Lost connections
by Johann Hari · first published 2018
66% recommend29% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Research-backed look at depression and anxiety as responses to disconnection in modern life, challenging the chemical imbalance story; suits people with depression, their partners, or anyone rethinking treatment.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Across the world, Hari found social scientists who were uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they [believe they] are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Hari's journey took him from a ... series of experiments in Baltimore, to an Amish community in Indiana, to an uprising in Berlin. Once he had uncovered [what he argues are] nine real causes of depression and anxiety, they led him to scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions"--Amazon.com.
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…misdiagnosed with a handful of labels and put on a handful of drugs which subsequently ruined her life for a very long time I've been interested in looking at alternatives to the pharma status quo. I read Lost Connections by Johann Hari recently and it was remarkable. The chapter on how people with similar diagnoses radically improved by joining a gardening club (reconnecting with others) makes the book worth reading,…
on “ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)” ↗…more broadly at underlying factors than just these (or just drugs). I've been reading about mental health issues for years with my own ups and downs, and the best book I've read on this topic so far is Lost Connections by Johann Hari. In the book he describes the ways modern life has disconnected us from a lot of what humans find meaningful, and given that it's not surprising that rates of depression and anxiety have…
on “Mental Wealth” ↗A good book to read about this is Lost Connections. It was a really eye-opening look at other methods to treating depression (and really views the increasing rates as an over-diagnosis, such as if grief of a death lasts over a year, as well as a cultural…
on “Antidepressant withdrawal: reviewing the paper behind the headlines” ↗…winning at life. The latter would make me less outgoing in real life, b/c somehow flipping through dating profiles satisfied an underlying desire to meet new people. I highly recommend Johann Hari's work: "Lost Connections" book [1], Sam Harris and Ezra Klein podcast episodes [2, 3], TED talk [4]. [1] https://thelostconnections.com/ [2] https://samharris.org/podcasts/142-addiction-depression-mean... [3] https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/vox/the-ezra-klein-show/e/5...…
on “Depression, Self-Identity and Reality: Living in a Story Created by Facebook” ↗If you're interested in these issues, the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari is very good: https://jakeseliger.com/2018/07/26/lost-connections-uncoveri...
on “2017 saw highest rate of death due to alcohol, drugs, suicide in US history [pdf]” ↗Read Lost Connections by Johann Hari recently. It’s a touch repetitive but a quick and easy read. And I think it hits some important notes on why we might be seeing this. A lot has changed about how we live and that deserves…
on “Mental illness: is there a global epidemic?” ↗You might like the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari. The premise of the book, from what I can remember, is a mix between yours and GP's comment. It's basically that things are being over-prescribed, such as depression if you haven't stopped…
on “Anxiety Looks Different in Men” ↗The book "Lost Connections" by Johann Hari (which I discovered through HN) has helped me a lot in understanding so much of the context of what makes so many of us feel depression and anxiety at many points in our lives. A big part…
on “Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress” ↗You'd probably find a lot to like in the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari. The main thrust is the impact society has had on mental health, in contradiction to the notion that depression is merely a "chemical imbalance".
on “Daddy isn’t coming back” ↗…address specific aspects of depression and related issues of addiction, trauma, and perfectionism (and how they are at root deep cultural issues related to recent Western lifestyle changes) include: * "Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions" by Johann Hari. From the last chapter of the book: "You aren’t a machine with broken parts. You are an animal whose needs are…
on “Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress” ↗2 books I recently read that point to social connection as essential to meaning and well-being are Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari, and Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger.
on “What I’ve Been Doing Since Quitting My Job” ↗You'd probably enjoy Lost Connections by Johann Hari. I recommend the audiobook.
on “Poor mental health at work 'widespread'” ↗…want to see in your life. You wanted to be happy, society gave you a bad model to work from, and the mind's reaction to discovering that this model doesn't work is depression. You should read the book Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Jonathan Hari. I read it this summer, and it completely overturned how I look at depression (and other mental health issues).…
on “Suicide increasing among American workers” ↗Lost Connections by Johann Hari About the sources of depression and anxiety of the current society. Interesting book backed with a lot of studies.
on “Ask HN: Recommend one book I need to read this summer?” ↗I'd recommend a book that dives into this topic before downvoting: Lost Connections by Johann Harl
on “Caffeine enhances activity of common antidepressants in forced swim test in mice” ↗