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870 reviews for:
Frakoblet: De egentlige årsakene til depresjon - og de overraskende løsningene
Johann Hari
4.23 AVERAGE
870 reviews for:
Frakoblet: De egentlige årsakene til depresjon - og de overraskende løsningene
Johann Hari
4.23 AVERAGE
Uuuuurgh. It was off to a promising start (my internal dialogue was screaming “yes! This guy gets it!”) and then it just kind of turned into the same dribble you find in most self-help books about depression. this book in a TL:DR nutshell is that to beat depression I should:
• Stop taking my anti-depressants
• Make friends
• Go outside
• Try to completely change the structure of my workplace
• Stop buying stuff
• Stop even wanting stuff
• Meditate
• Maybe even try some psychedelics
• Make more money (but work less)
And the last one is my favourite: • Lobby the government to give everybody free money
-
this book is crap. don’t let the celebrity reviews on the cover fool you. The only reason this got more than one star was that despite being rubbish, it was really well written rubbish.
• Stop taking my anti-depressants
• Make friends
• Go outside
• Try to completely change the structure of my workplace
• Stop buying stuff
• Stop even wanting stuff
• Meditate
• Maybe even try some psychedelics
• Make more money (but work less)
And the last one is my favourite: • Lobby the government to give everybody free money
-
this book is crap. don’t let the celebrity reviews on the cover fool you. The only reason this got more than one star was that despite being rubbish, it was really well written rubbish.
Hari explores cultural factors that can offer a different context for depression/anxiety and perhaps a different solution. He doesn’t discard the idea that medication can be helpful, but does explore some shaky assumptions and the profit motives of Big Pharma that can lead us to simplistic thinking.
I was expecting this to be great after reading Chasing the Scream, and this did not disappoint. The idea is that depression and anxiety are not common illnesses just like any other, like diabetes or a broken leg, but rather symptoms of unfulfilled human needs such as connection. These have cultural roots and come from individualistic values and isolation. Not much of a shocking revelation as Chasing the Scream, but felt like something we kind of already knew but couldn't put into words. Meaningful and memorable. Will definitely be recommending this to everyone
Enjoyed the science in the first parts, but felt the second half with the solutions relied too much on anecdotal stories.
Boldest ideas
- depression and anxiety are normal reactions to bad external circumstances. They are the rational effect of a bad life. Listen to it.
- Antidepressants don't work
- lack of control in life and work == depression
Boldest ideas
- depression and anxiety are normal reactions to bad external circumstances. They are the rational effect of a bad life. Listen to it.
- Antidepressants don't work
- lack of control in life and work == depression
We are living through unprecedented times. We know this because we keep being told that.
What people keep forgetting to mention is the stress and trauma we are also going through. The isolation, the doubts, the fears.
All of which are taking their toll on our little noggins.
As someone who has been struggling with mental health issues, on and off, for some years now - but who steadfastly refuses to medicate - a book taking a fresh look at depression and anxiety felt like exactly the thing I should be reading right now.
And so, with the words of the great and good (and Russell Brand) ringing in my eyes (seriously, they're plastered all over both covers) I dived in.
I was not without scepticism. Anyone claiming to have found a new thing should always be approached with caution, especially when their journalistic career was not without major controversy, but still I was keen to see what had been discovered.
And what I found resonated so clearly I remain baffled how I didn't think of it sooner.
Essentially, in short, yes, depression can be a lack of serotonin. But, as endless studies have shown, it can also be environmental.
Is your job shit? Are you in an unhappy relationship? Have you suffered grief or trauma at some point in the past which is now starting to play out? All of these are valid, proven, factors for triggering periods of depression.
And when you see it written down, and you read the studies Hari reports on, it's like a lightbulb has been switched on.
I kind of knew I wasn't happy in a previous job, but shrugged that off because it was just a job. But if your job is unrewarding, unfulfilling, and you feel like you don't matter - then of course that is going to take its toll.
The same with personal relationships.
And it's points like these - and five specific others - that Hari details and unwraps.
And these chapters are genuinely energising.
Unfortunately, he doesn't stop there. Presumably a word count had been requested.
So rather than giving you the seven factors and their possible solutions, we get ANOTHER seven chapters.
As these are all written in the same style, this is where the thrall of the book starts to fade. More sections dropping us straight into someone's life before explaining who they are. More sections repeating what you've already read.
And sadly, this is where everything tails off.
A shorter, more concise volume would have been a real game changer. Ideally one that didn't try and bring in the politics of the hunger strikes in 1980s Northern Ireland.
Instead we have one that is a harder read the longer it goes on, and one that is much tougher than it needs to be given one of the issues with depression and anxiety is struggling to concentrate.
But, to be fair, the plusses outweigh the negatives, and if you're looking for fresh insight into why life is such a struggle, this is a good place to start.
What people keep forgetting to mention is the stress and trauma we are also going through. The isolation, the doubts, the fears.
All of which are taking their toll on our little noggins.
As someone who has been struggling with mental health issues, on and off, for some years now - but who steadfastly refuses to medicate - a book taking a fresh look at depression and anxiety felt like exactly the thing I should be reading right now.
And so, with the words of the great and good (and Russell Brand) ringing in my eyes (seriously, they're plastered all over both covers) I dived in.
I was not without scepticism. Anyone claiming to have found a new thing should always be approached with caution, especially when their journalistic career was not without major controversy, but still I was keen to see what had been discovered.
And what I found resonated so clearly I remain baffled how I didn't think of it sooner.
Essentially, in short, yes, depression can be a lack of serotonin. But, as endless studies have shown, it can also be environmental.
Is your job shit? Are you in an unhappy relationship? Have you suffered grief or trauma at some point in the past which is now starting to play out? All of these are valid, proven, factors for triggering periods of depression.
