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in: Health, Health & Fitness, Podcast

• Last updated: September 28, 2021

Podcast #113: The Evolutionary Origins of Depression With Jonathan Rottenberg

Last month, we published an in-depth series on depression. One of the most insightful books I came across during my research for it was The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression EpidemicThe author, Jonathan Rottenberg, makes the case that depression, or low mood, is an evolved trait that served our pre-historic ancestors well. However, what was once an adaptive trait is now maladaptive due to our stressful, fast-moving modern environment. In today’s podcast, Dr. Rottenberg and I discuss how looking at depression through an evolutionary lens can give us a new perspective on treating and managing it. A must listen if you or someone you know is suffering from depression.

Show Highlights:

  • What depression is exactly
  • The science of mood
  • A theory of why humans evolved to be depressed
  • Why our modern environment has made a formerly adaptive trait maladaptive
  • An evolutionary approach to depression management
  • How depression can actually be useful to you today
  • And much more!

The depths, book cover by Jonathan rottenberg.

I can’t recommend The Depths enough. It provides some much-needed nuance to the discussion going on today about depression. In addition to checking out Jonathan’s book, also check out his blog on Psychology Today called Charting the Depths and his Facebook Page where he posts articles and links on depression research.

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