Listen free for 30 days

  • Lost Connections

  • Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions
  • Written by: Johann Hari
  • Narrated by: Johann Hari
  • Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (840 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Lost Connections cover art

Lost Connections

Written by: Johann Hari
Narrated by: Johann Hari
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $25.96

Buy Now for $25.96

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of Chasing the Scream, a radically new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.

What really causes depression and anxiety - and how can we really solve them? Award-winning journalist Johann Hari suffered from depression since he was a child and started taking antidepressants when he was a teenager. He was told that his problems were caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. As an adult, trained in the social sciences, he began to investigate whether this was true - and he learned that almost everything we have been told about depression and anxiety is wrong.

Across the world, Hari found social scientists who were uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Hari's journey took him from a mind-blowing series of experiments in Baltimore, to an Amish community in Indiana, to an uprising in Berlin.

Once he had uncovered nine real causes of depression and anxiety, they led him to scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions - ones that work. It is an epic journey that will change how we think about one of the biggest crises in our culture today.

©2018 Johann Hari (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about Lost Connections

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    687
  • 4 Stars
    103
  • 3 Stars
    33
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    584
  • 4 Stars
    109
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    595
  • 4 Stars
    94
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    9

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Much needed new perspective

I got this book on a whim without really knowing what it was about or who the author was and this book is now in my top five list of books that have made a difference to me. The book was appealing to me, both as someone with a psychology education, as well as a long term sufferer of depression.

I loved the journalistic take on the subject. It didn't mimic the "self help" feeling that so many other books on depression tend to embody, with a miracle solution and recipe to achieve that solution. Instead, the author wrote about his journey of trying to understand his depression, through explorations of various theories, as well as interviews with researchers, medical professionals, and others who have struggled with depression. It felt as though the author was presenting his findings and research, not as a way to "convince" the reader to come to the same conclusions as him, but to form their own opinions based on that information.

The book was filled with legitimate scientific research, case studies, and statistics, but was anything but dry. It was engaging, personable, and thought provoking, using a narrative of various characters and their stories to demonstrate the information.

What I got from the book was a fresh perspective on many questions that no one before seemed to be able to answer. If drugs / therapy / whatever, were the answers to depression, why did so many people still have depression after trying those solutions? There seemed to be only two possibilities: either the majority of those with depression should give up hope and do the best they could to live with it, or there was something else - something that could explain the increased rate of depressed individuals in our society; something that could address the issue of why we are depressed, instead of the solutions that are not based on how we got there in the first place.

I greatly recommend this book to anyone, though in my opinion, they shouldn't expect the book to end with a solution that they can go out and start doing as soon as the book is done, in order to fix their life. For me, after finishing the book, I was able to recognize certain situations in a different light, as potentially unhealthy or instigating depressive thinking, and was able to identify healthy behaviours to incorporate. I am profoundly grateful I took a chance on this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Passable beginning, but just too anecdotal

I liked the beginning, where the author questioned and broken down the issues with pharmaceutical treatments regarding depression and anxiety, which is why I gave 2 stars on "Story". But the book then turns into stories after stories of personal experiences, or second hand stories from interviews that I found to be either overly dramatic or dubious. At the very least, the stories just does not seem properly vetted, and it is ridiculous to me that the author drew so much insight and conclusions from singular experiences, many of them were told to the author second-handed. Furthermore, even if these stories are vetted and valid, the author's delivery just appears to be too rushed, especially to insights and conclusions. This just became more and more difficult to listen to, like the author is trying to sell something that he doesn't even believe it. The book became formulaic , with a "One-Two" structure each chapter with a "story" and a "conclusion". And most of these "conclusions" doesn't seem to align with common sense. Admittedly, this is a personal opinion, but overall I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Finally a voice of sanity!

This book has changed the way I view the world. For twenty years I've been swallowing an assortment of pills. For the first time I feel there is hope. Everyone should read this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

life changing and narrated conversationally

life changing and narrated conversationally by the author. everyone should read this. it will change society

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the most important books ever written.

An incredible vision of how depression is caused predominantly by "lost connections" in society. Amazing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional in content and presentation!

Johann shares what every person is hungering to hear about anxiety and depression. I hope this becomes mainstream knowledge for everyone. You Me We are not broken, but how we live is making us sick. Thank you Johann for putting all of this information together.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Harri's Narration Just Isn't Good

The text itself feels well researched and well written. I particularly enjoyed the flow of the story and felt that Harri argued his points well and uses interesting anecdotes to bring his message out. I enjoyed gaining new perspectives into depression and use of medication, based off of my own experiences with depression. However, I was extremely disappointed with the narration. I'm curious why Harri chose to not edit well and leaves in lots of pauses to swallow and gulp. No other audiobook I've listened to does this and this issue could have been easily resolved with some simple editing. To me, it feels half finished and lazy. I feel ripped off.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Dangerous

Some pretty big claims for non medical professional. I could see how this could be easily taken out of context and potentially do more harm than good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It's not just in your head

An examination of depression and anxiety taken from both personal and research perspectives. Debunks the popular myth that these conditions are merely the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. The author demonstrates that this is a social problem - not just a personal one and that it will take social change to really make a difference for more people. This is the call to action to start that movement!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Again, Hari is brilliant!

This book will change your life. It is another brilliant work by Hari. Every healthcare provider and every human being dealing with trauma, loss, grief, depression, anxiety, and other normal emotions that occur as a result of challenging life circumstances should read/listen to this book. I quite enjoyed the narrated version. I could listen to his British accent all day long. Thank you Johann for providing me with hours of education, insight, and entertainment during an excruciatingly challenging time in my life! I could sit on a park bench, share a coffee with you, and undoubtedly talk for hours. Warmest thanks, from my human heart to yours.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful