Why do we think, feel and act in ways we wished we did not? For decades, New York Times bestselling author Dr. David A. Kessler has studied this question with regard to tobacco, food and drugs. Over the course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon—capture—is the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains commandeered by forces outside of our control. In Capture , Dr. Kessler considers some of the most profound questions we face as human beings: What are the origins of mental afflictions—from everyday unhappiness to addiction and depression—and how are they connected? Where does healing and transcendence fit into this realm of emotional experience? Analyzing an array of insights from psychology, medicine, neuroscience, literature, philosophy and theology, Dr. Kessler deconstructs centuries of thinking, examining the central role of capture in mental illness and questioning traditional labels that have obscured our understanding of it. He explores the concept of capture through the emotionally resonant stories of both well-known and unknown people caught in its throes. Dr. Kessler argues that the closer we come to fully comprehending the nature of capture, the better the chance to alleviate its effects and successfully change our thoughts and behaviour. Capture offers insight into how we form thoughts and emotions, manage trauma and heal. For the first time, we can begin to understand the underpinnings of not only mental illness, but also our everyday worries and anxieties.