Imagine the sensation of happiness. Focus on the feeling of it for as long as you can. Do this often. Neuroplasticity and dendritic remodeling are your friends. The feeling of happiness is exactly what you feel when you imagine it. This rejects the pursuit of happiness and gives it to you straight away.
@@405adam John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) in real life, discovered he only developed paranoid delusions if he focused on politics, and he "cured" himself by avoiding politics. For some reason they left this out of that movie. See: *Henry Rollins in Johnny Mnemonic* to learn how overuse of technology leads to that movie's fictional affliction Neural Attenuation Syndrome or NAS. Johnny Mnemonic also features a pre-Matrix Keanu Reeves hacking his own brain in a very Matrix-like situation.
I have major depressive disorder and extreme anxiety, I got so bad that I completely stopped doing everything I liked, barely drank, didn't eat, got dangerously underweight shaked nearly uncontrollably and wouldn't speak and I just waited to die, got involuntarily committed and got put on medication and I can't believe this is how people are normally supposed to feel. It was always like I was lost in the dark. It's important to get help, I almost didn't make it.
So glad to hear you're recovering. I've got a family member suffering and she is getting treatment. Sadly, some family members are saying that she's faking it, even though she's had a diagnosis and is getting medication. People desperately need to get educated on this illness.
First i want to applaud Chuck for his courage in sharing his personal situation. Very helpful to the rest of us who are guarded against social criticism for depression and anxiety. This episode of star talk is incredibly helpful and informative. Far more practical and relevant to the masses than another show on black holes. Great job to NDT and the doctor.
It took me 30 years to finally get the real diagnosis and medication. I suffer from Bipolar 1 and the mania almost took me out over a 12 year period. Finding the right medication has changed my life for the better . I am thankful I am finally going to live the rest of my life in a more calm and collective way. The chronic mania literally made me almost give up on a half normal life. I am no longer shaking .❤
As much progress that we have made regarding mental health, it's still not talked about much. Even between friends. People still worry about being judged. I'm a school Psychologist at a high school and we need more open discussions like this one. Thank you!
I'm not worry about it. Being judged. Long ago, I've passed that point. It is just nobody understand it. Even some... psychologists, as in some cases they will be after your money. Going with the flow, quoting basic recommendations from various books. The issue is: what happens if you read a lot. A lot of university books, necessary to complete the same degree. And read a lot of philosophy, ancient myths, and everything from Jung, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and reaching for Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, or in modern age Joseph Campbell, Edward Edinger, or Eduardo Kastrup. You see how transpratent some psychologists are in the modern age. Just money (yeah, I hate it in a way, but also can see it in a lot of cases, I guess this is a modern world that we are living in...). Edit: grammar + formatting (just much easier to read).
The challenge with describing depression to someone who never experienced it themselves, is similar to the challenge of describing sounds to someone who was born deaf.
I 100% agree. Another challenge is people who were never depressed. Since never depressed, they don’t believe in depression and say it’s just in their heads
Not really, never underestimate people like that. Most people are smarter than us and they know what depression is. If they believe lung cancer is a disease it's not so hard to believe depression also is. They deny it or ignore completely like an elephant in the room. There is a clear agenda behind this which I am not going to explain but look after yourself nobody cares but you.
Great episode. I'd love to see more like this. 😊 One note: Heather was introduced as a clinical psychologist, not a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, and can prescribe medications or arrange for ECT. Clinical psychologists have a PhD or PsyD. They can't prescribe meds or other physical symptoms, but, as clinicians, they can do "talk therapy."
28:21 This short and amazing part peaks with Neal's "dandruff" reversal. For all kinds of neural diversity and mental health conditions, Heather is right that the stigma is starting to go away and Chuck is also right that it is still there and still a problem.
Way to go Chuck!!! Been listening to and following you since your days on the radio in NYC with The Radio Chick (Leslie Gold) and "attaboy"... lol. Good on you for bringing a voice to this serious and painful issue. No need to unnecessarily suffer.
I tried contacting a doctor about my depression and in so many words they asked me if I could afford care. I could but that really was a deterrent and I haven’t revisited it.
Please keep trying. As long as you continue trying and moving forward, figuring out how to get help, then figuring out the medication/s that work for you, you will get to a good place.
It's sad that this edition got much less views than when Neil talks about the stars. I'm glad these special editions exist, especially on a topic as serious as depression. Having seen first hand the devestation it can wreak upon a household, as well as my own struggles with it, this video is a great example of how we should approach educating people on this subject.
i've suffered from Depression and Dysthymia for my whole life. sadly, it took 25 years before i was finally diagnosed with the illness and began to understand that well, i don't think/act "normally" - whatever that means! love from canada, @Startalk 😊
Living in Extreme poverty, and the circumstances the occur throughout, causes one stress, releasing high levels cortisol in the blood over a long period of time. Resulting in, not only CPTSD, but often many physical ailments. Also, undiagnosed mental illnesses, which is generational in my family, causes a cycle of abuse; both of self and others. My family self-medicated by drinking, which compounded the issues and led to the early death of most of my family. Mental health awareness is so important. I appreciate this episode, thank you for taking for time on the subject! 🙏🙏
They forget to suggest the main natural remedy. Exercise 30 min a day every day, drop fast foods and sweets and eat proteins and take peptides and mushroom supplements. These suggestions on this video are insane and supporting big Pharma. It's a true shame to see honestly. Chuck is quite the drug dealer.
Thats awful. I can relate as it sounds similar to what I had. I too had a constant battle. But I am not meds-resistant, so when I got them, the battles became more like a seasonal game of chess. I wish you will find something that works for you, and friends or someone who helps you finding it.
@@21stcenturyscots It depends, how my depression manifests itself has changed as I've gotten old which I've been told is not uncommon. When I was a teen tell my early 20s I was extremely emotionally unstable and suicidal, but as I've gotten older and while death is always on my mind I for the most part don't have the urge to hurt myself anymore. Now as I'm dealing with right now when really depressed and dealing with a lot of anxiety my agoraphobia gets really bad and it's hard for me to go out if I don't absolutely have to. As for how I deal with it. Both my depression and anxiety abs and flows so when I'm in an ok state of mind I can live a fairly normal life. (normal for me isn't what others would consider normal) When things are like they are now it's not a lot that I can do. I take meds but the only one that really helps is Lorazepam for my anxiety and panic attacks. I'm on disability now partly because of my mental health problems and the fact that there's not really anything that works. My doctor has brought up ECT but where I live not a lot of doctors do it. I tried the magnetic one but it didn't really help and it made my head feel weird and I ended up having to stop treatment early because I had to have emergency surgery. As it is now I'm really left only to see if marijuana will help and trying mushroom. My state is one of the ones doing the pilot program for people like me who don't get any relief from meds.
I have major depressive disorder, disthymia, general anxiety disorder, adhd, ptsd, and intermittent explosive disorder (I've made a lot of progress with IED). For me, a big problem is that they all kind of "feed" off of each other. This creates a negative feedback loop, intensifying the effects of each. Nobody seems to understand how much of an impact this has on my daily life, and ability to function properly. I have panic attacks even thinking about leaving my house to do things that I need to do (edit: catastrophizing is a term my therapist uses a lot). It gets so bad that trying to stop the negative thought process actually hurts. Then, I'm left feeling worthless; nothing more than a burden to my loved ones. The cycle continues. This talk really spoke to me, deeply. What a wonderful guest, and Chuck's personal experience was the cherry on top. People need to know, and better understand these things. Thank you.
