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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
So I just finished this book today.
I heavily appreciate that there is research and facts implemented through out this book that make me think of how we can actually solve the issues of depression and anxiety. And surprise: it’s not just about taking antidepressants and going to therapy. Johann Hari points out the flaws of medications and the advertising that goes into it for us to believe the idea of medications to save our lives. He also mentions that we simply are disconnected in a variety of ways because society seems as a reasonable thing to be. I believe we should see it, as he says towards the end of the book: “Depression and anxiety might, in one way, be the sanest reaction you have. It’s a signal, saying-you shouldn’t have to live this way, and if you aren’t helped to find a better path, you will be missing out on so much that is best about being human” (Hari, p. 325).
If anyone else struggles like me with depression and anxiety, I highly recommend this book. The research isn’t all technical jabber that makes anyone avoid research, but put in a language easy for us to understand the point and purpose of said research.
I heavily appreciate that there is research and facts implemented through out this book that make me think of how we can actually solve the issues of depression and anxiety. And surprise: it’s not just about taking antidepressants and going to therapy. Johann Hari points out the flaws of medications and the advertising that goes into it for us to believe the idea of medications to save our lives. He also mentions that we simply are disconnected in a variety of ways because society seems as a reasonable thing to be. I believe we should see it, as he says towards the end of the book: “Depression and anxiety might, in one way, be the sanest reaction you have. It’s a signal, saying-you shouldn’t have to live this way, and if you aren’t helped to find a better path, you will be missing out on so much that is best about being human” (Hari, p. 325).
If anyone else struggles like me with depression and anxiety, I highly recommend this book. The research isn’t all technical jabber that makes anyone avoid research, but put in a language easy for us to understand the point and purpose of said research.
This answered a lot of questions that I often wonder about.
Maybe 2.5? I think there is some worthwhile info in this book, if approached from a sociological perspective. However, I didn't feel this book had any groundbreaking information on depression, in fact, I felt like it ignored the existence of serious depression altogether. I think there is some good info, like moving away from consumerism and working on reconnecting with each other, but this is not a end-all cure for depression and anxiety.
I feel sort of conflicted about this book, so I'll lay out both the excellent and the... meh.
The excellent:
This is some great research about the real causes of depression - trauma, a lack of connection to other humans, stressors like poverty, and so on. He lays out some of the antidotes, and takes a big-picture approach. One of his main arguments is that depression and anxiety are actually normal responses to the world we're living in, and so the real solution is social change. He also doesn't shy away from some of the more day-t0-day things we can do to address these root causes, and acknowledges that, while privilege is useful for changing our environment or our jobs, some things, like reaching out to our neighbors, don't have to rely on privilege. While this is not a how-to guide, it does lay out some of the changes that have led to our collective anxiety and depression over time, and some ways we can live differently.
Now the meh:
I am not sure that I buy his argument that anti-depressants just don't work and that Big Pharma knows this and is keeping it a secret from the rest of us. That said, he is a big advocate for the placebo effect and does not appear to be anti-meds as a general rule. But my biggest quarrel is that his whole book is built on an argument against what "we are all told to believe," which is supposedly that depression and anxiety are purely biological and are unrelated to life events. Does anyone actually think this? It feels like he spends a lot of time taking down an argument that I don't actually think most people buy into.
Worth the read. This one will sit with me for a while.
The excellent:
This is some great research about the real causes of depression - trauma, a lack of connection to other humans, stressors like poverty, and so on. He lays out some of the antidotes, and takes a big-picture approach. One of his main arguments is that depression and anxiety are actually normal responses to the world we're living in, and so the real solution is social change. He also doesn't shy away from some of the more day-t0-day things we can do to address these root causes, and acknowledges that, while privilege is useful for changing our environment or our jobs, some things, like reaching out to our neighbors, don't have to rely on privilege. While this is not a how-to guide, it does lay out some of the changes that have led to our collective anxiety and depression over time, and some ways we can live differently.
Now the meh:
I am not sure that I buy his argument that anti-depressants just don't work and that Big Pharma knows this and is keeping it a secret from the rest of us. That said, he is a big advocate for the placebo effect and does not appear to be anti-meds as a general rule. But my biggest quarrel is that his whole book is built on an argument against what "we are all told to believe," which is supposedly that depression and anxiety are purely biological and are unrelated to life events. Does anyone actually think this? It feels like he spends a lot of time taking down an argument that I don't actually think most people buy into.
Worth the read. This one will sit with me for a while.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Well-written and a good synthesis of information on mental health. I think a systemic/societal understanding of why depression and anxiety are so prevalent is critical; as someone who deals with both, it does feel overwhelming to think of the amount of change necessary to get where he wants society to go. But there were helpful and valuable perspectives that I am going to take to heart.
One of the best books I've ever written. If you can read, read it.