Making Sense of Mental Illness, Part 1

In this exciting podcast, Dr. Randolph Nesse, a pioneer in evolutionary psychiatry, discusses his new book "Good Reasons for Bad Feelings." Nature doesn’t care whether we feel bad—our emotions are shaped by natural selection to maximize the survival of the species. But there’s a mismatch between our ancient emotional wiring and the circumstances of modern life. What’s the purpose of emotions? Is anxiety natural? What’s the evolutionary benefit of depression? Why do schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder persist when they’re so harmful to sufferers? Why is addiction so prevalent? Are we really in the throes of a modern epidemic of childhood mental disorders? Are we over-diagnosing and treating mental conditions that are a natural consequence of our wiring? What’s the take-home message of evolutionary psychiatry for patients and clinicians? Click HERE for part 2.