I have a similar collection of comorbid conditions that create a similar feedback loop of feeding into and fighting against each other. It's... not fun, at times. And I agree with you completely about Heather and Chuck being able to open up about his personal experiences.
Dr. Robert Sapolsky's Stanford Lectures (as well as many YT videos with him) are most excellent! I took his course eons ago as I've suffered as a depressive since the '60s and amazingly in 2012 when my physical disabilities required a Neurologist's in-depth study incl. full body ENG and ensuing Neurosurgery and full C-Spine reconstruct I found that both of those excellent professionals had studied (much more extensively for sure) under Dr. Sapolsky in the late 90s. I believe his entire series of those lectures have been re-upped to YT, including one from 1990 on the Stanford Site here or just search his name and 'lectures'! TYVM for this one, guys!
we need a part 2!!!! maybe to more into natural ways to help treat depression and anxiety, diet? exercise? or something else? some people struggle to put food on the table and can't afford to go seek expensive medical treatment
Imagine the sensation of happiness. Focus on the feeling of it for as long as you can. Do this often. Neuroplasticity and dendritic remodeling are your friends. The feeling of happiness is exactly what you feel when you imagine it. This rejects the pursuit of happiness and gives it to you straight away.
I've been struggling with depression for several months now, and I've been thinking about neuroplasticity a lot as a way out of it. I'm not there yet, but I will follow your advice. Thanks man. Hope it will help.
That was the issue I had with antidepressants. My life still sucked as much, if not worse than before, but I didn't care about it, I smiled at anything. It made me feel disconnected from reality. Only when I stopped looking for a "easy" chemical solution and made some real and difficult change in my life (not live the expected lifestyle) is when I genuinely became happy.
@@silviavalentine3812 No, you try to feel happy BEFORE going to your doctor and asking for pills. First try it, if it doesn't work you MAY need medication.
@@MrCali1968nico dude hold up now . This stuff is crazy. They forget to suggest the main natural remedy. Exercise 30 min a day every day, drop fast foods and sweets and eat proteins and take peptides and mushroom supplements. These suggestions on this video are insane and supporting big Pharma. It's a true shame to see honestly. Chuck is quite the drug pusher
I had Major Depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD for many years and currently have ADHD. I used medications to manipulate my serotonin(SSRI), dopamine, and noradrenaline(bupropion) to try and fix it. After years of no relief the medication worked pretty quickly to fix it
As someone with a TBI these kind of episodes with Heather make understanding neuroscience interesting to how the brain works as well as provide so much educational insight in the neuroscience field. I spent so much time almost 11 years ago researching the brain pertaining to what I went through with my TBI that it is fascinating to find out more about the depressive state of the brain that many people i have met over the years with TBI's go through that I didn't go through, on the effects of not only that condition but other conditions as well. Thank you guys for this video.
Thank you so much for covering this topic. I experience depression all year round + the seasonal kind from Nov - Apr. Your guest is very knowledgeable and helpful! Please make this into a continuing series as new treatments are developed. Thanks.
I though depression will not happen to me until it hit me. It was like a busload of a feeling of extreme loss of hope and an overwhelming feeling of loss of control over my life. The only thought in my head is to end my life to make it stop. It was during a time when my 2-yr relationship was coming to an obvious end. I have two kids. It felt like I had to physically pull myself out of that state and will myself to live and find meaning in life again. I will never let another person do that to me again. I will never let another person manipulate me again.
So glad to see Niel Degrass Tyson pull this one out. Since depression is way too complicated than our current understanding what we really need now is understanding and empathy not a cure. At least it will make the life of those who are affected easier.
I've often thought of depression like diabetes. If you have diabetes, you take medication (or eat a special diet) in order to regulate the amount of insulin in your system. People without diabetes naturally regulate their insulin levels. Depression treatment will take a major leap forward when we are able to regulate the amount of seratonin/dopamine in our systems like diabetics regulate their insulin.
I have bipolar disorder and anxiety. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30 years old. Took another 15 years before I found the right medications to treat my symptoms. Thank you for this episode. My take on sadness and depression is this: sadness is a hand grenade, and depression is a nuclear bomb. There's no comparison.
I lived with Depression and Passive Suicidal Ideation for over a decade. I was diagnosed with MDD and GAD by three separate psychologists in 2019, 2021 and 2022 respectively. I have been undergoing treatment (medical and therapy) since 2019. I would like to know what is wrong with me, but I don't expect I ever will. "The opposite of Depression is not Happiness. It is Vitality!" - Andrew Solomon
I feel and know your pain! Please don’t give up! I HIGHLY recommend TMS, which you will sometimes hear it referred to as RTMS. The R simply stands for “repetitive” as you need 30 to 35 treatments. Luckily in Canada, it is now available in some hospitals. I’m in a major city and it’s only @2 of our hospitals-a good start, though. First time I was an inpatient, due to traumatic circumstances, 1.5yrs later, I’m going back for a second round of treatments. Luckily I can get two treatments a day (with 1hr break in between) which will reduce the hospital visits from 6wks to 3. Sending you hugs, love & prayers🙏🏻❤️🇨🇦
As a 50-year run of Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder, caused by traumatic brain injuries, a genetic predisposition and a multitude of concussions, I appreciate a scientific discussion of common perceptions of depression. from my personal experience, the biggest difficulties stem from health care providers who are undereducated on the topic, insurance companies unwilling to cover treatment, procedures and new medication. It's bad enough I've made my own TMS, ECT, EMS and rTMS devices. The path forward will come from the work of Dr. Michael Levin, and his team, from Tufts University. Enviromental, nutritional and escapism chemicals make a difference, unfortunately not for many. I have had minimal success with medical treatment, my coping skills are what remains.
Yes, it is real for me. Im from the UK and winter is total misery here. Its cold damp and wet all the time, you almost never see the sun properly and it hardly ever fully dries up. It is raining even as i write this.
Dr. deGrasse Tyson is adept at asking both the deeply scientifically inquisitive questions AND the typical layman questions that are relatable to the spectrum of folk who are watching this. And Chuck Nice-- appreciate your personal sharing, too. Helps to reduce stigma from a gender, cultural, societal, all perspectives. Thank you, StarTalk.
To take drugs? This Is unbelievable, please don't listen to these big pharma drug dealers, try to exercise every day at least for 20 minutes and eat no fast food and lose the sweets. Do that first! This is outrageous
Im pretty sure I have it. I used to be able to avoid it by staying really active in the winter and just staying outside as much as possible. Snowboarding was my happy place. It’s not realistic for me to keep that schedule/lifestyle so winters have been tough. It helps keeping track of solstices and equinoxes so I’m at least aware of it. Usually starts a couple weeks before the winter solstice but sometimes as early as october. I take vitamin D and it helps a little. I could definitely improve my diet but being a light sleeper has always been a problem. Thanks for making the video guys!
So many people live with depression for so many different reasons. That as much, we can all understand. This episode is so important for people like myself who struggle with the ‘want’ to do so much with my time but can’t separate myself from what is comfortable to me. I’m so tired of being “comfortable” in my current state of mind. Crazy as that sounds. I love you guys for your brave comments. Attack this thing so we can all live happy-er lives.
