Doing our series on “Who Am I” we focused on a variety of negative mood states that so many people struggle with. One of the most common and damaging of these is depression. We’ve covered depression in the past on the podcast – dedicating four episodes to depression and bipolar disorder – and we’re happy today to have the pleasure of welcoming a true expert on the subject to the show: Dr. Alex Korb.
Dr. Alex Korb is the author of The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time. He’s studied the brain for over 15 years, and later earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He’s also published over a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles on depression, neuromodulation and other topics.
Today we explore:
- The relationship between depression and the structures of the brain.
- Specific tactics for managing depression and anxiety.
- How we can work with the brain to impact depressive episodes in positive ways.
Topics:
- 02:30: Do we really care about how others feel?
- 07:14: Coming to terms with not being able to do everything.
- 13:15: How does depression work in the brain?
- 21:20: What is an “upward spiral” or “downward spiral?”
- 29:54: Have you ever experienced depression?
- 31:07: Key traits for a happy life.
