wide variety of practical, researched-based ways to nourish and balance your brain, including * Up-to-date nutritional information * Exercise as powerful as anti-depressants * Corrective thinking techniques * Supplements and/or medical recommendations * Music, beauty, nature, aromatherapy * Uplifting movies and books * Scriptures and prayers to help soothe and nourish specific areas of the brain * The healing power of community and charity ...... and more! Finally, Dr. Henslin, an avid and lifelong student of scripture, includes a mini-study of Paul's letter to the Philippians where the aging apostle unveils his "secrets" to lasting joy. Read this book and you'll know how exactly how to nourish your mind, balance your brain and help others do the same. After all, the capacity for joy is a terrible thing to waste.