I moved from a country around the equator, where we experienced equal day and night, to the UK, and during the winter, I noticed a significant unexplained sadness. I also lost motivation to engage in activities I loved. Suspecting a connection to the shorter days, I decided to change the color of my light bulb from the pale yellow it was to a whiter shade, hoping it would help-and it did, significantly improving my mood. However, the depression persisted. After some research, I came across Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and everything started to make sense. With the gradual increase in daylight in the UK, I'm experiencing a general improvement in my mood.
Not even close to a real life experience of living in UK, and going through the various prescriptions, GP, medical issues? UK: if you need proper help, one on one sessions, long term approach? Guess what? You need... money. Just like US. And yeah... I've been through the official UK system, working at NHS too. Bottom line, if you need to get yourselt better? Yeah.. you need money. Not your "friends and famly" approach. None of them can understand it anyway. Current prices? Depends. 50 British pounds, for a 50 minutes session with a psychologist. Psychiatrist? Different game. A lot more. And in some cases it will be one session per week, for a 2-4 years. Or 2 sessions. Or more. Just count the money now. Pills, just a simple and in a way easy way out. At some point they will be needed. And there is no question abou tit. But also, at some point they will be not (if you trully want to improve yourself, and look deeply at yourself - and accept what you see; start reading a lot, regarding those issues, psychology and so on). Edit: grammar/spelling/formatting.
In my experience, major depressive disorder was my brain not allowing me to be okay. I underwent a newer treatment and changed everything. I can see where I was and could see no matter what coping skills I used, how much therapy it actually didn’t matter. Not to say they aren’t effective tools. They are and I use them. The problem is I always knew them but my mind wouldn’t allow me to execute. It took so much energy just to get to what felt like ”normal”. There’s hope.
Psychiatry and psychology each offer distinct approaches to mental health, with inherent trade-offs. Psychiatry's medication-based treatment can quickly stabilize mental state but may rely on external substances. Psychology's behavioral and cognitive methods build internal coping mechanisms but require time and effort. Gaining insights from both fields can provide a comprehensive perspective. The most effective strategy is one that is adaptable, integrating various methods to suit different environments and individual needs. Personally I have found psychology to be a more resilient approach as the methods learned can be used in other challenging areas of your life, and furthermore you can share the knowledge with others along the way which helps them grow strength as well.
I was so scared to get on medication and my GP finally said “if you had diabetes and needed insulin, would you get it? If you had strep throat and needed amoxicillin, would you get it?” I said of course and he said “your brain is no different, so get over it. Get over the stigma and start living happy” and it was the best decision I ever made.
Chuck is so relatable when giving his story and what it was like getting to the point if having something that helps, only to still be stigmatized for ‘needing’ pills smdh
THANK YOU! I’m so glad I just discovered your UA-cam channel! TMS is EXCELLENT, worked beautifully for me Jan/23, however, due to continued trauma, I need to have another round of sessions. Thankfully, it’s covered by our healthcare, but the waitlist is 6 months. Regardless I’m extremely grateful, made it through the wait time and ready for treatment🙏🏻❤️🇨🇦
I'm a therapist and Tyson's comment about there being a day when people just take a pill for all of their mental health is wrong and misguided. We treat the brain and the mind and the mind is endowed with free will and consciousness. Therefore it's treatment will never be as reductive as a spleen or stomach or heart, and will often require therapy (there are people that JUSt have a chemistry imbalance but that's probably around 1-2 percent of my entire caseload). "People are less like problems waiting to be solved and more like poems waiting to be written"
Dr. Heather is amazing 👌🏼👍🏼 I drink daily but tomorrow is Ramadan we stop for 30 days it's like Lent for catholics but without it I can't live my life I just lock my room and watch videos I have two therapist but taking to them twice a week feels like wasting my time. What can I do?
Thank you so much for having this discussion! I hope someone in politics watches this video so that they can understand how bad things can be for drug addicts and alcoholics. I hope we all start to have compassion for people and remember that common sense is only common to those who know the information!
I have been faking it for soooo long! Chuck, it is awesome to hear that we are not alone in this and that someone as great as you also struggle with this black dog on your back.
The dilemma I have is that I want more than anything to have a career as a pilot. I’ve already invested a so much into it that I can’t afford not to. The problem is that my depression has gone on for years now in crashing waves and I want to seek treatment for it, but to do so would immediately eliminate any chance of it of me ever flying again. So my options are live in crippling debt and give up the one thing that I at least have some degree of motivation to do, or just accept this is what I have to feel like if I want to keep flying. I get why there are concerns depressed pilots could fly a ship to its demise, but the reality is that most depressed people, myself included, would never even consider harming others even at our absolute lowest. Automatically disqualification just leads to people lying on medicals, needlessly suffering, and/or attempting to self medicate. It’s a broken system.
With depression, I feel like a broken car and everybody tells me to get to the shop to get repaired but I am broken and I can’t get started to go. Once I’m running I’m running and I feel fine.
Welcome to my world... it is just I'm running at the end. What happens next? Pills? That is US/UK approach. And I wish I was wrong in this case (just masking the results of much more deeper issues).
For anyone out there, working out is key, getting off social is key, no coffee or alcohol, stay away from toxic people, and I promise you that there is a cure at the end of the tunnel.
omg, every three comment I get annoyed. Yes it is true what you say about working out, abstinence, toxic people, but you forget, that if it does not work for month or years, ask a doctor. Also, kind of funny, if you have that kind of depression that prevents you from doing anything, good luck working out.
This is true - it's part of the solution. Medication is equally important, and for me, one of the most important things is sleep. I give myself 9 hours so I have an extra hour to fall asleep etc. Going to bed at the exact same time every night, fasting after 3:30 (this was one of the biggest helps actually) are all ways I ensure good sleep.
This episode had the perfect timing, I've been going through a break-up for a couple of weeks now and more probably than not I have the so-called SAD and I took the day to binge some of the latest StarTalk episodes I was late on. I refreshed the page and I have this one. Always a pleasure to learn here, especially when we can relate to it. Thanks for the insightful talk.
SAD can also be experienced in relation to summer time. I used to become depresses and tearful when the first brilliantly sunny weekend of late winter occurred, anticipating the long hot extremes of summer looming. I raised this with my family physician who had not met this nuance of SAD before. He found that my symptoms were thyroid based and follow up medicating did the trick for me.
Hi - this was fascinating. Thank you a whole lot, say i naïvely :) but really, she is amazing. Everything was so clear. Going to try and find her Nova series. I’m on meds for depression and anxiety. The depression has been treated and I’m better. But I’m also on meds for generalized anxiety and I still have anxiety attacks and agoraphobia, which is very debilitating. So, yeah, it is very individualized. (I’m 78 and all this started when I was 18. Not treated for depression with meds til my mid 50’s.) I understand epinephrine, but serotonin and dopamine, I can never really understand the difference. I have to look them up again! More of this, please :) 🌷🌱
Throughout my life I had a lot periods with depression. my advice to everybody is: go through it. Walk through this dark forest and eventually you come out at the other side. Sometimes it‘s all just part of a long term healing process. Be patient. Be strong. Believe in your natural ability to heal.
sure, or just get help if the forest is long. if you are not a lone wolf its more fun to walk with people. Or would that mean: to not "go through it"? what does it even mean "go through it"? Does time stop if I do not go? Do you talk like this to people in a wheelchair? cancer? Sure, there are actally people who did heal, without meds or surgery. But most do profit from getting help.
