Mar 6, 2020
In this episode, I chat with my good friend, and neuroscientist, Sofia Raitsin.
Topics Covered:
• That this was take #2 for us to record
• The neurochemistry of depression
• The overprescribing of psychiatric medications and their relative
ineffectiveness compared to the Placebo Effect
• How the environmental and behavioural issues that underly mental
health issues like depression and anxiety are not addressed by
taking medication, which amounts to putting a bandaid on to cover
up the symptoms and also leads to other undesirable side
effects
• How our lifestyle choices are a major factor in our mental health
and wellness
• The difference between a predisposition and a predetermination
when it comes to our potential genetic inheritance of mental health
issues and how our choices determine how our genes are
expressed
• How non-pharmaceutical treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy, and rigorously training ourselves to think differently is
one of the most powerful tools we can use to cope with the things
life throws at us
• That exposure to our fears is what helps us to overcome them
• That underneath all of our social fears and insecurities, and our
fear of rejection, is ultimately the fear of death
• If Lindt chocolate would like to sponsor the podcast because it
helps with depression much faster than antidepressants
• Learning to love fear and see it as a guiding light, showing us
the roadmap to the treasures we seek
• The effects on our mental health from having access to so much
information about the problems in the world vs. using these larger
issues as an excuse to not take responsibility for the more
personal nature of our individual mental health challenges
• Sofia challenges me to reconsider my thoughts on this as I share
my story of how the 2008 global financial collapse changed the
course of my life and that paying attention to world issues has
affected my mental health and wellbeing
• The need to take ownership over and responsibility for our lives
in order to overcome learned helplessness, push ourselves out of
our comfort zone, and face the hard work and discomfort necessary
to improve mental health issues
•Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, social belonging, and the social
disconnection at the heart of issues like depression and
addiction
• The difference between having a fixed mindset and a growth
mindset in our ability to fix, change, and transform our lives
• Recognizing no one else is going to do the work for us. No one
can. It's up to us
You can find and follow Sofia and check out her beautiful artwork
@philosofi_art on IG.