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A review by emleemay
Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari
I have a lot of thoughts about this.
For some background, I've owned this book for a while. I was initially drawn to it because I am personally interested in the causes of, and the science behind, depression, but I was later turned off, both by some of the criticisms and the fact that the UK version of this book has a much stronger self-help vibe than a science-y vibe (I'm all about the technical language, as you can see). The UK subtitle is actually "Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope".
Still, people raved about this book. I don't care much for celebrities, but even I can appreciate the impressive list of names offering up their praise on the cover and inside. Some people feel this book is a mindblowing exposé, yet others feel it is a waste of paper. Some have called it "dangerous". In the end it was controversy, I guess, that made me curious.
I will start by saying that Hari is, in my opinion, a fantastic nonfiction writer. He employs a technique used by the most-loved pop sci writers, like [a:Malcolm Gladwell|1439|Malcolm Gladwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564001739p2/1439.jpg], in which he begins his chapters with an emotive anecdote that draws you into the narrative he is spinning. He then goes on to reveal the science and statistics behind the point he is making, often delivered in a deliberately dramatic fashion. It makes for very compelling reading.
There can be no doubt here-- Johann Hari is not a scientist, not a psychiatrist, but a journalist. And he is very good at what he does.
The book is split into three parts. The first attempts to dispel the myths that apparently everyone, including most doctors, believe about depression and antidepressants. The second explains what Hari believes to be the true nine causes of depression and anxiety. The third is what we can do about it, and it is the most self-helpy of the bunch.
The controversy mostly surrounds part one, though I think the criticisms are as overblown as some of Hari's most grandiose claims. Dean Burnett responded to the publication of this book by begging people not to stop taking antidepressants, which heavily implies that Hari suggests you abandon them, which is not the case. In fact, Hari openly states that giving up antidepressants is long and complex and should be done with a doctor's guidance, if at all.
Hari certainly sets up a few Straw Men of his own here, the most obvious being his stance that almost no one in the medical community was willing to acknowledge other causes of depression outside of the "brain chemistry" explanation until he came along, which is ludicrous. I think Hari is one of those people who has a certain set of experiences and then thinks he can apply his own experiences to everyone. It is also telling that most of his sources are dated between the 1970s and 1990s.
He is probably right that SSRIs are overprescribed, but his fuelling of Big Pharma conspiracy theories is extremely reductive. The issue is far more complex than 1) Antidepressants do nothing, 2) Drug companies want to make money so they are prescribed anyway.
The truth is that our understanding of depression is still in its infancy, and doctors have to do what they can with the limited, sometimes contradictory, information that is available to them. When thousands of patients are coming to them depressed, many of said patients the poorest members of society, it is not an option for doctors to prescribe them better relationships, a more fulfilling job, a mountain climb. They have to save their lives and help them get through each day in that moment. Often drugs are that first line of defence. Very few people think this is ideal.
Part two is less controversial. In fact, I'd say it's more just... obvious. Hari is very good at writing like he is the first person ever to have had the thoughts he is putting down, then dramatically lifting the curtain on ideas that have been around for decades. Of course having good relationships with family and friends, a rewarding job, a secure future, and time spent wandering the rose garden will decrease your chances of depression. Who could have possibly guessed?
It all culminates in a no-brainer in the final part of the book. Hari has discovered the real answer to everyone's problems, the ultimate cure for depression is the never before seen concept of... socialism. I mean, I think he's right. It's certainly not a cure-all, but in societies where social security is higher and inequality is lower, depression is also lower. Humans have core needs that are not being met by modern capitalism.
[b:Lost Connections|34921573|Lost Connections Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions|Johann Hari|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631416785l/34921573._SX50_.jpg|56184854] is a book of old ideas rebranded as something innovative. It is compulsively readable, flawed, melodramatic and arrogant. Arrogant in the sense that it positions Hari as an oracle of new wisdom at the same time as he regurgitates old studies and other people's ideas.
The worst part of the book is where he falls into a non sequitur, using the results of drug efficacy studies to suggest that most doctors are actively trying to get you on antidepressants. The best parts are the reminders he gives for what really matters in life, backed up by statistics. It's obvious, really, though I think in our day-to-day lives it's also easy to forget.