@@SB-hy9iqfine. it is not your fault that I am allready unhappy with those words, because I heared them so many years, essentially blaiming me for wrongthink. Now you got my anger. If you want to encourage someone there should not be any doubt, but still: I wish you ad that it would be good to ask for help if attempts fail for some time. thats my critic.
In the future the court of law will hold these physicians and psychologists accountable given the fact they received this superior education and the knowledge to know better.
Thank you for doing this video. This is the first time I've ever heard "dysthymia" outside of my own medical diagnosis and the subreddit I follow. It's not one that is discussed much and I sort of prefer it that way - because it's not an easy thing to understand. And, as mentioned in the video, the stigma is real yo. I've had noticeable depression since 2nd grade and I'll be 41 in May. They call it "Early-onset dysthymia" which means it started when I was young and it has lasted longer than 2 years. In my case, its lasted for 34 years. A point I think that should be made - no two cases of depression are identical. The human brain functions approximately the same physiologically and biochemically person to person. However, each person is unique, each mind is unique, therefore each person's "malady"/condition is unique. Mental illness/health is not a sport or a contest. Each of us suffers uniquely. No one's disorder is worse or better than any other. The important part is that the darkness need not be so dark. The empty doesn't have to be full. Seek not a cure but better. There's a big difference between empty darkness and better. I've been in both and better is better.
yes phd Berlin is correct . It took me years to finally get off ssri It wasnt easy and almost went back on again . I now welcome a little depression . Because when I treat it with healthy food ,work,exersize and avoid toxic siduations . I then earn a healhty reward because I put in the work. low test in men I believe causes major depression and for me made me angry and withdrawn .
Great topic, It seems cathartic to express ones self via comedy or music or visual art to mitigate depression. I can easily talk to nearly anyone about music, and ask what music makes you feel good. Its a mixed, subjective bag all the time, but a brilliant conversation. What is not talked about are the stats on depression in regards to countries and or large populations. What countries are tackling it?
Neil, I hate to say it. But you're missing a huge point with your "One stop shopping" remark and for once I think, you are so wrong on this one. This might work for people who suffer from a short/light depression and just need that boost. But for people, like me, who never knew something was actually wrong (because they were always like that and never knew everyone else wasn't the same as they are) until there entire life collapsed, they build a life and scarred themselves so immensely, they need to guidance to start living a life again. You can't fix that with just a pill. So you still need those sessions with people who can help you change your way of thinking, with for example CBT. Relieving your pain you've carried for years. Learning how to control your depression. Because for some, it will never completely go away. It will always be there, sometimes it's massive, sometimes it's small. To control it, you need to learn how. That will never come in the form of a pill.
A lot is missing from it. Not just that point. Correct. Agree. And not just some kind of group sessions that people talk about in some cases. One on on. Long time. And by that I mean 2-4 years in a lot of cases, weekly sessions, 1h at least, every week (or more!). It is not easy. And in a lot of countries it almost doesn't exists as a lot of psychologist will be just after your money (yeah, welcome to a modern world, applicable not only to US but also to UK for example; good luck helping yourself without money; it is a "myth" in a way - looks good on the paper, but in a reality you cannot get a proper help without money). Pills may help at the beginning, definitely I can agree with it. But sooner or later you also have to do your own research, and "work" on yourself. Look at yourself honestly, deep honest look, and face it, whatever is wrong with you, whatever wrong you did, or somebody have done to you... you have to face it. It is simple as this. And it won't be pretty. And at the end, the psychologists/psychiatrist can help you on that road. But at some point, you will have to do it "alone". Just you. And that is opening a lot of learning about yourself, reading books, learning and growing in that whole process. because at the end, it will be a process, and there is nothing fast here. Unless you reach for pills/drugs of course - but they will just mask some much more deeper issues in a way. It helps too. But at the end... but if you trully want to help yourself, you will have to lave some of that behind, and learn a lot about... yourself too (by books, therapy sessions, University degrees... to put it simply: knowledge).
I wish you guys would do one of these on anxiety I have depression but also severe anxiety and it has taken over my life and I can’t find help people have attachment a stigma to me and say I’m so messed up to help or won’t help I also have a duel diagnoses I wish I had a dr like her I need her in my life
Besides differences in light, season an weather affect people because we do different activities. We might be more indoors and more isolated in the winter. On top of that, through the Internet we trick ourselves into thinking we"re in touch with others, while it's clearly not even close to the same thing as being really together
Crazy thing is that it fallows loss. The time of season not just winter for some reason tells my brain I'm depressed because of the loss of people close to and every time the season comes I lost them the feeling comes right back
I just discovered something called SCT (Sluggish Cognitive Tempo) and it shares alot of similarities to ADHD, and may even seem like depression, and I've felt like this is what I have, and have had since I was a teenager. I seeked help from therapists and medications, but nothing ever seemed quite right to help my conition. And SCT was only recently proposed just a few years ago, and I finally feel like I've discovered something that actually matches all the symptoms I have felt for years but just couldn't quite describe it right to my therapists and psychiatrists
Do you experience seasonal depression in the winter months? 🌧
Yes : /
Imagine the sensation of happiness.
Focus on the feeling of it for as long as you can.
Do this often.
Neuroplasticity and dendritic remodeling are your friends.
The feeling of happiness is exactly what you feel when you imagine it.
This rejects the pursuit of happiness and gives it to you straight away.
i got myself a cat last week. Really enjoying Loki
I experience depression if I spend too much time using technology
@@405adam John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) in real life, discovered he only developed paranoid delusions if he focused on politics, and he "cured" himself by avoiding politics.
For some reason they left this out of that movie.
See: *Henry Rollins in Johnny Mnemonic* to learn how overuse of technology leads to that movie's fictional affliction Neural Attenuation Syndrome or NAS.
Johnny Mnemonic also features a pre-Matrix Keanu Reeves hacking his own brain in a very Matrix-like situation.
I have major depressive disorder and extreme anxiety, I got so bad that I completely stopped doing everything I liked, barely drank, didn't eat, got dangerously underweight shaked nearly uncontrollably and wouldn't speak and I just waited to die, got involuntarily committed and got put on medication and I can't believe this is how people are normally supposed to feel. It was always like I was lost in the dark. It's important to get help, I almost didn't make it.
So glad you're doing good now.
@@rangerCGechoed my thoughts
Glad you did , I don't wanna share anything but good that you got help you're one of the lucky ones , just think wat it was in the 70s n 80s n before
So glad to hear you're recovering. I've got a family member suffering and she is getting treatment. Sadly, some family members are saying that she's faking it, even though she's had a diagnosis and is getting medication. People desperately need to get educated on this illness.
So thankful you received help❤❤
Timely. After 50 + years of suffering, finally reached out for help. Thanks.
First i want to applaud Chuck for his courage in sharing his personal situation. Very helpful to the rest of us who are guarded against social criticism for depression and anxiety.
This episode of star talk is incredibly helpful and informative. Far more practical and relevant to the masses than another show on black holes. Great job to NDT and the doctor.
