The author, Johann Hari was 18 when he took his first antidepressant. He continued to battle with his depression into his 30s. He slowly increased his dose of antidepressants and over time realised that he would feel moments of peace for only a short time. His depression would never really leave him. During his 30s he started thinking more deeply about his experience and shifted his thinking towards the questions his doctors never investigated which may have a connection to why he and many others become depressed. These include; whats happening in your life? What's making you feel this way? What has happened to you?

It was this thinking that drove his motivation for writing this book. He wanted to explore why people felt depressed or anxious looking at both reactive depression, the kind thats connected to life experiences and our environment, and endogenous depression, which refers to something going wrong in the brain. Depression was often thought to be a serotonin imbalance cured through antidepressants. Through his research and numerous interviews with scientists, psychologists and individuals suffering with depression Johanna discovers nine main causes of depression. With these discoveries he explores the cutting-edge science of curing or helping people without the use of medication. He comes up with nine ways to reconnect, nine ways to help people who feel anxious or depressed.
 
There is one cause that stands out to me, that I often hear or read about and that is the lack of connection to others. We are social animals and we need this connection, it's part of our nature. In times where I have felt most lost, or unmotivated I have lost deep, meaningful connections with friends or family, or at least my thoughts would tell me so. For most of us, this is something that can be adjusted easily. The solution to this is reconnecting to others, making sure you are in touch with family and friends, making sure there is a good community around you with people supporting each other and lifting each other up.
 
Whilst reading this book I developed alot of empathy and understanding of anyone experiencing these uncomfortable feelings. I further understood myself, as I too struggled with anxiety. This book has equipped me with a deeper understanding of what really matters and what we should reconnect with in order to enjoy this beautiful life as much as one can.
 
If you have a family member or you, yourself struggle with depression or anxiety, this book will give you hope and understanding. On the other hand if you wish to build your knowledge about human nature and what you should be aware of in order to be the best version of yourself, you will find a lot of valuable information in the book Lost Connections.
 
If you are suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts and need help, please reach out to people who are trained to help you. Please. 

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You can find this book via my affiliate link at Book Depository, click here -> Lost Connections