Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It book cover

Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It by Dean Burnett Summary

Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It
Dean Burnett
3.84 (981 Reviews)
Psychology
Mental Health
Health
Overview
Key Takeaways
Author
FAQs

Overview of Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It

In "Psycho-Logical," neuroscientist Dean Burnett demystifies why our minds malfunction, transforming complex psychology into accessible wisdom. Published in 2021 amid growing mental health awareness, this timely guide answers the question we've all wondered: why does the most sophisticated organ - our brain - break down so predictably?

Similar books to Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It

Start Reading Your Way
Quick Summary9 min

Feel the book through the author's voice

Deep Dive42 min

Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights

Flash Card10 insights

Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning

Fun23 min

Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way

More like this

book cover
The Happy Brain
Dean Burnett
book cover
Psych: The Story of the Human Mind
Paul Bloom
book cover
The Disordered Mind
Eric R. Kandel
book cover
How to Stay Sane
Philippa Perry
book cover
The Little Book of Psychology
Emily Ralls
book cover
The Organized Mind
Daniel J. Levitin
book cover
The Psychology Book
Nigel Benson &Joannah Ginsburg & Voula Grand & Merrin Lazyan & Marcus Weeks
book cover
This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health
Nathan Filer
book cover
Going Solo
Eric Klinenberg
book cover
The Problems of Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
book cover
Everybody Writes
Ann Handley

Key takeaways

1

The Mysterious Landscape of Mental Illness

play
00:00
00:00

When your brain feels like it's working against you, what's actually happening? Mental health problems affect one in four people annually, yet remain shrouded in stigma and misconception. Unlike physical ailments, which have been recognized for millennia, mental health issues were historically explained through spiritual frameworks rather than medical ones. This legacy contributes to modern stigma, despite our growing integration of concepts like "mindfulness" into everyday language. The comparison between mental and physical health proves particularly illuminating. Both manifest in countless ways, can result from trauma or develop gradually, range from mild to incapacitating, often respond to treatment, and present symptoms that vary in persistence. Even the uncertainty often attributed to mental health diagnoses exists in physical medicine, where diagnoses frequently evolve as more information emerges. What makes mental health uniquely challenging is its subjective, invisible nature - you can't see depression on an X-ray or measure anxiety with a blood test.

2

The Brain's Remarkable Operating System

3

Depression: The Invisible Weight and Its Biological Puzzle

4

Anxiety: When Your Alarm System Malfunctions

5

The Chemistry of Persistent Fear

6

Addiction: The Hijacked Reward System

7

Finding Meaning in Mental Health

Explore Your Way of Learning
Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It isn't just a book — it's a masterclass in Psychology. To help you absorb its lessons in the way that works best for you, we offer five unique learning modes. Whether you're a deep thinker, a fast learner, or a story lover, there's a mode designed to fit your style.

Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It Summary in 9 Minutes

Quick Summary
Quick Summary
Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It Summary in 9 Minutes

Break down key ideas from Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.

play
00:00
00:00

Flash Card Mode - Top 10 Insights from Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It in a Nutshell

Flash Card
Flash Card
Top 10 Insights from Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It in a Nutshell

Distill Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.

Flash Mode Swiper

Fun Mode - Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It Lessons Told Through 23-Min Stories

Fun
Fun
Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It Lessons Told Through 23-Min Stories

Experience Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It through vivid storytelling that turns Pixar’s innovation lessons into moments you’ll remember and apply.

play
00:00
00:00

Personalize Mode - Read or listen to Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It Summary in 0 Minutes

Personalize
Personalize
Experience Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It in your own way.

Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.

Personalize Mode

From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

BeFreed Brings Together A Global Community Of 200,000+ Curious Minds

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star
Start your learning journey, now
Download This Summary

Get the Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.