Eventually, well into his 30s, Hari was faced with the truth: after over a decade of Paxil, he was still depressed. The one thing Hari did know for sure though was that the side effects of Paxil were causing weight gain and excess sweating. This prompted his doctor to up the dosage, which lead to another short period of relief followed by a relapse back into depression, and then yet another increase in the dosage. Like many patients taking SSRIs for the first time, Hari experienced some relief at first, but it didn’t last long. When he finally sought out medical help, he was told by his doctor that depression was a chemical imbalance in the brain, and therefore, something that can be alleviated with prescription antidepressants.įor Hari, this meant taking Paxil, one of many drugs in the category of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which claim to raise a person’s serotonin levels to that of a “normal,” non-depressed person.

Eventually, he understood that he was experiencing symptoms of depression. When the author, Johann Hari, was 18 years old, he took his first antidepressant medication, but he’d already experienced years of depression prior to this.Įven in his youth, Hari had his fair share of moments crying alone in a room. Lost Connections Key Idea #1: Contrary to common belief based on claims from pharmaceutical corporations, depression is not the result of a chemical imbalance.

how a prescription for social activities might be more affective than one for medication.

how we can learn about a healthy work environment from a Baltimore bike shop and.

why Prozac is a lot like Haygarth’s wand.

In this summary of Lost Connections by Johann Hari, you’ll find out But don’t despair – it’s also important to know that each of these factors can be dealt with and improved, and that a life of depression can turn into a prosperous one of hope and goodwill. The true culprit isn’t biology, but rather unresolved trauma, isolation, misplaced values around status and money, or simply a bad working environment.

In the book summaries ahead, you’ll learn that this isn’t actually the true reason for the everyday depression that so many people experience. The author Johann Hari argues that we’ve misunderstood the main causes of depression for far too long, partially due to powerful pharmaceutical corporations emphasizing that depression is primarily caused by a so-called “chemical imbalance” in the brain. The unfortunate truth is that so much of the hectic, competitive, and isolating culture we live in contributes to depression becoming an all-too-common part of modern life. Many people have either battled depression themselves or know someone who has. Has Lost Connections by Johann Hari been sitting on your reading list? Pick up the key ideas in the book with this quick summary.

Lost connections johann hari review