And when you see it written down, and you read the studies Hari reports on, it's like a lightbulb has been switched on.
I kind of knew I wasn't happy in a previous job, but shrugged that off because it was just a job. But if your job is unrewarding, unfulfilling, and you feel like you don't matter - then of course that is going to take its toll.
The same with personal relationships.
And it's points like these - and five specific others - that Hari details and unwraps.
And these chapters are genuinely energising.
Unfortunately, he doesn't stop there. Presumably a word count had been requested.
So rather than giving you the seven factors and their possible solutions, we get ANOTHER seven chapters.
As these are all written in the same style, this is where the thrall of the book starts to fade. More sections dropping us straight into someone's life before explaining who they are. More sections repeating what you've already read.
And sadly, this is where everything tails off.
A shorter, more concise volume would have been a real game changer. Ideally one that didn't try and bring in the politics of the hunger strikes in 1980s Northern Ireland.
Instead we have one that is a harder read the longer it goes on, and one that is much tougher than it needs to be given one of the issues with depression and anxiety is struggling to concentrate.
But, to be fair, the plusses outweigh the negatives, and if you're looking for fresh insight into why life is such a struggle, this is a good place to start.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
This had some really good points but I wish it had just focused on the social and psychological causes and cures for depression which was its strength rather than do much attacking on anti-depressants... yes they did not work for the author but they do work for others - especially when combined with good therapy. He was just prescribed them without much therapy support so of course they were less than useful for him. Antidepressants are supposed to go hand and hand with therapy not just by themselves.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
I know little about depression, anxiety and how they can devastate people's lives. I have also done little to further my knowledge of it over the years. However having a close relative living with depression for many years now, and having been to three funerals of suicides in a 10 month time span, one of which I had a close involvement with, this has defiantly moved to the front of my brain as something I should really read more about. This particular book seems to be Top of the Pops at the moment, so worth a go. I really should give it to my relative to read to see what they think of it, as reading the reviews on-line it seems to have very mixed reactions. More 5 stars than 1 star though, so must be making sense to many.
The focus in this book is about how depression has been treated in our recent history, both medicinally and within the society structure we live in. The author has suffered from depression for many years, realised he wasn't getting better with the drugs being peddled to him, so takes himself down the path of trying to learn more about why we get depression, how it could be treated, why Big Pharma has come to dominate, and where our futures may lie with what he considers are modern day Western lifestyle illnesses. He is a very worthy convert, producing much research, speaking to experts, going into communities doing things differently with amazing results. And it is so great to read how lives have been changed through these different approaches. He writes so well, so engagingly, this book is a real joy to read. He manages to make all the sciency stuff easy to understand, does not get bogged down in too much theory or jargon. The chapters are short, the stories of people's lives fascinating. I learnt a lot about the nature of depression, what he sees are the nine causes of depression, and the seven reconnection strategies pivotal to producing the type of society where depression is significantly less than it is now. i won't go into all that here as there are plenty of reviews detailing his approach, the key being connectedness to other people, joint goals, having purpose and a feeling of self worth. Amongst other things.
However, I don't really believe despite his zeal for curing the world at large, that this will happen in a hurry. Drugs will still be the main form of management, and we have a long, long way to go to create the perfect world where everyone feels their lives are worthwhile. There is no mention in the book of those with severe mental illness - schizophrenia, psychosis, post natal psychosis. Are these really lifestyle illnesses as he seems to imply? I kept waiting for these subjects to crop up and even went to the index where they aren't mentioned. So some disquiet surrounding this book as being the cure-all manual to the awfulness of depression and anxiety.
Despite these misgivings, I enjoyed reading it very much, I learnt a lot, it opened my eyes wide to the possibilities of improving the lives of those around us, and how to give our own lives more insight. Worth a read.
The focus in this book is about how depression has been treated in our recent history, both medicinally and within the society structure we live in. The author has suffered from depression for many years, realised he wasn't getting better with the drugs being peddled to him, so takes himself down the path of trying to learn more about why we get depression, how it could be treated, why Big Pharma has come to dominate, and where our futures may lie with what he considers are modern day Western lifestyle illnesses. He is a very worthy convert, producing much research, speaking to experts, going into communities doing things differently with amazing results. And it is so great to read how lives have been changed through these different approaches. He writes so well, so engagingly, this book is a real joy to read. He manages to make all the sciency stuff easy to understand, does not get bogged down in too much theory or jargon. The chapters are short, the stories of people's lives fascinating. I learnt a lot about the nature of depression, what he sees are the nine causes of depression, and the seven reconnection strategies pivotal to producing the type of society where depression is significantly less than it is now. i won't go into all that here as there are plenty of reviews detailing his approach, the key being connectedness to other people, joint goals, having purpose and a feeling of self worth. Amongst other things.
However, I don't really believe despite his zeal for curing the world at large, that this will happen in a hurry. Drugs will still be the main form of management, and we have a long, long way to go to create the perfect world where everyone feels their lives are worthwhile. There is no mention in the book of those with severe mental illness - schizophrenia, psychosis, post natal psychosis. Are these really lifestyle illnesses as he seems to imply? I kept waiting for these subjects to crop up and even went to the index where they aren't mentioned. So some disquiet surrounding this book as being the cure-all manual to the awfulness of depression and anxiety.
Despite these misgivings, I enjoyed reading it very much, I learnt a lot, it opened my eyes wide to the possibilities of improving the lives of those around us, and how to give our own lives more insight. Worth a read.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This helped me understand an issue I increasingly see around me as I grow up. I hope consciousness is a first step ato help making all of our lives slightly lighter. Would recommend to those feeling depressed, anxious or well!