It is kind of a show on black holes though isn't it... 😉
It took me 30 years to finally get the real diagnosis and medication. I suffer from Bipolar 1 and the mania almost took me out over a 12 year period. Finding the right medication has changed my life for the better . I am thankful I am finally going to live the rest of my life in a more calm and collective way. The chronic mania literally made me almost give up on a half normal life. I am no longer shaking .❤
As much progress that we have made regarding mental health, it's still not talked about much. Even between friends. People still worry about being judged. I'm a school Psychologist at a high school and we need more open discussions like this one. Thank you!
I'm not worry about it. Being judged. Long ago, I've passed that point.
It is just nobody understand it. Even some... psychologists, as in some cases they will be after your money. Going with the flow, quoting basic recommendations from various books.
The issue is: what happens if you read a lot. A lot of university books, necessary to complete the same degree. And read a lot of philosophy, ancient myths, and everything from Jung, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and reaching for Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, or in modern age Joseph Campbell, Edward Edinger, or Eduardo Kastrup. You see how transpratent some psychologists are in the modern age. Just money (yeah, I hate it in a way, but also can see it in a lot of cases, I guess this is a modern world that we are living in...).
Edit: grammar + formatting (just much easier to read).
The challenge with describing depression to someone who never experienced it themselves, is similar to the challenge of describing sounds to someone who was born deaf.
I 100% agree. Another challenge is people who were never depressed. Since never depressed, they don’t believe in depression and say it’s just in their heads
Or describing "red" to someone who has always been colorblind.
Indeed!!
Not really, never underestimate people like that. Most people are smarter than us and they know what depression is. If they believe lung cancer is a disease it's not so hard to believe depression also is. They deny it or ignore completely like an elephant in the room. There is a clear agenda behind this which I am not going to explain but look after yourself nobody cares but you.
@@DCamp1711 - Depression probably is in the heads of its victims. That doesn't mean it isn't real, of course.
The best guest of them all! Please have Heather Berlin on as much as possible!
Great episode. I'd love to see more like this. 😊
One note: Heather was introduced as a clinical psychologist, not a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, and can prescribe medications or arrange for ECT. Clinical psychologists have a PhD or PsyD. They can't prescribe meds or other physical symptoms, but, as clinicians, they can do "talk therapy."
Heather is absolutely my favourite guest, always.
28:21 This short and amazing part peaks with Neal's "dandruff" reversal. For all kinds of neural diversity and mental health conditions, Heather is right that the stigma is starting to go away and Chuck is also right that it is still there and still a problem.
Way to go Chuck!!! Been listening to and following you since your days on the radio in NYC with The Radio Chick (Leslie Gold) and "attaboy"... lol. Good on you for bringing a voice to this serious and painful issue. No need to unnecessarily suffer.
Yeah, mr Nice, Nice!
I tried contacting a doctor about my depression and in so many words they asked me if I could afford care. I could but that really was a deterrent and I haven’t revisited it.
Please keep trying. As long as you continue trying and moving forward, figuring out how to get help, then figuring out the medication/s that work for you, you will get to a good place.
It's sad that this edition got much less views than when Neil talks about the stars. I'm glad these special editions exist, especially on a topic as serious as depression. Having seen first hand the devestation it can wreak upon a household, as well as my own struggles with it, this video is a great example of how we should approach educating people on this subject.
I really hope by 2050 Neil’s predictions come true and that neuroscience becomes so advanced that such disorders won’t exist anymore.
i've suffered from Depression and Dysthymia for my whole life. sadly, it took 25 years before i was finally diagnosed with the illness and began to understand that well, i don't think/act "normally" - whatever that means! love from canada, @Startalk 😊
The level of information and education that you get here is remarkable and so precious! This channel should have hundreds of millions of subscribers!
Living in Extreme poverty, and the circumstances the occur throughout, causes one stress, releasing high levels cortisol in the blood over a long period of time.
Resulting in, not only CPTSD, but often many physical ailments.
Also, undiagnosed mental illnesses, which is generational in my family, causes a cycle of abuse; both of self and others.
My family self-medicated by drinking, which compounded the issues and led to the early death of most of my family.
Mental health awareness is so important.
I appreciate this episode, thank you for taking for time on the subject! 🙏🙏
I'm 44 and have suffered from major depression, anxiety, and PTSD since I was 13, and am also medicine-resistant so it's been a constant battle.
They forget to suggest the main natural remedy. Exercise 30 min a day every day, drop fast foods and sweets and eat proteins and take peptides and mushroom supplements. These suggestions on this video are insane and supporting big Pharma. It's a true shame to see honestly. Chuck is quite the drug dealer.
Thats awful. I can relate as it sounds similar to what I had. I too had a constant battle. But I am not meds-resistant, so when I got them, the battles became more like a seasonal game of chess. I wish you will find something that works for you, and friends or someone who helps you finding it.
How are you batteling?
@@TheWenexx Thank you.
@@21stcenturyscots It depends, how my depression manifests itself has changed as I've gotten old which I've been told is not uncommon. When I was a teen tell my early 20s I was extremely emotionally unstable and suicidal, but as I've gotten older and while death is always on my mind I for the most part don't have the urge to hurt myself anymore. Now as I'm dealing with right now when really depressed and dealing with a lot of anxiety my agoraphobia gets really bad and it's hard for me to go out if I don't absolutely have to.
As for how I deal with it. Both my depression and anxiety abs and flows so when I'm in an ok state of mind I can live a fairly normal life. (normal for me isn't what others would consider normal) When things are like they are now it's not a lot that I can do. I take meds but the only one that really helps is Lorazepam for my anxiety and panic attacks. I'm on disability now partly because of my mental health problems and the fact that there's not really anything that works. My doctor has brought up ECT but where I live not a lot of doctors do it. I tried the magnetic one but it didn't really help and it made my head feel weird and I ended up having to stop treatment early because I had to have emergency surgery.
As it is now I'm really left only to see if marijuana will help and trying mushroom. My state is one of the ones doing the pilot program for people like me who don't get any relief from meds.
I broke up with the neurotypical world and it did wonders for my mental health.
Same
I have major depressive disorder, disthymia, general anxiety disorder, adhd, ptsd, and intermittent explosive disorder (I've made a lot of progress with IED). For me, a big problem is that they all kind of "feed" off of each other. This creates a negative feedback loop, intensifying the effects of each. Nobody seems to understand how much of an impact this has on my daily life, and ability to function properly. I have panic attacks even thinking about leaving my house to do things that I need to do (edit: catastrophizing is a term my therapist uses a lot). It gets so bad that trying to stop the negative thought process actually hurts. Then, I'm left feeling worthless; nothing more than a burden to my loved ones. The cycle continues.
This talk really spoke to me, deeply. What a wonderful guest, and Chuck's personal experience was the cherry on top. People need to know, and better understand these things. Thank you.
i get it, chris - you're not alone, brother
I have a similar collection of comorbid conditions that create a similar feedback loop of feeding into and fighting against each other. It's... not fun, at times.
And I agree with you completely about Heather and Chuck being able to open up about his personal experiences.
Dr. Robert Sapolsky's Stanford Lectures (as well as many YT videos with him) are most excellent! I took his course eons ago as I've suffered as a depressive since the '60s and amazingly in 2012 when my physical disabilities required a Neurologist's in-depth study incl. full body ENG and ensuing Neurosurgery and full C-Spine reconstruct I found that both of those excellent professionals had studied (much more extensively for sure) under Dr. Sapolsky in the late 90s. I believe his entire series of those lectures have been re-upped to YT, including one from 1990 on the Stanford Site here or just search his name and 'lectures'! TYVM for this one, guys!
