Summary

The author shares personal insights on how deep connections, engaging in deep conversations, and organizing one's life have been more effective in combating depression than solely relying on antidepressants.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's journey with depression and the realization that while antidepressants played a role in their improvement, lifestyle changes were pivotal in overcoming it. The author emphasizes the importance of meaningful relationships and work, drawing on Viktor Frankl's logotherapy, which suggests that finding purpose in life, love, and even suffering can alleviate existential dread. Additionally, the author found solace in philosophy, which provided a platform for deep, existential conversations that traditional treatments could not offer. Lastly, the article highlights the significance of organization and structure, especially for individuals with ADHD, in managing depression and improving mental health.

Opinions

Antidepressants are not the sole solution to depression; lifestyle changes are crucial.
Deep connections with others can provide a sense of meaning and mitigate depression.
Philosophical engagement and deep conversations are therapeutic and can offer a different perspective on life's struggles.
Organizing one's life and creating structure are essential for managing depression, particularly for those with ADHD.
The author believes that up to half of depression cases may not be genetic and could be influenced by life experiences and personal choices.
While not dismissing the value of medication, the author suggests that a combination of meaningful relationships, philosophical exploration, and personal organization can be more effective treatments for depression.

3 Existential “Antidepressants” That Changed My Life

Sometimes, you need more than just another pill.

A few weeks ago in California with friends for the Jiu-Jitsu world championships.

For the longest time, I operated under the assumption that when I was depressed, it was solely because I had a chemical imbalance in my brain.

I believed that if I took my special magic pills (my antidepressants), my depression would be cured. I thought I could find happiness in a pill. I thought I could cure my deep-rooted existential angst with a pill.

That’s what led me to see a psychiatrist in the first place back in early 2019.

I’ve taken antidepressants for more than three years now, and in that time, I have nearly beat my depression.

Nearly.

The pills have played a small role in my improvement, but there’s been a lot more to defeating the sad than just popping pills and smiling. What’s really cured my depression has been several key lifestyle changes that I’ve made with the goal of creating an existentially full life.

Here are the three natural antidepressants that I believe most people are missing.

Deep connections to the people around you.

One of my favorite books of all time is Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning.

I love this book because Frankl takes a deep look at the existential dread that is commonly paired with depression and aims to ease the suffering that people experience by helping them find meaning in their lives.

His core philosophy (logotherapy) teaches that people can find meaning primarily through 3 methods:

Work

You can have a job you love and live a meaningful existence.

Love

Your loved ones can help you feel that life has meaning.

Suffering

This is an interesting one. Frankl believes that the transcendence of suffering can be a powerful motivator to keep on living through adversity. An example of this would be when Frankl survived living in the concentration camps during the Holocaust for three years.

I don’t have a ton of experience of finding meaning through suffering (although I’ve had a few painful weight cuts that might suggest otherwise), but I do have experience with finding meaning in life through love and work. My experience is not just anecdotal, either. Social connection is a proven “antidepressant.”

Connecting my work with people I care about deeply (like my friends in the picture at the top of this article) has been one of the best existential decisions I’ve ever made. My work life is full of love and meaning. This makes all of my life a bit better.

Deep, difficult conversations.

Philosophy is a tool that can be incredible for easing depression.

When I was struggling with my worst depression, I had a general sense of disdain and disconnection from the world around me that made me feel like my will to live was sucked up through a vacuum. I wished I was dead because being dead meant the existential anguish I was feeling would finally go away.

Being dead would turn off the never-ending thoughts in my brain.

When I discovered philosophy, I acquired a newfound outlet for my existential and mental struggles that not even exercise or meaningful connection could give me. I finally had something to stick my never-resting head in.

Depression is a human problem, and philosophy aims to find a stronger way of living through human ideas, human stories, and the power of humanity.

Beyond my anecdote, philosophy is an easy springboard into a deep conversation, and talking about experiences and ideas of the world has been proven to help people who are suffering from depression. Having your worldview challenged and examined can change the course of your entire life.

Organizing your life.

In addition to dealing with moderate-level depression and fairly severe anxiety, I also have ADHD.

ADHD is a nightmare because it makes me live like an impulse-driven bull in a China shop which, as my friends say, “likes shiny things.”

As a result of my ADHD, I am very disorganized and disconnected from many different areas of my life, and in the past, this has made me very depressed. Being disorganized can negatively affect your mental health, and my ADHD has proven that to be very true for me.

I had to take extreme ownership of my life in order to cure the disorganization-depression cycle that held me back for years. It wasn’t until I built a more organized life for myself that I realized that I was operating at a fraction of my potential.

I need structure to function effectively and happily.

Without it, I forget to do the dishes, take out the trash, or, most importantly, take care of my mental health. Without my structure, I’m working and hustling like a crazy person all day, and I’m also a nightmare to be around.

I’ve always been gritty, I’ve always been passionate, and I’ve always been a hard worker, but I’ve also always been a disorganized mess. Dealing with this root issue did wonders for my depression.

Closing Thoughts

I know that many people will feel personally attacked when I tell them that there’s a good chance that their depression is not a part of their genes and that a pill probably won’t help them as much as they hope.

I know this because when I found out this fact, I also felt personally attacked.

However, research shows that up to 50% of depression cases are caused by something other than genetics. Trauma, life experiences, and lifestyle choices cause about half of all depression cases. This means that while a pill can improve many of our symptoms, most cases of depression do not improve unless our lives improve with them.

Depression is a serious issue, and I am not dissuading anyone from taking medication, but like everything, medications have a lot of risks attached to them. Antidepressants are serious business, and sometimes they don’t even work.

There are levels to depression, and if you experience a functional level of major depression, you might benefit more from deep connections, deep conversations, and better-organized life than another prescription.

You might just find the treatment you’ve been missing this whole time is right in front of your face.