Controlled Explosions in Mental Health by Heriot-Maitland, Charlie;

Short description:

Have you ever wondered why your brain self-sabotages? Or why your actions seem self-defeating or destructive? This book explores how our brains have evolved to favour survival over mental well-being – creating ‘controlled explosions’ – and provides practical ways to understand, acknowledge and diffuse them.

Long description:

Have you ever wondered why your brain self-sabotages? Or why your actions seem self-defeating or destructive? This book explores how our brains have evolved to favour survival over mental well-being – creating ‘controlled explosions’ – and provides practical ways to understand, acknowledge and defuse them.

Controlled Explosions in Mental Health identifies everyday scenarios in which one may experience self-destructive behaviour such as procrastination or self-criticism. Each chapter guides the reader through key examples of controlled explosions, identifying and exploring their possible functions. Readers will learn how to identify when one or more of these ‘explosions’ are operating in their lives, recognise the potential harm or difficulties this may cause, and learn practical ways to navigate and overcome. The friendly, accessible narrative, teamed with illustrations, guided examples, and worksheets to aid self-practice, makes this book the ultimate companion for navigating your mental health.

This book supports the path to self-awareness, helping the reader take control of their own struggles with insight, care, and compassion. It's a must-read for any reader looking to better understand their mental health and well-being.

 "As a leading expert in Compassion Focused Therapy approaches, Charlie Heriot-Maitland offers an impactful model for understanding, and addressing, common behaviors such as self-sabotage, self-criticism, and self-harm. This accessible book provides insights and tools that individuals can apply to their own experiences through a compassionate lens."

 Kate Hardy, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA.

 "One of the most common questions we ask ourselves is: why do I feel like this? There are of course a range of answers to do with things that happened to us in the past, things that are happening around us now, and how we are dealing with them. Less commonly do we recognise that we have brains that have all kinds of built-in biases, problems and glitches. Our potentials to feel anxious, angry, depressed, love and hate exist within us because we have evolved brain systems that enable or allow them. Most of us are unaware of just how much our evolved brain circuits are ticking away in the background. After all, how many of us wake up in the morning and decide to have a panic attack? Or just for the hell of it have a depression, a rage attack, or start becoming paranoid with our friends.? Nobody! These just get triggered and take us over. 

This wonderful book by one of the leading international authorities on evolution and compassion focused approaches to psychotherapy guides us into a deep understanding about how our brains are set up for some of the distressing experiences we have. The more we understand the nature of our brains, become mindful of processes operating within us, and how we can engage in ways of thinking or acting that can make these distressing states worse or more manageable, the more we can work with them rather than against them. Dr Heriot-Maitland provides a highly accessible tour of the challenges of the mind and what we can do to help. Full of wisdoms, stories, empathic reflections and guides for compassionate working with a very tricky brain."

 Paul Gilbert OBE, Professor at University of Derby, President and Founder of the Compassionate Mind Foundation, UK.

"Empowering, wise, and deeply human, Controlled Explosions in Mental Health is a lifeline for anyone trying to break free from cycles of pain and self-blame. A beautiful invitation to meet yourself with kindness and a must-read for anyone ready to heal from within and build a more supportive, resilient relationship with themselves, this is one of those special books that doesn’t just offer insight – it also offers hope."

 Eleanor Longden, Postdoctoral Service User Research Manager at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK.

"Compassion Focused Therapy is one of the best ways for us to reframe and re-contextualise our mental world and Charlie is one of its greatest practitioners and researchers. In this book he lays out a new way of understanding the parts of ourselves that turn inwards and sometimes work against us and, by putting this within an evolutionary context, he helps us work through these tendencies in a judgement-free way. I have no doubt that those who read this book will come away with more self-awareness and more self-compassion and pretty much nothing is more important than that."

Russell Razzaque, Consultant Psychiatrist, Director of R&D NELFT, Bye Fellow Cambridge University, Clinical & Strategic Director National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Lead for Compassionate & Relational Care RCPsych, UK.

 "This book skilfully blends Charlie's extensive clinical wisdom and knowledge of the science of compassion to create a practical, accessible guide to deepening self-awareness. This book is a must for anyone wishing to explore and bring compassion to the understandable but potentially self-defeating life patterns."

 Kate Lucre, Consultant Psychotherapist, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, UK.

 "Dr Charlie Heriot-Maitland has done it again, bringing warmth, clarity and deep clinical wisdom to one of the trickiest topics in mental health. Controlled Explosions offers a powerful metaphor for the ways we self-sabotage, criticise, and even harm ourselves—not because we’re broken, but because we’re trying, however imperfectly, to protect ourselves. With compassion at its core, this book invites us to better understand these internal processes and begin responding to them with courage, kindness and care. A must-read for anyone who’s ever wondered, “Why do I do this to myself?” and wants to find a gentler, wiser way forward."

 Stan Steindl, Clinical Psychologist at Psychology Consultants Pty Ltd and Adjunct Professor at The University of Queensland, Australia.

"Charlie has robustly and creatively extended a metaphor for self-criticism into a framework that really helps us connect with the nuances of how this shows up for us. His usual attention to detail and readable style makes this book great for both clinicians and the general public. Instead of self-sabotaging, let’s move towards a compassionate analysis of its evolved protective function and onwards to addressing our fears in ways that can lead to more rewarding lives."

 Angela Kennedy, Founder & Director of Trauma Informed Community Action CIC and Independent Consultant at Innovating for Wellbeing, UK. 

Table of Contents:

1.                Our brains have evolved to favour survival over mental wellbeing 

2.                Self-Sabotage Unit: Controlled explosions that can derail our lives and plans 

3.                Self-Criticism Unit: Controlled explosions that can harm us psychologically 

4.                Self-Harm Unit: Controlled explosions that can harm us physically 

5.                Equipment/Kit: Equipment used to support controlled explosions 

6.                A compassionate approach: from noticing, to understanding, to helping