Search: Stanford lectures
Chuck Nice showing us we need to talk about mental/medical problems so we can deal with it and for it to be more acceptable. Thank You.
we need a part 2!!!! maybe to more into natural ways to help treat depression and anxiety, diet? exercise? or something else? some people struggle to put food on the table and can't afford to go seek expensive medical treatment
Imagine the sensation of happiness.
Focus on the feeling of it for as long as you can.
Do this often.
Neuroplasticity and dendritic remodeling are your friends.
The feeling of happiness is exactly what you feel when you imagine it.
This rejects the pursuit of happiness and gives it to you straight away.
I've been struggling with depression for several months now, and I've been thinking about neuroplasticity a lot as a way out of it. I'm not there yet, but I will follow your advice. Thanks man. Hope it will help.
You use these WITH antidepressants as tools
That was the issue I had with antidepressants. My life still sucked as much, if not worse than before, but I didn't care about it, I smiled at anything. It made me feel disconnected from reality. Only when I stopped looking for a "easy" chemical solution and made some real and difficult change in my life (not live the expected lifestyle) is when I genuinely became happy.
@@silviavalentine3812 No, you try to feel happy BEFORE going to your doctor and asking for pills.
First try it, if it doesn't work you MAY need medication.
@@MrCali1968nico dude hold up now . This stuff is crazy. They forget to suggest the main natural remedy. Exercise 30 min a day every day, drop fast foods and sweets and eat proteins and take peptides and mushroom supplements. These suggestions on this video are insane and supporting big Pharma. It's a true shame to see honestly. Chuck is quite the drug pusher
I had Major Depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD for many years and currently have ADHD.
I used medications to manipulate my serotonin(SSRI), dopamine, and noradrenaline(bupropion) to try and fix it. After years of no relief the medication worked pretty quickly to fix it
I use the full spectrum “daylight” treatment. It has helped me along with meds and lifestyle interventions the last 5 years.
Heather is back!!! Janna next please!!! Love the Startalk OG's!
Jan Eleven is my favorite science superhero!
Crap, 15 people beat me to the comments. O'well. I'm here for Chuck's emotional support.
SSRIs have changed my life. Im on lexapro. It felt like living in a fog before. Now I can see
As someone with a TBI these kind of episodes with Heather make understanding neuroscience interesting to how the brain works as well as provide so much educational insight in the neuroscience field. I spent so much time almost 11 years ago researching the brain pertaining to what I went through with my TBI that it is fascinating to find out more about the depressive state of the brain that many people i have met over the years with TBI's go through that I didn't go through, on the effects of not only that condition but other conditions as well. Thank you guys for this video.
Thank you for sharing chuck !!!❤
Thank you so much for covering this topic. I experience depression all year round + the seasonal kind from Nov - Apr. Your guest is very knowledgeable and helpful! Please make this into a continuing series as new treatments are developed. Thanks.
I though depression will not happen to me until it hit me. It was like a busload of a feeling of extreme loss of hope and an overwhelming feeling of loss of control over my life. The only thought in my head is to end my life to make it stop. It was during a time when my 2-yr relationship was coming to an obvious end. I have two kids. It felt like I had to physically pull myself out of that state and will myself to live and find meaning in life again. I will never let another person do that to me again. I will never let another person manipulate me again.
So glad to see Niel Degrass Tyson pull this one out. Since depression is way too complicated than our current understanding what we really need now is understanding and empathy not a cure. At least it will make the life of those who are affected easier.
Heather Berlin is so great . ❤ from 🇨🇦
It boggles my mind to know that there are people in this world who don't know what it's like to have chronic depression.
I'm more annoyed than anything. I have to pay money for what they get for free. 🙃
Dr. Heather Berlin, the People's Champ
I've often thought of depression like diabetes. If you have diabetes, you take medication (or eat a special diet) in order to regulate the amount of insulin in your system. People without diabetes naturally regulate their insulin levels. Depression treatment will take a major leap forward when we are able to regulate the amount of seratonin/dopamine in our systems like diabetics regulate their insulin.
I have bipolar disorder and anxiety. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30 years old. Took another 15 years before I found the right medications to treat my symptoms. Thank you for this episode. My take on sadness and depression is this: sadness is a hand grenade, and depression is a nuclear bomb. There's no comparison.
Chuck ..the honesty .. incredible
honestly missed you chuck you should be on every episode
Thank you for this MUCH NEEDED episode!!!!!!
I lived with Depression and Passive Suicidal Ideation for over a decade. I was diagnosed with MDD and GAD by three separate psychologists in 2019, 2021 and 2022 respectively. I have been undergoing treatment (medical and therapy) since 2019. I would like to know what is wrong with me, but I don't expect I ever will.
"The opposite of Depression is not Happiness. It is Vitality!" - Andrew Solomon
I feel and know your pain! Please don’t give up! I HIGHLY recommend TMS, which you will sometimes hear it referred to as RTMS. The R simply stands for “repetitive” as you need 30 to 35 treatments. Luckily in Canada, it is now available in some hospitals. I’m in a major city and it’s only @2 of our hospitals-a good start, though. First time I was an inpatient, due to traumatic circumstances, 1.5yrs later, I’m going back for a second round of treatments. Luckily I can get two treatments a day (with 1hr break in between) which will reduce the hospital visits from 6wks to 3.
Sending you hugs, love & prayers🙏🏻❤️🇨🇦
As a 50-year run of Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder, caused by traumatic brain injuries, a genetic predisposition and a multitude of concussions, I appreciate a scientific discussion of common perceptions of depression. from my personal experience, the biggest difficulties stem from health care providers who are undereducated on the topic, insurance companies unwilling to cover treatment, procedures and new medication. It's bad enough I've made my own TMS, ECT, EMS and rTMS devices. The path forward will come from the work of Dr. Michael Levin, and his team, from Tufts University.
Enviromental, nutritional and escapism chemicals make a difference, unfortunately not for many. I have had minimal success with medical treatment, my coping skills are what remains.
Thank you, Lord Nice, for bravely sharing. ❤
Good on Chuck for opening up about his personal experience with depression it’s no joke. You are not alone.
This is such a great conversation on an extremely important topic. Thanks all and please have Dr. Berlin on again.
Yes, it is real for me. Im from the UK and winter is total misery here. Its cold damp and wet all the time, you almost never see the sun properly and it hardly ever fully dries up. It is raining even as i write this.
Dr. deGrasse Tyson is adept at asking both the deeply scientifically inquisitive questions AND the typical layman questions that are relatable to the spectrum of folk who are watching this. And Chuck Nice-- appreciate your personal sharing, too. Helps to reduce stigma from a gender, cultural, societal, all perspectives. Thank you, StarTalk.
Oh man this is perfect exactly what I needed to hear today
To take drugs? This Is unbelievable, please don't listen to these big pharma drug dealers, try to exercise every day at least for 20 minutes and eat no fast food and lose the sweets. Do that first! This is outrageous
Im pretty sure I have it. I used to be able to avoid it by staying really active in the winter and just staying outside as much as possible. Snowboarding was my happy place. It’s not realistic for me to keep that schedule/lifestyle so winters have been tough. It helps keeping track of solstices and equinoxes so I’m at least aware of it.
Usually starts a couple weeks before the winter solstice but sometimes as early as october. I take vitamin D and it helps a little. I could definitely improve my diet but being a light sleeper has always been a problem.
