For a long time depression and anxiety has been believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and the solution is a lifetime pill popping. Johann Hari challenges this idea, both the cause and the solution.
9 Causes of depression
His research shows 9 very different causes for depression – Disconnection from…
1. Meaningful work
2. Meaningful values
3. Other people
4. Status and respect
5. Childhood trauma
6. The natural world
7. A hopeful and secure future
8. & 9. The real role of genes and brain changes.
Notes and Hightlights
📝 “You are not a machine with broken parts you are an animal whose need have not been met.”
📝 When asked how many friends people have, “zero” is the most common answer.
📝 Anxious and depressed people are prone to gaming addiction. Games have groups and teams, clear goals, and provides a sense of control.
📝 Anti depressant Companies (who often finance studies) only publish what makes their product look good. Just like when we take selfies, we discard the double chins and post the one where we look ace! 🤳
📝 The more people value things, the more likely they are to be depressed.
📝 Obesity and loneliness are equally deadly.
📝 Studies show that depression is in fact to a significant degree a problem not with your brain but with your life.
⭐️ TAKEAWAY:
I have not been depressed myself (I don’t think?) but like most people I have had periods that has been darker and more anxious than others. Reconnecting to the 9 areas pointed out by Hari definitely improved things for me. Whether it was starting to run in nature (6.), Meditation (5.), read books (2.) or work on this Insta account (1. & 3.). Unfortunately “Reconnection” is not as commercially lucrative and easy to package into a product as antidepressants.
Book Verdict:
We all have people around us, friends or family members, that suffer from depression. Reading this book helped me gain a deeper understanding why modern society is a breeding ground for mental disorders.
This books is a serious contender for Book of the Year for me – and it’s only beginning of February. ❤️
Further reading
If you liked Lost Connections then you should check out Johann Hari’s book Stolen Focus. It’s about why you can’t focus and war on attention.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 Stars
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