I'm a Psychiatrist and I'd Like to Be a Part of the Solution to This.

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

I think it's good that we've gottento the point where you can talk with your primary care physician this stuff. But if someone walks into their family practitioner and they are showing some signs of depression then i would argue that maybe youno exercise and diet, these things that don't have the same side effects or problems with coming off them first. I just think if everyone is given the medication first, it's quite hard to come off them. And if they don't work, that can then make people switch off from reaching out again.

Alex Riley is an award-winning science writer. In 2019 he received a Best Feature award from the Association of British Science Writers for his reporting on the Friendship Bench, a project that began in Zimbabwe in 2006. Alex’s articles have been published by New Scientist, Mosaic, Nautilus Magazine, the BBC, and others.

In this episode, Alex and Eric talk about his new book, A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It.

But wait – there’s more! The episode is not quite over!! We continue the conversation and you can access this exclusive content right in your podcast player feed. Head over to our Patreon page and pledge to donate just $10 a month. It’s that simple and we’ll give you good stuff as a thank you!

Alex Riley and I Discuss Emerging Perspectives on Depression and…

A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It
Eric’s telltale sign he’s in a depressive episode
The cause of Alex’s most recent depressive episode
Eric and Alex’s experiences taking SSRIs for depression
How he makes the decision to come on and off antidepressants
His experience of psilocybin treatment for depression
The role of nutrition in supporting his mental health and wellness
A working definition of depression
The connection between depression and “thinking too much”
The “P” factor – an idea that all mental illnesses are fundamentally connected at their root
The winners curse
Eric’s experience with LSD earlier in life

Alex Riley links:

Alex’s Website

Twitter

When you purchase products and/or services from the sponsors of this episode, you help support The One You Feed. Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Alex Riley, you might also enjoy these other episodes:

Strategies for Depression with Therese Borchard

Recovering from Depression with Brent Williams

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.