Synopses & Reviews
In this fascinating exploration of depression, neuroscientist Kelly Lambert highlights her groundbreaking research suggesting that important clues to the mysteries of this disease have been in our hands all along. She identifies a circuit in the human brainconnecting movement, feeling, and cognitionthat is responsible for symptoms of depression, and shows that when we knit a sweater, prepare a meal, or simply repair a lamp, were actually bathing our brain in feel-good” chemicals. Highlighting inspiring accounts of change and growth, Lifting Depression offers a compassionate and commonsense way of preventing and treating one of the modern eras most debilitating diseases.
Synopsis
Today's young adults are up to ten times more likely to experience depression than their grandparents were. Could it be that in our increasingly automated world, the reduced physical effort needed to accomplish anything may somehow interfere with our level of happiness and subsequent responses to stress? Neuroscientist Kelly Lambert finds compelling evidence that having to work hard for rewards significantly improves mood and prevents depression. Beginning with her innovative research on rats-she compared "trust-fund rats" (whose rewards came with no effort on their part) to hard-working "trained-to-succeed" rodents-Lambert offers hope of treatment for people without debilitating (and often ineffective) drugs. Drawing on a wealth of information from the fields of anthropology, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology, Lambert develops a unique theory suggesting that physical effort directed toward tangible outcomes activates particular regions of the brain and builds resilience against the emotional emptiness and negative thinking associated with depression. Whereas most therapies emphasize the importance of mental activity, Lambert reminds us of the importance of physical activity in establishing control in a fast-paced culture that is focused more on the prospect of immediate gratification than savoring the fruits of our labor.
Synopsis
Compelling scientific evidence that participating in hands-on activities can actually alter the stress responses that lead to depression
About the Author
Kelly Lambert is chair of psychology at Randolph-Macon College. Her writing has appeared in Nature, Scientific American, Behavioral Neuroscience, and more. Her research has been featured on ABC World News Tonight and in Scientific American Mind. She is president-elect of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society. She lives in Mechanicsville, Virginia.