The symptoms of depression and anxiety can have many causes, including genetics, personality, childhood experiences, environment, and circumstance. Moreover, multiple contributing factors may be present in an individual’s life, increasing the risk of a depressive episode or chronic depression much more than one factor alone. My interest in the link between philosophy and mental health,…
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Resolving the crisis in men’s mental health is an incredibly difficult task. One key component of this effort, though, is encouraging men to practise vulnerable honesty. In fact, this is something that mental health charities are really starting to focus on. Being stoic, having a stiff upper lip, not crying, hiding vulnerability, toughening up. These…
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Insomnia is an extremely common type of sleep disorder, affecting 30-50% of people at some point. The condition is commonly thought to involve an inability to fall asleep, with lots of tossing and turning, and being wracked with anxiety and ruminative thinking. And that is definitely a core aspect of the condition for many sufferers,…
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The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer is renowned for his uncompromising pessimism. His pessimistic worldview is based on his metaphysics, which he expounds in his seminal work The World as Will and Representation (1818). What he believes is true about the fundamental nature of reality has influenced his opinions on many disparate matters, including psychology, ethics,…
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Depression can be a complex condition to treat. I’ve tried to change my lifestyle in all sorts of ways to ease symptoms of depression. However, one lifestyle change that I feel has helped to address the deeper causes of my depression has been a regular meditation practice. Mindfulness meditation has led to clear improvements in…
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