Lost Connections

Depression and anxiety are now the most common mental illnesses in the US, affecting 18 percent of the population. Almost one in six Americans is now taking a drug for these or related disorders. A deeply researched new book asks: what if we have been radically misunderstanding these problems for more than a generation—and missing the real solutions?

New York Times bestselling author Johann Hari radicalized the addiction debate with his acclaimed book Chasing the Scream and accompanying TED talk—which, along with the animation based on it, has been viewed more than 21 million times. He has now carried out a bold three-year investigation about what really causes depression and anxiety, and how to actually solve these disorders.

Hari suffered from depression since he was a child, and he was told by doctors that his problems were caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. He started taking antidepressants at 18—but he remained depressed, no matter the dose. He thought he was unusual—but when he embarked on his research into the mystery of depression, he discovered that the real figures, away from Big Pharma propaganda, show that 65 to 80 percent of people taking an anti-depressant are still depressed.

Using his training as a social scientist at Cambridge University, Hari began to investigate the causes of depression and anxiety, traveling over 40,000 miles and conducting hundreds of interviews. He discovered something startling: the story we have been told about these problems is not true. Cutting-edge science shows these problems are not caused by a spontaneous chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they are largely caused by seven key factors in the way we are living today. Once we understand this different way of thinking, a whole different set of solutions then open up.

Presented in partnership with the Wisconsin Science Festival.

Lost Connections presents Hari’s findings and prescripts paths out of depression and anxiety, giving rise to a radically new way of thinking about an epidemic sweeping across the United States. This book—already lauded by people as varied as Elton John and Naomi Klein—is based on three years of detailed research and reporting. The reporting ranges from the world’s leading social scientists, to an Amish village, to an uprising in Berlin, to a series of remarkable experiments in Baltimore. It is an epic journey that will change how we think about one of the biggest crises in our culture today.