“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, ” says Andrew Solomon, Ph.D., author, writer and lecturer on politics, culture, and psychology.

He takes us on a journey to the dark corners of his mind during the challenging time he battled major depression; sharing how his own experience led him on an eye-opening journey around the world, interviewing people with depression from different cultures.

Dr Solomon believes there is a depression epidemic among impoverished people which is not recognised. He says shutting out depression strengthens it. Those who can tolerate their depression find resilience, while others can become enslaved by it. “Mood is adaptive, and being able to have sadness, joy and all the other moods is incredibly valuable. Major depression happens when this system gets broken and becomes maladaptive.”

Depression is the flaw in love. There’s no such thing as love without the anticipation of loss.

Enjoy this powerful talk and erudite wisdom about depression and how it’s treated in the world today.