A review by bpatterson
Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari

5.0

Shout out to Gianna for this book and the following experience of reading it is owed to her. The first part of this book details how the pharmaceutical market has created an idea of what depression is and how to solve this existential problem. Something that I’ve noted in the last write up, but reading about people’s lives is really fascinating to me. I feel like I haven’t read any books like this for such a long time, that I forgot what it was like to really know about someone else’s experiences as described by themselves. It’s different from talking to someone about their life, you will always hear what they have to say, but to try and be a good friend I feel like we try to relate too much and therefore dampen what they tell us. But when reading a book there is no conversation with the author, you can’t try to help them through the narrative, because its already written and there is already a conclusion that has been reached without your help. You’re simply a bystander for this story, meant to absorb and take away a meaning that can help you as you’re the only one to talk about this book with (unless you’re in a book club of two like me). Okay end of tangent. The idea of dissecting how each part of modern life is antithetical to connection and therefore leads to depression is something I feel like we all know, but can’t fathom, much less put into words, yet here Johann has done it wonderfully. From the first anecdote about his food poisoning and how he needed to feel the symptoms to diagnose the real problem, I felt that this would go deeper than just a self-help book. In the end depression is not what we think it is, a manifestation of some abnormality in the brain, but a consequence of how we live so isolated from those around us. Throughout detailing the reasons, we are disconnected, then how to rebuild those connections, Johann examines just how much of our lives around us are determined by outside sources and how much we shape our lives to fit this outside narrative, while not focusing on what truly makes us happy. While it would be easy for me to divulge into how capitalism is at fault for much of this, Johann does it much better so just read the book. The tldr of the last third of the book is that establishing meaningful connections with others is the “cure” to depression, making sure that you aren’t alone. This can come in many different forms, being connected to your work, environment, community, family, friends, and significant others can all have positive impacts on your well-being that can help pull a person out of depression. We want to take the easy way out, which Johann admits he did all throughout his adolescence, utilizing anti-depressants and believing that they are the panacea for all his problems in life that truly are the source of his depression. It’s terrifying to know that we hold many of the keys to improving our mental health, yet Johann also discusses how many outside sources there are that directly work towards belittling people into feeling insignificant and broken. Whether its social media, advertising, or a shitty friend, there are things outside of our control that affect our mental health. The best way to tackle this is to simply acknowledge them for what they are and remove them from our lives to the best of our ability. I don’t really know how to end this write up, probably should have written it a little closer to finishing the book so it was fresher, but still one of my favorite reads recently, dives into many niche topics while not being lost in jargon. Can be picked up by anyone and although enjoy is maybe not the right word, it helped me look at many situations differently and is something I can easily see myself rereading in the future/getting my own copy.
Cow guy, shrooms, Amish, talking about feelings, etc.