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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
It's the second time I've read this book and I'll probably keep reading it once a year. My absolute favorite book about depression and the lost connections in our life.
The problem I had with this book is that Hari presents his thesis as if he discovered that depression and anxiety are not primarily caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (which has been widely accepted for years) and that drugs only work on some / few people which I call bullshit on.
He says there are six big factors causing depression in so many of our lives which I agree are a factor but it is not new news other than he summarized it; we need to reconnect with each other, we need to listen to people's suffering and be heard ourselves, be able to have an effect in the world, recognize what's actually important in life, have hope and a measure of control over the future, and experience nature.
Everybody's experience with depression is unique, and there are other factors and dimensions that impact mental health such as diet, physical / health wellness and spiritual wellness. These are things we can control in our lives and impact our outlook vrs current societal norms and values.
He says there are six big factors causing depression in so many of our lives which I agree are a factor but it is not new news other than he summarized it; we need to reconnect with each other, we need to listen to people's suffering and be heard ourselves, be able to have an effect in the world, recognize what's actually important in life, have hope and a measure of control over the future, and experience nature.
Everybody's experience with depression is unique, and there are other factors and dimensions that impact mental health such as diet, physical / health wellness and spiritual wellness. These are things we can control in our lives and impact our outlook vrs current societal norms and values.
Maybe like 3.5 stars on this one. I liked the subject matter but didn't especially enjoy Hari's writing style at times (very pop science journalism). None of this will be remotely surprising if you work in public health (and everyone's a public health expert these days apparently so add the pointless student loans to my depression triggers) but it's good to see it all synthesized in a readable format so people who wouldn't ordinarily can now join in on the conversation about social determinants of health. Worth a read for sure.
This book has given me words and data for ideas that have been floating around in my head for some time regarding causes of mental illness in our society. I highly recommend giving it a read.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I don’t think this book is as groundbreaking as the author claims, but does serve as a good reminder that ssris should be taken in conjunction with life changes to see true progress. A little too conspiratorial about ssris, this book may also make people who need them feel guilt or shame about using them. Please consult your therapist and take what is said with a grain of salt.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I was on the fence about this book almost from the beginning. Hari made some claims that he stated as fact, based on what? His own feelings? Anecdotal evidence? I actually agree with a lot of his stated causes of depression, but his evidence about a lack of chemical cause seemed flimsy at best. I think that society really does need to work on much of what Hari suggests as the root causes of depression and anxiety, I really, really do. I just don't really think Johann Hari is the best messenger, nor do I think that medical intervention is only about money for Big Pharma.
There's also that little thing I learned about the author being accused of plagiarism (not related to this book) and defamation. That's kind of difficult to ignore.
There's also that little thing I learned about the author being accused of plagiarism (not related to this book) and defamation. That's kind of difficult to ignore.