Author Johann Hari of “Lost Connections,” uses his past experience with anxiety, depression, and medications as the catalyst to explore what really works. Hari’s central theme is around disconnection. That when people are challenged by anxiety and depression, it’s not just a faulty chemical imbalance in the brain, it’s something much bigger that we are all missing the mark on. Hari agrees that biology and psychology have a part and medication may help alleviate that dysregulation in such a way that they can create more connections for themself. He believes the biggest parts are the disconnection from areas such as other people, meaningful work, the natural world, and meaningful values.
Hari divides his book into 3 parts; the fallacy of the pharmaceutical message, the areas of disconnection, and the reconnection. Hari is a journalist who has a personal connection to this topic and interviewed many professionals as well as cited numerous research studies related. The chapters regarding disconnection and reconnection are clearly marked and could be read independently.
“All of us have certain innate needs–to feel connected, to feel valued, to feel secure, to feel we make a difference in the world, to have autonomy, to feel we’re good at something.”
Someone recommended this book to me because it “sounded like me.” Well, they were correct! I really liked how the author framed everything under the lens of loss of connection. It challenged me to think more about anxiety and depression from a loss or grief perspective. I appreciated the expert’s opinions in this book, the research studies he referenced, and the real world examples he provided.
Read this book if:
- You are looking for other ways to alleviate your anxiety and/or depression
- A professional in the mental health field or a related field
Hari, J. (2019). Lost connections: why you’re depressed and how to find hope. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.