FreeMental Health
Take a step in the right direction to overcome anxiety and depression
Total Length: 58m
My Age of Anxiety
Scott Stossel
A riveting, revelatory, and moving account of the author’s struggles with anxiety, and of the history of efforts by scientists, philosophers, and writers to understand the condition
11m 55s
On Edge
Andrea Petersen
Woven into Petersen’s personal story is a fascinating look at the biology of anxiety and the groundbreaking research that might lead to new treatments. She compares psychoactive drugs to non-drug treatments and she explores the role that genetics and the environment play in mental illness, visiting top neuroscientists and tracing her family history—from her grandmother, who, plagued by paranoia, once tried to burn down her own house, to her young daughter, in whom Petersen sees shades of herself.
10m 55s
The Noonday Demon
Andrew Solomon
Drawing on his own struggles and interviews with fellow sufferers, doctors and scientists, policymakers and politicians, drug designers and philosophers, Solomon reveals the subtle complexities and sheer agony of the disease. He confronts the challenge of defining the illness and describes the vast range of available medications, the efficacy of alternative treatments, and the impact the malady has had on various demographic populations around the world and throughout history. His contribution to our understanding not only of mental illness but also of the human condition is truly stunning.
12m 21s
Undoing Depression
Richard O’Connor
Psychotherapist Richard O'Connor says depression is fueled by complex and interrelated factors: genetic, biochemical, environmental. But here he focuses on an additional factor often overlooked: our own habits. Unwittingly we get good at depression. We learn how to hide it, how to work around it. We may even achieve great things, but with constant struggle rather than satisfaction. Relying on these methods to make it through each day, we deprive ourselves of true recovery, of deep joy and healthy emotion. UNDOING DEPRESSION teaches how to replace depressive patterns with a new and more effective set of skills and offers new hope-and new life-for sufferers of depression.
11m 30s
Upward Spiral
Alex Korb, PhD
Depression can feel like a downward spiral, pulling you into a vortex of sadness, fatigue, and apathy. Neuroscientist Alex Korb demystifies the intricate brain processes that cause depression and offers a practical and effective approach to getting better. Based on the latest research in neuroscience, this book provides dozens of straightforward tips you can do every day to rewire your brain and create an upward spiral towards a happier, healthier life. The truth is that there isn’t one big solution to depression, but there are numerous simple steps you can take to alter brain activity and chemistry. Some are as easy as relaxing certain muscles to reduce anxiety, or getting more sunlight to improve your mood. Small steps in the right direction can have profound effects—giving you the power to become your best self as you literally reshape your brain, one small change at a time.
11m 58s
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