The Upward Spiral
by Alex Korb PhD, Daniel J. Siegel MD · first published 2015
8mentions
5recommended by
6HN commenters
2017–2026first – last mentioned
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explains the neuroscience of depression in accessible terms and pairs it with practical, small steps to break cycles of low mood. It is suited to people dealing with depression or burnout.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…receptive to positive encounters" [And when any one or more of those factors are missing -- it can lead to depression, with the likelihood increasing if multiple factors are missing.] Also, check out: "The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time Paperback" by Alex Korb PhD. There are lots more resources like that. There are lots of alternatives to placebo-like…
on “The Depression Thing” ↗For anyone interested in this thread - "The Upward Spiral" is a related book worth reading, that dives into both the neuroscience of depression and practical steps to work one's way out of it. https://www.amazon.com/Upward-Spiral-Neuroscience-Reverse-De...
on “Less screen time and more sleep critical for preventing depression” ↗…leading to avoiding exercise, causing lowered self-esteem from worse appearance contributing back to relationship issues, and so on for strange knotty loops... The good news is, like Alex Korb (in "The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time") and others point out elsewhere, a positive upward spiral is possible too, as one issue after another gets addressed…
on “The Depression Thing” ↗…burnt out can be psychologically challenging, and people around you often don’t seem to understand that your burn out can last for longer than a few weeks. Some other books helping me in my journey are Upward Spiral by Alex Korb and Feeling Great by David Burns
on “You Don't Need a Mentor–Find a Nemesis Instead” ↗…take the drugs a professional gives you 6. clean your house (or one room, or one corner ... whatever you can manage). 7. spend some time with a friend (or friends) Or, for even more ideas, read the Upward Spiral. If you're depressed you need to get your brain out of the depression "downward spiral" (I can't imagine blogging about depression helps), and into an upward one ... by taking actions that push your…
on “Anxiety vs Depression” ↗…the US are suffering. https://news.gallup.com/poll/694199/u.s.-depression-rate-rem.... There are many reasons to be depressed, but a book I’ve found very helpful to pull myself out of depression is The Upward Spiral https://cdn.bookey.app/files/pdf/book/en/the-upward-spiral.p...
on “Ask HN: Are You Depressed?” ↗…specific negative self-judgement, a strained relationship, etc.) to make some positive progress. All easier said than done of course to get started, but a little positive progress may then lead to an upward spiral of other positive progress and so on. While it may be impossible to improve every painful situation in your life, if you can at least reduce several pains in your life, that reduces the impulse towards…
on “Everywhere and Nowhere: A Journey Through Suicide” ↗Addendum: I also don't believe that doctors really talk what the 'various causes are'. I've been depressed, very much so, and I've read books that summarize scientific reading about depression like The Upward Spiral[0], and I feel like they miss the point, somehow. Like: we're great at finding treatments and things that work for individual people, but I sort-of think that the problem with depression is fundamentally…
on “What to Do When a Loved One Is Severely Depressed” ↗