For some background, I've owned this book for a while. I was initially drawn to it because I am personally interested in the causes of, and the science behind, depression, but I was later turned off, both by some of the criticisms and the fact that the UK version of this book has a much stronger self-help vibe than a science-y vibe (I'm all about the technical language, as you can see). The UK subtitle is actually "Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope".
Still, people raved about this book. I don't care much for celebrities, but even I can appreciate the impressive list of names offering up their praise on the cover and inside. Some people feel this book is a mindblowing exposé, yet others feel it is a waste of paper. Some have called it "dangerous". In the end it was controversy, I guess, that made me curious.
I will start by saying that Hari is, in my opinion, a fantastic nonfiction writer. He employs a technique used by the most-loved pop sci writers, like [a:Malcolm Gladwell|1439|Malcolm Gladwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564001739p2/1439.jpg], in which he begins his chapters with an emotive anecdote that draws you into the narrative he is spinning. He then goes on to reveal the science and statistics behind the point he is making, often delivered in a deliberately dramatic fashion. It makes for very compelling reading.
There can be no doubt here-- Johann Hari is not a scientist, not a psychiatrist, but a journalist. And he is very good at what he does.
The book is split into three parts. The first attempts to dispel the myths that apparently everyone, including most doctors, believe about depression and antidepressants. The second explains what Hari believes to be the true nine causes of depression and anxiety. The third is what we can do about it, and it is the most self-helpy of the bunch.
The controversy mostly surrounds part one, though I think the criticisms are as overblown as some of Hari's most grandiose claims. Dean Burnett responded to the publication of this book by begging people not to stop taking antidepressants, which heavily implies that Hari suggests you abandon them, which is not the case. In fact, Hari openly states that giving up antidepressants is long and complex and should be done with a doctor's guidance, if at all.
Hari certainly sets up a few Straw Men of his own here, the most obvious being his stance that almost no one in the medical community was willing to acknowledge other causes of depression outside of the "brain chemistry" explanation until he came along, which is ludicrous. I think Hari is one of those people who has a certain set of experiences and then thinks he can apply his own experiences to everyone. It is also telling that most of his sources are dated between the 1970s and 1990s.
He is probably right that SSRIs are overprescribed, but his fuelling of Big Pharma conspiracy theories is extremely reductive. The issue is far more complex than 1) Antidepressants do nothing, 2) Drug companies want to make money so they are prescribed anyway.
The truth is that our understanding of depression is still in its infancy, and doctors have to do what they can with the limited, sometimes contradictory, information that is available to them. When thousands of patients are coming to them depressed, many of said patients the poorest members of society, it is not an option for doctors to prescribe them better relationships, a more fulfilling job, a mountain climb. They have to save their lives and help them get through each day in that moment. Often drugs are that first line of defence. Very few people think this is ideal.
Part two is less controversial. In fact, I'd say it's more just... obvious. Hari is very good at writing like he is the first person ever to have had the thoughts he is putting down, then dramatically lifting the curtain on ideas that have been around for decades. Of course having good relationships with family and friends, a rewarding job, a secure future, and time spent wandering the rose garden will decrease your chances of depression. Who could have possibly guessed?
It all culminates in a no-brainer in the final part of the book. Hari has discovered the real answer to everyone's problems, the ultimate cure for depression is the never before seen concept of... socialism. I mean, I think he's right. It's certainly not a cure-all, but in societies where social security is higher and inequality is lower, depression is also lower. Humans have core needs that are not being met by modern capitalism.
[b:Lost Connections|34921573|Lost Connections Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions|Johann Hari|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631416785l/34921573._SX50_.jpg|56184854] is a book of old ideas rebranded as something innovative. It is compulsively readable, flawed, melodramatic and arrogant. Arrogant in the sense that it positions Hari as an oracle of new wisdom at the same time as he regurgitates old studies and other people's ideas.
The worst part of the book is where he falls into a non sequitur, using the results of drug efficacy studies to suggest that most doctors are actively trying to get you on antidepressants. The best parts are the reminders he gives for what really matters in life, backed up by statistics. It's obvious, really, though I think in our day-to-day lives it's also easy to forget.