The Upward Spiral
/
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
“In The Upward Spiral, neuroscientist Alex Korb demystifies the intricate brain processes that cause depression and offers a practical and effective approach to getting better. Based on the latest research in neuroscience, this book provides dozens of straightforward tips you can do every day to rewire your brain and create an upward spiral towards a happier, healthier life.”
I started reading this book while in a treatment center for depression, shortly after completing my last round of electroconvulsive treatments (ECT). I’ve read plenty about psychology, evolution, and suicide, but I hadn’t dived into the physical structure of the brain to any significant depths. “The Upward Spiral” and Dr. Robert Sapolsky’s lectures greatly informed my working knowledge about the brain and how it can conspire against us.
“For the first thirty years of your life you make your habits. For the last thirty years of your life, your habits make you.” - Hindu saying
Dr. Korb’s book is all about our habits — how they make us and how they break us. He acknowledges that each of us must make do with the brain we are born with, but we do not necessarily need to hold onto the fears and insecurities that we learn. This book leans heavily on the importance of proper nurture, while acknowledging that the nature of the brain can be annoyingly fickle.
You’ll learn how the brain reacts to fearful and stressful situations, and how it stores memories. You’ll discover why it feels so hard to unlearn an established habit, and why it is even more difficult for a person with a depressed/anxious brain. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of the physical structure of the brain, why it reacts the way it reacts, and you’ll get practical, evidence-based treatments to improve your quality of life.
Here are some quotes that I found memorable:
It’s uncomfortable to feel the weight of the future pushing down on you, to be caught in the brief moment between the mistakes you made in the past and the mistakes you’re about to make in the future.
In people without depression, the amygdala activated for less than ten seconds, but for those with depression, it stayed active for more than twenty-five seconds. It’s certainly difficult to be calm and rational when the amygdala hangs on to emotion.
Having depression is like being tuned to the six o’clock news all the time. If that was all you watched, you’d start to think the whole world was full of nothing but political scandals, weather disasters, and horrific crimes. If you could only change the channel, you’d see everything else that’s out there — but you can’t.
When the amygdala gets stressed, it tells the hippocampus to store that memory — just another way the brain evolved to help protect you from danger.
Our coping habits are not the only habits triggered by stress. In fact, stress biases the brain toward any of our old habits over new actions. The dorsal striatum says, “Let’s do it this way, because we’ve always done it this way.” And the prefrontal cortex says, “But that won’t help us get where we want to go.” Meanwhile, the nucleus accumbens says, “Ooh, the cupcake looks delicious.”
We don’t just choose the things we like; we also like the things we choose.
Your brain is like a dog. It needs to be trained, and that requires repetition.
“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me is an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus
“It might be lonelier without the loneliness.” - Emily Dickinson
