Depression is a disease of civilization: Stephen Ilardi at TEDxEmory

Dr. Stephen Ilardi is a professor of clinical psychology and the author of The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression Without Drugs. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Duke University in 1995, and has since served on the faculties of the University of Colorado and (presently) the University of Kansas. The author of over 40 professional articles on mental illness, Dr. Ilardi is a nationally recognized expert on depression. His work has been honored by the American Psychological Association's prestigious Blau Award for early career contributions to the field, and his research on the neuroscience of depression has been funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).

Dr. Ilardi has also received several major teaching awards in recognition of his dynamic, engaging classroom presence. Recently, he was selected from a pool of over 2,000 instructors as the recipient of the school's highest instructional honor, the HOPE Award for teaching excellence. He also maintains an active clinical practice, and has treated several hundred depressed patients over the course of his career. Dr. Ilardi lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, Maria and daughter, Abby.

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[ThrifterPickerShipper]

"We were never designed for the sedentary, indoor, socially isolated, fast-food-laden, sleep-deprived, frenzied pace of modern life." Well that about sums my life up in a nutshell.

[gabrielstorm]

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" - Jiddu Krishnamurti

[Nancy-pvwk]

Getting off social media was the best decision I made in my battle with depression.. best decision I ever made!! Then I started to walk everyday for an hour, or so, and then I incorporated healthier eating.. then I started to repair the relationships I cherished, and then I healed for the most part..

[gummibears]

God bless this man! Finally someone said it! This is so incredibly important to be understood. Depression is rarely just a brain chemical issue, the vast majority of cases are caused by people being treated like crap by society. If someone is sensitive, has depression genetics, and/or have gone through bad things in life such as chronic illness or abuse, their chance of getting depression is very high. It is absolutely ignorant on every level to say that depression is purely brain chemicals, or something is wrong with the person for feeling that way. The facts are this is a very tough world made even tougher by the society we live in, which expects us to be efficient robots in order to survive. We're fed terrible fears from a young age. We're told you can't have what you want, do what you want. Just find a job you can tolerate because you can't do what really makes you happy as that makes no money. I could go on but I ran out of space. Please world listen to this man!!

[meghanr]

So I'm not strange for having an undeniable urge for years to move to the mountains, surrounded by trees, no tv, no phone/internet, and just be..

[noxustds]

Economists will tell you the quality of our lives went up in recent years, psychologists will tell you otherwise.

[stephend]

Best overall talk on depression I've seen.

[melaninqueen]

This title is definitely on point. I am from Africa, came to Europe to study about 2years ago. Back home we all socialize even with the schedule of work we always find a way to socialize with each other. We also live in close knitted families like you can find three or four generations of a family living in the same compound. Reality hit me here, when one day after closing from school I came back home to see bunch of police officers at our corridor. When they left I asked the lady next to my room what the officers were here for out of worry that something have gone wrong in my absence. She never uttered a word or even look at me. Then I realize I am in another world and have to adjust. I was living with a spouse at the beginning but when he left to go back home I am so lonely and depressed. Western live is nice but I think they definitely need to adjust on their social cohesion aspect. How can people live so close but still far apart. You may have a problem and wouldn't have anyone to talk to. That's very difficult. That's how I feel now.

[MarshasJourney]

I started exercising and I became so happy my mind was blown. No matter how terrible I feel before going to the gym I always leave feeling the opposite

[arthurvin]

This is all true. But there is a problem - being depressed it is very hard to push yourself to do those things like walking, running, socializing (non-internet), even having healthy food. All these things require time to be spent, but the time is limited, especially when you're depressed, but still doing your daily job, sometimes struggling to get everything done in a time. It is like vicious circle. But once you get out of it, even for couple of hours you will feel happy. I remember myself trying not to miss my flight, I was driving fast, I was running fast, and I got it just in time. I was so happy the rest of my day, not because I made it (probably also), but because physical activity I got. So my advice is - don't think about whether do something or not, because when you are thinking like that you will probably stay in your chair or in the bed with laptop like you are doing right now. Don't think, just stand up and take a walk on the fresh air.

[AyeitsAngel]

My escape is my dreams... I sleep to get away...

[eswan]

This is actually my Psyc teacher at KU and I feel so relieved when he talks about depression and anxiety this way cause I know I'm not crazy for suffering this much, albeit quietly.

[justingeorge]

Depression is like drowning while everyone around you is breathing

[NARCOTICjungle]

I knew I had depresion when I didn't like to play games anymore, no but seriously I did not like to do anything that I used to love to do. It affected my job, my relationship and many things and the worst part about it that alot of people dont understand and thats when you start feeling lonely and weaker every day. This is the worst and if you do have depresion treat it... its never too late. Thanks for this video it was amazing.

[ironbitch]

When I go camping for extended period of time which is five days and more my depression virtually disappears

[lackadaisicaldreamer]

I think the problem is that it's more than a lack of physical social activity; it also has to do with being in the wrong social group. He said something about being with family can reduce stress levels, lol what if they are the cause of your stress levels? Our Society is messed up, and it's not so easy to engage in social activity when we're surrounded by so much negativity. Some people are douchebags, simply put. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that everywhere you go you'll see a mean face, nor am I advocating that all social activity will fare badly...I just wish he emphasized that the kind of social activity we need today, is the kind where we don't just get lumped into a crowd and get all warm and fuzzy inside just from seeing another human being. We need social activity where people actually *genuinely* give a crap about each other. And that is something that money can't buy.

[Cathy]

He is right on the point. I have suffered from depression and anxiety for 43 years.Tried therapist, Rx, etc. Have tried to have intelligent conversations with family who couldn’t handle the stigma or just don’t believe in it. I have no social interaction and extremely little family time. Have to start walking (that requires getting up to walk nowhere) and remembering to take my vitamins. Thank you

[js]

The chronic stress faced by our young seems to me to be the primary driver of such rates of depressions. We load them up with education loans. Then we set up work places where they can never hope to pay them back. Work is 24 / 7 these days without respite. The only place where these things do not happen are among the super rich who harvest all of the fruits of our efforts.

[MissLizaYangonMyanmar]

however for those of us that have no family or loved ones being told time and time again family is the answer makes the agony worse

[noahi.]

Society has slammed its pressures onto me so hard that it knocked my feelings out.

No, seriously, I can’t feel anything.