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malexmave 's review for:
Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope
by Johann Hari
This book is very interesting, but if you take away only one thing from this review, it should be that you should not trust the book unconditionally.
Hari delves into the sources and therapies for depression. The book gives an overview of the research into depression and potential therapies and medication. It is very critical of chemical antidepressants, favoring a more human-centric approach to therapy.
I found the book very interesting, but I have also read articles from a few people who take issue with the way the book portrays several aspects of depression. In a nutshell, everyone seems to agree that depression cannot be solved by chemical anti-depressants alone - where opinions differ is how much of a role they have, if at all. Hari is in the camp of "very few people, in very specific circumstances, benefit from chemical solutions, we need to do things radically differently." Others disagree. In any case, if you are currently taking antidepressants, do not abandon your medication without talking to your doctor! It will do more harm than good.
The critical voices (linked above) also take issue with the way Hari implies that the human-centric view of therapy is a fringe opinion in psychology - in fact, it is appearantly taught in classes alongside the chemical approach. Hari also appears to have gotten some basic facts on statistics and heritage wrong.
I'm going to go with four stars, deducting one star for the appearant factual mistakes and sometimes provably overblown claims. My conclusion would be: Read this book, but read it critically, and also read the dissent others have published, to get a (hopefully) more balanced view. I personally think that the book still has a contribution to make, as it gives a good introduction into some aspects of the current state of research. I am by no means an expert on the topic area, so I cannot say how much of the book is scientific consensus, and how much is not generally accepted or even generally rejected.
A last note: Do not use this book as an alternative to professional therapy. If you are already in therapy, discuss the topics with your therapist, but do not act on your own based solely on this book. Your therapist almost certainly knows more than Johann Hari about depression - listen to them (and if they argue for a purely chemical approach, try a different therapist if you disagree, but do not abandon therapy alltogether). Too much can go wrong if you try self-help without guidance during a serious depression.
Hari delves into the sources and therapies for depression. The book gives an overview of the research into depression and potential therapies and medication. It is very critical of chemical antidepressants, favoring a more human-centric approach to therapy.
I found the book very interesting, but I have also read articles from a few people who take issue with the way the book portrays several aspects of depression. In a nutshell, everyone seems to agree that depression cannot be solved by chemical anti-depressants alone - where opinions differ is how much of a role they have, if at all. Hari is in the camp of "very few people, in very specific circumstances, benefit from chemical solutions, we need to do things radically differently." Others disagree. In any case, if you are currently taking antidepressants, do not abandon your medication without talking to your doctor! It will do more harm than good.
The critical voices (linked above) also take issue with the way Hari implies that the human-centric view of therapy is a fringe opinion in psychology - in fact, it is appearantly taught in classes alongside the chemical approach. Hari also appears to have gotten some basic facts on statistics and heritage wrong.
I'm going to go with four stars, deducting one star for the appearant factual mistakes and sometimes provably overblown claims. My conclusion would be: Read this book, but read it critically, and also read the dissent others have published, to get a (hopefully) more balanced view. I personally think that the book still has a contribution to make, as it gives a good introduction into some aspects of the current state of research. I am by no means an expert on the topic area, so I cannot say how much of the book is scientific consensus, and how much is not generally accepted or even generally rejected.
A last note: Do not use this book as an alternative to professional therapy. If you are already in therapy, discuss the topics with your therapist, but do not act on your own based solely on this book. Your therapist almost certainly knows more than Johann Hari about depression - listen to them (and if they argue for a purely chemical approach, try a different therapist if you disagree, but do not abandon therapy alltogether). Too much can go wrong if you try self-help without guidance during a serious depression.