Discover more from Depresh Mode
Your web browsing, your mental health, your stupid looking truck
Plus anxiety-induced hyperacusis
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David Shaw of The Revivalists had anxiety so bad it screwed up his hearing
Check out this week’s podcast!
It’s more than an inconvenience when you’re the lead singer of a very popular rock band and you find that common sound frequencies make you crazy. That’s what happened to David Shaw of The Revivalists during a fairly recent bout with an anxiety disorder that resulted in hyperacusis. He found that low frequencies, the kind found in a job where there’s always a bass guitarist pounding away, made him extremely distressed. It was a result, he believes, of his out of control anxiety that had plagued him for years. His substance use was also an issue compounding his mental health problems.
So he did what a lot of people do: he went on a quest to see what would help. He had some success with exploring the idea of internal family systems or IFS and began paying more attention to how he was treating his body in terms of diet and exercise. And he meditated a lot on the idea of what he calls “heart mode”, the wisest and most generous state of being you can be in.
Your web browsing habits and your mental health are closely linked
That’s the finding from researchers at University College in London, which is an unimaginative name for a college.
The project – comprising four studies – discovered that the emotional tone (or valence) of the content that we consume online plays a huge part in shaping our mental health and overall mood.
Specifically, the researchers uncovered a link between negative content consumption and worse mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression symptoms.
On the other hand, those of us already in a bad mood appear to be more likely to browse negatively valenced content. Its behavior that drives a punishing feedback loop of negativity.
In their final experiment, the researchers tested an intervention aimed at breaking up this destructive cycle. They presented participants with visual cues stipulating the potential emotional impact of web pages before browsing.
For example, labels such as “feel better” or “feel worse” popped up next to the individual search results. Participants who had access to these cues browsed much less negative content and reported a better mood afterward.
Perinatal depression rates have doubled in the last decade
According to the CDC, mental health conditions are the leading cause of death for pregnant women. And instances of depression for women who are pregnant or have recently been are skyrocketing.
While all racial and ethnic groups saw a rise in postpartum depression, non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic white people had the highest rates of depression, the new study found. However, the largest increases were seen in Asian and Pacific Islanders and non-Hispanic Black individuals at 280% and 140%, respectively.
Older women, people who reported substance use during pregnancy, and those who were overweight or had obesity were also at higher risk of postpartum depression, the study found.
Loneliness is such a problem that it makes you buy the stupidest fucking vehicle possible
Loneliness is a public health emergency in America today. It can lead to depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and premature death. Worse, it can make you purchase something that everyone will laugh at you for just so you can feel something. It can make you buy a Tesla Cybertruck, like some dentist did.
You worked hard, but your kids don’t want to hang out with you, and your friends are too busy to visit. You are getting older every day, and your neck and back are complaining. You need a man cave, a Batmobile, and a powerhouse, and it would be nice to have something that makes people snap their necks and glare. You want an overpowered, overpriced, over-the-top giant fridge on wheels. They can’t ignore you anymore.
This fucking thing looks like what would happen if a Delorean and a dumpster mated. It costs $80,000. People are hurting. People are insane.
Oh my god we got Paul Reiser to be on Sleeping with Celebrities
Yeah, the big movie and tv star Paul Reiser!
He’s also pretty enamored of George Carlin, Mel Brooks, Helen Hunt, and his new comedy special, Life, Death & Rice Pudding. The veteran actor and comedian is just as charming and funny as ever as he regales us with his philosophy on travel and, especially, packing for travel. Let him lull you to sleep with his wonderful stories and knowledge on how to pack underwear.