Thanks for making the video guys!
So many people live with depression for so many different reasons. That as much, we can all understand. This episode is so important for people like myself who struggle with the ‘want’ to do so much with my time but can’t separate myself from what is comfortable to me. I’m so tired of being “comfortable” in my current state of mind. Crazy as that sounds. I love you guys for your brave comments. Attack this thing so we can all live happy-er lives.
I moved from a country around the equator, where we experienced equal day and night, to the UK, and during the winter, I noticed a significant unexplained sadness. I also lost motivation to engage in activities I loved. Suspecting a connection to the shorter days, I decided to change the color of my light bulb from the pale yellow it was to a whiter shade, hoping it would help-and it did, significantly improving my mood. However, the depression persisted. After some research, I came across Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and everything started to make sense. With the gradual increase in daylight in the UK, I'm experiencing a general improvement in my mood.
Not even close to a real life experience of living in UK, and going through the various prescriptions, GP, medical issues?
UK: if you need proper help, one on one sessions, long term approach? Guess what? You need... money.
Just like US. And yeah... I've been through the official UK system, working at NHS too. Bottom line, if you need to get yourselt better? Yeah.. you need money. Not your "friends and famly" approach. None of them can understand it anyway.
Current prices? Depends. 50 British pounds, for a 50 minutes session with a psychologist. Psychiatrist? Different game. A lot more. And in some cases it will be one session per week, for a 2-4 years. Or 2 sessions. Or more. Just count the money now.
Pills, just a simple and in a way easy way out. At some point they will be needed. And there is no question abou tit. But also, at some point they will be not (if you trully want to improve yourself, and look deeply at yourself - and accept what you see; start reading a lot, regarding those issues, psychology and so on).
Edit: grammar/spelling/formatting.
In my experience, major depressive disorder was my brain not allowing me to be okay. I underwent a newer treatment and changed everything. I can see where I was and could see no matter what coping skills I used, how much therapy it actually didn’t matter. Not to say they aren’t effective tools. They are and I use them. The problem is I always knew them but my mind wouldn’t allow me to execute. It took so much energy just to get to what felt like ”normal”. There’s hope.
Psychiatry and psychology each offer distinct approaches to mental health, with inherent trade-offs.
Psychiatry's medication-based treatment can quickly stabilize mental state but may rely on external substances.
Psychology's behavioral and cognitive methods build internal coping mechanisms but require time and effort.
Gaining insights from both fields can provide a comprehensive perspective.
The most effective strategy is one that is adaptable, integrating various methods to suit different environments and individual needs.
Personally I have found psychology to be a more resilient approach as the methods learned can be used in other challenging areas of your life, and furthermore you can share the knowledge with others along the way which helps them grow strength as well.
So brave of Chuck to share that with us 🙏 big ups dude
I like listening to people of knowledge with a real passion for their knowledge.
I was so scared to get on medication and my GP finally said “if you had diabetes and needed insulin, would you get it? If you had strep throat and needed amoxicillin, would you get it?” I said of course and he said “your brain is no different, so get over it. Get over the stigma and start living happy” and it was the best decision I ever made.
Chuck is so relatable when giving his story and what it was like getting to the point if having something that helps, only to still be stigmatized for ‘needing’ pills smdh
I greatly appreciate you covering this topic.
THANK YOU! I’m so glad I just discovered your UA-cam channel! TMS is EXCELLENT, worked beautifully for me
Jan/23, however, due to continued trauma, I need to have another round of sessions. Thankfully, it’s covered by our healthcare, but the waitlist is 6 months. Regardless I’m extremely grateful, made it through the wait time and ready for treatment🙏🏻❤️🇨🇦
Love you chuck. I relate to what you're saying. Thank you!
I love you all but I really keep coming back for Chuck😂😂❤
I'm a therapist and Tyson's comment about there being a day when people just take a pill for all of their mental health is wrong and misguided. We treat the brain and the mind and the mind is endowed with free will and consciousness. Therefore it's treatment will never be as reductive as a spleen or stomach or heart, and will often require therapy (there are people that JUSt have a chemistry imbalance but that's probably around 1-2 percent of my entire caseload). "People are less like problems waiting to be solved and more like poems waiting to be written"
Free will doesn’t exist
Phenomenal mind-extension in Heather Berlin hands gesticulations, love it, smooth and natural
this episode got me in my feelings. thank you guys ❤
Dr. Heather is amazing 👌🏼👍🏼 I drink daily but tomorrow is Ramadan we stop for 30 days it's like Lent for catholics but without it I can't live my life I just lock my room and watch videos I have two therapist but taking to them twice a week feels like wasting my time. What can I do?
I'm a simple man. I see Heather, I click. Instant dopamine boost!
😂😂🤣 oookay
Thank you so much for having this discussion! I hope someone in politics watches this video so that they can understand how bad things can be for drug addicts and alcoholics. I hope we all start to have compassion for people and remember that common sense is only common to those who know the information!
First time seeing the numbers refresh by themselves. Love this duo
I have been faking it for soooo long! Chuck, it is awesome to hear that we are not alone in this and that someone as great as you also struggle with this black dog on your back.
This was great - really enjoyed this chat- I’ve published a lot on TMS tDCS dbs etc and I very much enjoy heathers approach to this call
The dilemma I have is that I want more than anything to have a career as a pilot. I’ve already invested a so much into it that I can’t afford not to. The problem is that my depression has gone on for years now in crashing waves and I want to seek treatment for it, but to do so would immediately eliminate any chance of it of me ever flying again. So my options are live in crippling debt and give up the one thing that I at least have some degree of motivation to do, or just accept this is what I have to feel like if I want to keep flying.
I get why there are concerns depressed pilots could fly a ship to its demise, but the reality is that most depressed people, myself included, would never even consider harming others even at our absolute lowest. Automatically disqualification just leads to people lying on medicals, needlessly suffering, and/or attempting to self medicate. It’s a broken system.
Maybe the best episode ever…. Thank you!
Thank you very much for tackling this topic ❤
With depression, I feel like a broken car and everybody tells me to get to the shop to get repaired but I am broken and I can’t get started to go. Once I’m running I’m running and I feel fine.
Welcome to my world... it is just I'm running at the end. What happens next? Pills? That is US/UK approach. And I wish I was wrong in this case (just masking the results of much more deeper issues).
For anyone out there, working out is key, getting off social is key, no coffee or alcohol, stay away from toxic people, and I promise you that there is a cure at the end of the tunnel.
omg, every three comment I get annoyed. Yes it is true what you say about working out, abstinence, toxic people, but you forget, that if it does not work for month or years, ask a doctor. Also, kind of funny, if you have that kind of depression that prevents you from doing anything, good luck working out.
This is true - it's part of the solution. Medication is equally important, and for me, one of the most important things is sleep. I give myself 9 hours so I have an extra hour to fall asleep etc. Going to bed at the exact same time every night, fasting after 3:30 (this was one of the biggest helps actually) are all ways I ensure good sleep.
Yeah, that didn't work for me. But a combo of medications changed my life.
This episode had the perfect timing, I've been going through a break-up for a couple of weeks now and more probably than not I have the so-called SAD and I took the day to binge some of the latest StarTalk episodes I was late on. I refreshed the page and I have this one. Always a pleasure to learn here, especially when we can relate to it. Thanks for the insightful talk.
