Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry by Dr. Randolph M. Nesse digs into the science of evolution to understand why mental illness persists. He explains that while the illnesses themselves are not evolutionary adaptations, our vulnerabilities to these illness may actually have evolutionary purposes.

He takes the rather refreshing approach of acknowledging both the good and the bad of the field of psychiatry. For example, he discusses the flaws of the DSM without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. He argues that the biggest problem with current psychiatric research is the lack of acknowledgement of the role that precipitating situations play.

From an evolutionary psychiatry perspective, there are six key areas of vulnerability:
-a mismatch of genes to current conditions (e.g. diet, alcohol, other substances we’re exposed to)
-infectious organisms evolving more rapidly now than in the past
-limits on what natural selection can do to select for/against certain characteristics
-trade-offs where vulnerability in one area is sacrificed for decreased vulnerability
-evolution selects for reproduction rather than health
-the defensive function of certain responses (e.g. pain)

The author argues that emotions have developed to promote survival and reproduction by increasing our ability to cope with certain situations. In a situation of potential danger, anxiety would increase the chances of survival, while happiness could mean getting eaten by a sabre-toothed tiger. The book includes a tree diagram, with different situations branching out to leaves of different emotions that would be suited to those situations. This can be found on the author’s ResearchGate page.

The smoke detector principle is proposed as a reason what may seem like unnecessarily strong responses. Just like a smoke detector, protective responses like pain or vomiting get triggered whenever the potential benefits outweigh the downsides, regardless of whether that may cause some false alarms.

The book is very thorough, offering examples of numerous research studies. These are presented in an easily understandable manner. However, the second half of the book seemed to get a bit bogged down in detail. I say this at least in part because for the most part I found the earlier part of the book more personally relevant/interesting. Chapters on things like social interactions and sex may have be appealing to some readers, but they just weren’t what I was looking for from the book.

In terms of specific mental illnesses, the author suggests that people with psychosis have a lack of repression (i.e. the concept proposed by Freud), as do people with OCD, although in a more focused way. A chapter on eating includes the assertion that eating disorders are not a result of genetic abnormalities, but are caused by abnormal environments.

This book definitely included some interesting concepts and information. Overall, though, for me there was just more detail than I wanted about too many things that I just wasn’t that interested in. I think that’s in part a reflection of the book but also in large part this just not being the mental illness-focused book that I had been hoping it would be.

The word for emotion comes from the Latin word movere, which literally means to move. Emotions have evolved to help move or motivate humans to survive and thrive in the world but when emotions are blocked, repressed, and ignored they have the possibility of adding negative stress to human physiology and inevitably can become toxic and destructive to themselves and those around them. It is likened to water that just sits out and remains stagnant. Instead of flowing and moving the stagnant water just sits there and over time starts to smell and starts to grow unwanted and annoying insects. The water becomes no good for anyone. The above is exactly what happens when emotions such as anger, sadness, anxiety and bitterness just sit and fester in the human soul. Emotions are currently being studied and researched by neuroscientists, psychoimmunologists, endocrinologists, social scientists, psychologists and even theologians. I believe this is a good thing. Among the plethora of books on emotions, Randolph M. Nesse’s “Good Reasons for Bad Feelings” stands out as one of the best. I highly recommend this book!

Fantastically readable, wise, erudite, and broadly accessible overview of how a Darwinian lens can uniquely illuminate human psychology and pathways toward more effective clinical approaches to mental illness.. Belongs in every academic and public library.