The Depths, Jonathan Rottenberg
The Depths, Jonathan Rottenberg
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The Depths
The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic

Author: Jonathan Rottenberg

Narrator: Walter Dixon

Unabridged: 4 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 03/01/2014


Synopsis

Nearly every depressed person is assured by doctors, well-meaning friends and family, the media, and ubiquitous advertisements that the underlying problem is a chemical imbalance. Such a simple defect should be fixable, yet despite all of the resources that have been devoted to finding a pharmacological solution, depression remains stubbornly widespread. Why are we losing this fight?

In this humane and illuminating challenge to defect models of depression, psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg argues that depression is a particularly severe outgrowth of our natural capacity for emotion. In other words, it is a low mood gone haywire. Drawing on recent developments in the science of mood—and his own harrowing depressive experience as a young adult—Rottenberg explains depression in evolutionary terms, showing how its dark pull arises from adaptations that evolved to help our ancestors ensure their survival. Moods, high and low, evolved to compel us to more efficiently pursue rewards. While this worked for our ancestors, our modern environment—in which daily survival is no longer a sole focus—makes it all too easy for low mood to slide into severe, long-lasting depression.

Weaving together experimental and epidemiological research, clinical observations, and the voices of individuals who have struggled with depression, The Depths offers a bold new account of why depression endures—and makes a strong case for de-stigmatizing this increasingly common condition. In so doing, Rottenberg offers hope in the form of his own and other patients’ recovery, and points the way towards new paths for treatment.

About Jonathan Rottenberg

Jonathan Rottenberg is a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, where he is the director of clinical training and director of the mood and emotion laboratory. He is an expert on the depression epidemic, on emotional functioning in depression, and on why some people thrive after depression. His work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and has been covered by Scientific American, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Time. Rottenberg is author of The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic and the editor of Emotion and Psychopathology: Bridging Affective and Clinical Science. He is also the founder of Depression Army, an international social media campaign that raises awareness about depression.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Vaidya on September 08, 2014

There are far too many reasons why I wanted to read this book. For one, we do hear of Depression a lot more than we used to, say, 10 years back. And increasingly what goes with Depression is anti-depressants. The idea being that Depression is a defect in the system, that can be rectified by correcti......more

Goodreads review by Bill on March 30, 2014

This is an important book about an important question: What happens when we get depressed? Is it a sign of weakness, or something else? Dr. Rottenberg, who was my college roommate and good friend for three years, explains current scientific thinking about depression -- what it means and why it's inc......more

Goodreads review by Gabrielė on December 18, 2021

A must-read for everyone who wants to understand depression and how we are wired for it. “Ultimately, the strong cultural imperative toward being happy bumps us up against a wall: our mood system is not configured to deliver an end state of durable euphoria. ... So clearly does intense happiness fade......more

Goodreads review by Charlene on June 10, 2016

I could have done without the term "mood science" but have to say it was better than most books that tackle this subject. I felt pretty certain going into this book that I would not care for it much because most books that attempt to tie current human behavior to evolutionary arguments end up being......more

Goodreads review by Morgan on August 09, 2014

Spectacular! At last, a rational examination of depression from the "mood science" perspective. Weather your a clinician, or just a regular joe suffering from depression and looking for a way out, this book will be useful. The author's arguments are grounded in experimental bio-psychology and evolut......more