Book Review: Lost Connections
Apr. 12th, 2019 10:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amycooperLost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari
Hari's book on depression and anxiety (even though anxiety is not in the title) is an easy to follow exploration of the more social and psycho-social causes of depression and anxiety. By reading it, it becomes clear why we're currently in a so-called epidemic of anxiety and depression (and suicide and substance abuse, which can be very related). In the shorter Part I section, he makes the case the treatment of these two conditions as a chemical imbalance in the brain is largely if not completely faulty, detailing how drug companies wield tremendous influence on studies of depression and anxiety through substantial funding. Moreover, drug companies often don't share/make public all the testing that shows that their drugs don't work or work well and that there is in fact proof antidepressants do not work all that well for all but a minority of people (or rather, that they work well only for a very short window of time).
Part II goes into the social and psycho-social causes of anxiety and depression. There are nine that he lists as "disconnects" (a phrasing that works well for all except childhood trauma). They are disconnects from: meaningful work, other people, meaningful values, childhood trauma, status & respect, the natural world, a hopeful & secure future, the role of genes, and the role of the brain. Each disconnect has a chapter devoted to it except genes and the brain which share a chapter. His overall argument is that most of depression and anxiety is created by the society/environment we currently live in, which does a very poor job of meeting the social/psychological needs of most people. To that effect, he frames depression and anxiety as understandable, even rational responses to environmental pressures.
The third part, Reconnection, goes on to explore ways that depression and anxiety can be treated that addresses the core disconnections outlined in the previous part. Of all the sections, I feel like this one was the weakest. Hari himself admits that the research to address the ways to reconnect is less than the research on the disconnections themselves (his whole book is well cited in the back and he has plenty of studies to support the disconnections). Still, he outlines seven reconnections: to other people, social prescribing, meaningful work, meaningful values, sympathetic joy/overcoming addiction to the self, acknowledging & overcoming childhood trauma, and restoring the future. Nearly all of these have limited things you can just do at home, which might be disappointing but if he's really onto something with the disconnects (as I think he is) then that's very realistic.
That said, while solutions like Universal Basic Income might be a think worth pursuing, I do think there are smaller scale ways you can reconnect and, in fact, as I've been struggling to deal with my own anxiety disorder, I have found the things that have helped me most are things mentioned in the reconnect section even if they were on my own smaller scale. For instance, meditating (and yoga, which wasn't mentioned but I do a very mindful/meditative yoga) has been key to my recovery. Acknowledging my own emotions and reaching out and forming friendships has also helped a great deal. Realizing how desperately I needed to move on from my current job and thus starting to search for a new job while simultaneously seeking out and finding ways to improve things at my current job has also been a big help.
To that extent, if you are suffering from depression or anxiety, I think it would be valuable to read this book with a notebook and pen on hand. Note which "disconnects" ring true to you, then jot down ideas under each disconnect that might help improve your lot. Even if the big solutions are unattainable for you now, are there smaller things you can do to move yourself in the right direction? Are their people, groups, movements that you can join to champion for those bigger things (he makes a argument that doing so not only will help create change, but help you directly).
Overall it's a worthy read whether or not you suffer from depression or anxiety, as it has so much commentary on modern society and it's effects on us as people.
Hari's book on depression and anxiety (even though anxiety is not in the title) is an easy to follow exploration of the more social and psycho-social causes of depression and anxiety. By reading it, it becomes clear why we're currently in a so-called epidemic of anxiety and depression (and suicide and substance abuse, which can be very related). In the shorter Part I section, he makes the case the treatment of these two conditions as a chemical imbalance in the brain is largely if not completely faulty, detailing how drug companies wield tremendous influence on studies of depression and anxiety through substantial funding. Moreover, drug companies often don't share/make public all the testing that shows that their drugs don't work or work well and that there is in fact proof antidepressants do not work all that well for all but a minority of people (or rather, that they work well only for a very short window of time).
Part II goes into the social and psycho-social causes of anxiety and depression. There are nine that he lists as "disconnects" (a phrasing that works well for all except childhood trauma). They are disconnects from: meaningful work, other people, meaningful values, childhood trauma, status & respect, the natural world, a hopeful & secure future, the role of genes, and the role of the brain. Each disconnect has a chapter devoted to it except genes and the brain which share a chapter. His overall argument is that most of depression and anxiety is created by the society/environment we currently live in, which does a very poor job of meeting the social/psychological needs of most people. To that effect, he frames depression and anxiety as understandable, even rational responses to environmental pressures.
The third part, Reconnection, goes on to explore ways that depression and anxiety can be treated that addresses the core disconnections outlined in the previous part. Of all the sections, I feel like this one was the weakest. Hari himself admits that the research to address the ways to reconnect is less than the research on the disconnections themselves (his whole book is well cited in the back and he has plenty of studies to support the disconnections). Still, he outlines seven reconnections: to other people, social prescribing, meaningful work, meaningful values, sympathetic joy/overcoming addiction to the self, acknowledging & overcoming childhood trauma, and restoring the future. Nearly all of these have limited things you can just do at home, which might be disappointing but if he's really onto something with the disconnects (as I think he is) then that's very realistic.
That said, while solutions like Universal Basic Income might be a think worth pursuing, I do think there are smaller scale ways you can reconnect and, in fact, as I've been struggling to deal with my own anxiety disorder, I have found the things that have helped me most are things mentioned in the reconnect section even if they were on my own smaller scale. For instance, meditating (and yoga, which wasn't mentioned but I do a very mindful/meditative yoga) has been key to my recovery. Acknowledging my own emotions and reaching out and forming friendships has also helped a great deal. Realizing how desperately I needed to move on from my current job and thus starting to search for a new job while simultaneously seeking out and finding ways to improve things at my current job has also been a big help.
To that extent, if you are suffering from depression or anxiety, I think it would be valuable to read this book with a notebook and pen on hand. Note which "disconnects" ring true to you, then jot down ideas under each disconnect that might help improve your lot. Even if the big solutions are unattainable for you now, are there smaller things you can do to move yourself in the right direction? Are their people, groups, movements that you can join to champion for those bigger things (he makes a argument that doing so not only will help create change, but help you directly).
Overall it's a worthy read whether or not you suffer from depression or anxiety, as it has so much commentary on modern society and it's effects on us as people.