SAD can also be experienced in relation to summer time. I used to become depresses and tearful when the first brilliantly sunny weekend of late winter occurred, anticipating the long hot extremes of summer looming. I raised this with my family physician who had not met this nuance of SAD before. He found that my symptoms were thyroid based and follow up medicating did the trick for me.
Thanks Chuck!! So glad you shared your story today. I think many fans or StarTalk feel more included in the conversation today!
Wonderful. Thank you for covering this.
Hi - this was fascinating. Thank you a whole lot, say i naïvely :) but really, she is amazing. Everything was so clear. Going to try and find her Nova series.
I’m on meds for depression and anxiety. The depression has been treated and I’m better. But I’m also on meds for generalized anxiety and I still have anxiety attacks and agoraphobia, which is very debilitating. So, yeah, it is very individualized. (I’m 78 and all this started when I was 18. Not treated for depression with meds til my mid 50’s.)
I understand epinephrine, but serotonin and dopamine, I can never really understand the difference. I have to look them up again!
More of this, please :) 🌷🌱
Throughout my life I had a lot periods with depression. my advice to everybody is: go through it. Walk through this dark forest and eventually you come out at the other side. Sometimes it‘s all just part of a long term healing process. Be patient. Be strong. Believe in your natural ability to heal.
sure, or just get help if the forest is long. if you are not a lone wolf its more fun to walk with people. Or would that mean: to not "go through it"? what does it even mean "go through it"? Does time stop if I do not go? Do you talk like this to people in a wheelchair? cancer? Sure, there are actally people who did heal, without meds or surgery. But most do profit from getting help.
Those were words of encouragement. No need to be so critical.
@@SB-hy9iqfine. it is not your fault that I am allready unhappy with those words, because I heared them so many years, essentially blaiming me for wrongthink. Now you got my anger. If you want to encourage someone there should not be any doubt, but still: I wish you ad that it would be good to ask for help if attempts fail for some time. thats my critic.
also, this was me apologyzing, so consider yourself apologized to. And: good day sir.
In the future the court of law will hold these physicians and psychologists accountable given the fact they received this superior education and the knowledge to know better.
This episode should have far more likes. Great content, thanks!
Thank you for doing this video. This is the first time I've ever heard "dysthymia" outside of my own medical diagnosis and the subreddit I follow. It's not one that is discussed much and I sort of prefer it that way - because it's not an easy thing to understand. And, as mentioned in the video, the stigma is real yo.
I've had noticeable depression since 2nd grade and I'll be 41 in May. They call it "Early-onset dysthymia" which means it started when I was young and it has lasted longer than 2 years. In my case, its lasted for 34 years.
A point I think that should be made - no two cases of depression are identical. The human brain functions approximately the same physiologically and biochemically person to person. However, each person is unique, each mind is unique, therefore each person's "malady"/condition is unique. Mental illness/health is not a sport or a contest. Each of us suffers uniquely. No one's disorder is worse or better than any other. The important part is that the darkness need not be so dark. The empty doesn't have to be full. Seek not a cure but better. There's a big difference between empty darkness and better. I've been in both and better is better.
yes phd Berlin is correct . It took me years to finally get off ssri It wasnt easy and almost went back on again . I now welcome a little depression . Because when I treat it with healthy food ,work,exersize and avoid toxic siduations . I then earn a healhty reward because I put in the work. low test in men I believe causes major depression and for me made me angry and withdrawn .
For me it was the combination of Prozac and lots of cognitive behavior training. Still on Prozac and very into meditation and philosophy everyday.
Great topic, It seems cathartic to express ones self via comedy or music or visual art to mitigate depression.
I can easily talk to nearly anyone about music, and ask what music makes you feel good.
Its a mixed, subjective bag all the time, but a brilliant conversation.
What is not talked about are the stats on depression in regards to countries and or large populations. What countries are tackling it?
Neil, I hate to say it. But you're missing a huge point with your "One stop shopping" remark and for once I think, you are so wrong on this one. This might work for people who suffer from a short/light depression and just need that boost. But for people, like me, who never knew something was actually wrong (because they were always like that and never knew everyone else wasn't the same as they are) until there entire life collapsed, they build a life and scarred themselves so immensely, they need to guidance to start living a life again. You can't fix that with just a pill. So you still need those sessions with people who can help you change your way of thinking, with for example CBT. Relieving your pain you've carried for years. Learning how to control your depression. Because for some, it will never completely go away. It will always be there, sometimes it's massive, sometimes it's small. To control it, you need to learn how. That will never come in the form of a pill.
A lot is missing from it. Not just that point.
Correct. Agree. And not just some kind of group sessions that people talk about in some cases. One on on. Long time. And by that I mean 2-4 years in a lot of cases, weekly sessions, 1h at least, every week (or more!). It is not easy. And in a lot of countries it almost doesn't exists as a lot of psychologist will be just after your money (yeah, welcome to a modern world, applicable not only to US but also to UK for example; good luck helping yourself without money; it is a "myth" in a way - looks good on the paper, but in a reality you cannot get a proper help without money).
Pills may help at the beginning, definitely I can agree with it. But sooner or later you also have to do your own research, and "work" on yourself. Look at yourself honestly, deep honest look, and face it, whatever is wrong with you, whatever wrong you did, or somebody have done to you... you have to face it. It is simple as this. And it won't be pretty.
And at the end, the psychologists/psychiatrist can help you on that road. But at some point, you will have to do it "alone". Just you. And that is opening a lot of learning about yourself, reading books, learning and growing in that whole process. because at the end, it will be a process, and there is nothing fast here.
Unless you reach for pills/drugs of course - but they will just mask some much more deeper issues in a way. It helps too. But at the end... but if you trully want to help yourself, you will have to lave some of that behind, and learn a lot about... yourself too (by books, therapy sessions, University degrees... to put it simply: knowledge).
I wish you guys would do one of these on anxiety I have depression but also severe anxiety and it has taken over my life and I can’t find help people have attachment a stigma to me and say I’m so messed up to help or won’t help I also have a duel diagnoses I wish I had a dr like her I need her in my life
I had to move out of my hometown because of the long gray Winters. Seasonal depression is definitely a thing
Great as always. Thank you!!!!
Besides differences in light, season an weather affect people because we do different activities. We might be more indoors and more isolated in the winter.
On top of that, through the Internet we trick ourselves into thinking we"re in touch with others, while it's clearly not even close to the same thing as being really together
Medication is great to get the ball rolling. You need to get out, and you need purpose. That will lead to long lasting peace within.
Crazy thing is that it fallows loss. The time of season not just winter for some reason tells my brain I'm depressed because of the loss of people close to and every time the season comes I lost them the feeling comes right back
We love you Chuck!! ❤ thanks for this amazing episode yall #KeepLookingUp 🌎🧐
Thant you, Chuck, for your honesty!
I love my Lexapro. It really really helps me not see the world as a dull grey blob.
I just discovered something called SCT (Sluggish Cognitive Tempo) and it shares alot of similarities to ADHD, and may even seem like depression, and I've felt like this is what I have, and have had since I was a teenager. I seeked help from therapists and medications, but nothing ever seemed quite right to help my conition. And SCT was only recently proposed just a few years ago, and I finally feel like I've discovered something that actually matches all the symptoms I have felt for years but just couldn't quite describe it right to my therapists and psychiatrists