TEDx Talks
4 HN recommenders · recommended in 6 months, 2014–2022
22:21 · 2.5M views · May 24, 2013
Clinical psychologist Stephen Ilardi argues depression is a disease of modern civilization and presents a lifestyle-based program to treat it without drugs. Topics include exercise, sunlight, omega-3s and social connection.
HN recommends it in depression threads as a practical, non-medication approach with concrete takeaways.
6 comments from Hacker News
I can't say I had full on depression, but I did go through periods where I spent more time in bad moods than good moods, and I didn't have a clear idea of where I was going in life. I remember watching this video this video Two points I remember clearly taking from this lecture: - Omega-3. Make sure they are 1) high quality 2) high EPA content 3) over 1000mg of EPA per day - Walking. If you can spend more than one hour walking, do it. The other things I sort of knew, like sunlight and social connection. They are also very important, obviously. So, try to find a way, any way, to have some sort of social connection. Nothing deep. Just very casual and occasional. I used to go to meetup.com and look for things that interested me. At the time it was: pickup soccer, and language exchange. Not only I was interested in them, but they don't require social skills to participate in. You don't need to approach anyone. For language exchange, there's usually seat arrangement so the organizers will decide for you who you will talk to. So it's not like you're in a bar and have to work up the courage to approach people. This is very important. Same with soccer. There's no social skill required. The organizer will manage assigning you to a team. One thing to keep in mind: when you go to a meetup, do not talk about having depression. It's not a positive/welcoming topic. Keep it light and casual. And finally, this is just my personal take. It's possible that your job itself is a source of depressio
On the topic of destigmatization, I recommend this Robert Sapolsky lecture (on the neurobiology of depression) to everyone to understand just how physical and systemic depression is: [LINK] . For understanding how lifestyle changes can help treat depression, I recommend this: this video . He contradicts the author on the point of exercise—it is one of the most potent medicines (though hard to administer to yourself when you’re depressed). Reflecting on my own (extensive) experiences with depression and its co-conspirators, I think there are two deep fears that inhibit seeking or sticking with treatment: 1. What happens if I don’t get better? Then I’m hopeless. 2. What happens if I do get better (and it’s not enough, or I ruin my progress with a relapse)? I don’t have a definitive answer to either, but reasonable responses include: trying and failing feels better than languishing/surrendering (not trying is the only thing that’s likely hopeless), it is (or should be ) OK to make nonlinear progress in managing chronic illness (depression or otherwise), and the universe/existence is at once magnificent and meaningless so just try to relax and enjoy the ride with your fellow creatures.
There are programs, non-profits, and alternative treatments depending on the country/region/state/city. If you are able to send US text messages for free to/from the US, you can use X2AI’s chatbot for free by texting “YC” to (650) 825-9634. It will at least get you access to CBT coaching, which has shown to help. Medication (once one finds the right one for themselves) helps many, but here is a good TED talk on approaches without medication: this video Disclosure: I know the founder.
Maybe depression can't be 'fixed', but you can learn to understand it and find ways to ignore it. This helped me: this video It's different for everyone so it might not make a difference.
This reminded me of a Scientific American article from nine years ago about the evolutionary roots of depression. It says that depression is a useful adaptation: [LINK] Dr. Stephen Ilardi from the University of Kansas takes the opposite position. In his book, The Depression Cure, he says that depression is a disease of modernity. "[O]ur bodies were never designed for the sleep-deprived, poorly nourished, frenzied pace of twenty-first century life." this video