Healing

Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health

By: Thomas Insel MD

Narrated by: Thomas Insel MD

A bold, expert, and actionable map for the re-invention of America’s broken mental health care system

As director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Thomas Insel was giving a presentation when the father of a boy with schizophrenia yelled from the back of the room, “Our house is on fire and you’re telling me about the chemistry of the paint! What are you doing to put out the fire?” Dr. Insel knew in his heart that the answer was not nearly enough. The gargantuan American mental health industry was not healing millions who were desperately in need. He left his position atop the mental health research world to investigate all that was broken—and what a better path to mental health might look like.

In the United States, we have treatments that work, but our system fails at every stage to deliver care well. Even before COVID, mental illness was claiming a life every eleven minutes by suicide. Quality of care varies widely, and much of the field lacks accountability. We focus on drug therapies for symptom reduction rather than on plans for long-term recovery. Care is often unaffordable and unavailable, particularly for those who need it most and are homeless or incarcerated. Where was the justice for the millions of Americans suffering from mental illness? Who was helping their families?

But Dr. Insel also found that we do have approaches that work, both in the U.S. and globally. Mental illnesses are medical problems, but he discovers that the cures for the crisis are not just medical, but social. This path to healing, built upon what he calls the three Ps (people, place, and purpose), is more straightforward than we might imagine. Dr. Insel offers a comprehensive plan for our failing system and for families trying to discern the way forward.

The fruit of a lifetime of expertise and a global quest for answers, Healing is a hopeful, actionable account and achievable vision for us all in this time of mental health crisis.


*This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF that contains charts and graphs.

Great insights and historical context

I really enjoyed all of the context that Dr. Insel provides to illustrate how the mental health care system has become what it is. He outlines several aspects or challenges of our current system, such as medication efficacy, therapy, bed shortages, insurance, care models etc. His insight into these topics is greatly appreciated. I am a psychiatric resident and am very glad to have read this book as it helped me to better concetualize many of my own concerns with our care system. It also gave me hope that we can make progress towards a solution.

the hope

such an important topic. We in the US are experiencing so much suffering and there are pathways to improve our care. we need to institute systems to take care of all of our nation.

Interesting, with a smattering of leftism.

I’ve always known the mental health system was broken and this explains there functional “how.” His viewpoints and recommendations are state-centric from a leftist perspective.

Absolutely beautiful, HOPE

Dr. Insel’s book is not only informative and insightful, he offers actual solutions to bring about hope and healing. I have used his teachings in my Practice. I am grateful for this book and highly encourage anyone who wants to be a part of the social change on mental illness/health to listen carefully to the insights of his teachings.

Outstanding analysis and roadmap forward for mental health systems improvement

Great historical context for how we got here and have great personal stories to illustrate the voice of so many with serious mental illness and their families. Not only that, real solutions that I know will work if we have the political will to care!