The Inflamed Mind Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus The Inflamed Mind

Einleitung anhören

00:00

Zusammenfassung von The Inflamed Mind

Name: The Inflamed Mind
Rating: 4.5 (248 reviews)
Author: Edward Bullmore

Edward Bullmore

A Radical New Approach to Depression

4.5 (248 Bewertungen)

27 Min.

Themen

Älterwerden

Inhaltsübersicht

The Inflamed Mind
in 9 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 9

What’s in it for me? Learn about a promising theory of depression.

If cancer is the emperor of all maladies, then depression surely is the king of mental illness. But what exactly is depression? And what causes it? While the overwhelming majority of research so far has looked for the origins of depression in the brain and the mind, groundbreaking new studies are revealing how depression is not just a mental illness, but a bodily one too. And the crucial link is the immune system.

These blinks take a look at some of the latest science to explain how the immune system uses inflammation to fight disease, why this can negatively affect our mood and behavior, and how the inflammation hypothesis could advance revolutionarily new, holistic treatments of depression.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

which unlikely side effect exposed the depressive effects of inflammation;
how depression could have saved our ancient ancestors’ lives; and
why antidepressants might be shooting at the wrong target.

Physical illness can make you feel depressed, and the reason for this could be inflammation.

Have you ever caught a bad cold that made you inexplicably sad, lethargic and antisocial?

When you’re sick, it’s normal to feel a bit gloomy. In fact, it makes sense for you to feel this way, so that you’ll stay in bed and save your energy for fighting off the infection. Your immune system does this by causing inflammation throughout your body that’s meant to destroy the cold virus. Once the virus is gone and the inflammation subsides, your mood lifts again.

But there might be more to the process of cold-induced gloominess than we thought. A growing number of scientists are arguing that it could provide an essential clue to understanding depression.

They believe that gloominess is not caused by the sickness itself or your negative thoughts about being sick, but by your immune system’s reaction to the sickness: widespread bodily inflammation. These scientists are also starting to suspect that lingering inflammation could be the cause of the long-term mood disorder we commonly call “depression.”

An anecdote about a drug for rheumatoid arthritis illustrates the powerful effect that inflammation can have on our mood.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease of the joints that makes them increasingly stiff and swollen. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system causes an unnecessary, chronic inflammation in response to some of the body’s parts or components – in this case, the joints.

In the 1990s, scientists finally found an antibody against one of the key inflammatory proteins of the disease. With this antibody, they developed a drug that would help reduce the inflammation, and so ease the painful side effects of stiffness and swelling.

In 1999, the first such drug came to market under the brand name Remicade. To many rheumatic patients, Remicade felt like a miracle cure. Administered as an infusion, not only did it immediately relieve pain, but it also made users feel instantly happy and cheerful. At the University College Hospital in London, the patients’ euphoric “Remicade high” caused nurses to fight over who got to administer the infusion.

Though not well studied, this Remicade high suggests that reducing inflammation can boost people’s moods. Conversely, it seems that too much inflammation can make people depressed. To understand why this might be, let's have a closer look at how inflammation works.

Inflammation is a natural reaction of our immune system to protect us from infection.

Since the beginning of time, humans have been at war. With one another often enough, but also against the thousands of tiny non-human invaders that swarm our bodies on a daily basis. The immune system doesn't only activate when we get a cold. Day and night, our immune systems defend us against hostile bacteria, germs, bugs, pathogens, viruses and worms – collectively called antigens – which could otherwise lead to serious illness or death.

The human immune system consists of various parts and structures. Its most important soldiers are white blood cells, which can be divided into different types of specialized immune cells such as macrophages, and lymphocytes.

The doctrine of Cartesian dualism has kept modern medicine from exploring the links between mind and body.

In his early training as a physician, the author treated an older lady for her rheumatoid arthritis. Because the woman seemed very depressed, he questioned her about her mood and social life during the examination. Back then, he didn’t suspect that the inflammation underlying her arthritis could also be causing her depression – but he felt it was important to address all of her issues holistically.

After the examination, the author was sternly told by his supervisor that it was his job to treat the lady’s arthritis, not her depression. After all, anyone with such an awful disease would probably be a little depressed.

Since the invention of Prozac in the '90s, there have been no major breakthroughs in depression treatment.

If you’re an ironclad Cartesian dualist, the notion that you can cure the mind by tweaking chemicals in the brain is inconceivable.

But today, antidepressant drugs that claim to balance the chemical composition of the brain have become one of the few treatment options for depression.

New fields of medical research are uncovering promising links between inflammation and depression.

Around the time Prozac launched in the '90s, the first papers linking depression to the immune system were published in obscure medical journals. They included titles such as "The Macrophage Theory of Depression" (1991) and "Evidence for an Immune Response in Major Depression" (1995). In hindsight, these theories seem like a massive breakthrough. But at the time, they were largely ignored – they didn’t fit the new serotonin story.

Nevertheless, these papers marked the beginning of two new medical fields of research: neuroimmunology, which studies the link between the immune system and the brain; and immunopsychiatry, which focuses on the connection between the immune system and mental health.

Inflammation in the body can cause an inflammatory reaction in the brain that affects our mood and behavior.

Just a few decades ago, scientists were convinced that it was nearly impossible for the immune system to affect our brain. They thought the brain had its own, completely separate immune system, shielded from the rest of the body by the so-called Blood-Brain Barrier, or BBB. The BBB is a dense wall of cells that surrounds the brain and prevents molecules circulating in the blood from directly passing through to the brain.

But in recent years, scientists have discovered that the BBB isn’t as impermeable as previously thought. Not only are there gaps between the BBB cells that allow certain molecules and proteins to enter the brain; the cells themselves can respond to inflammatory signals of the body, and pass that information on to the brain.

Chronic inflammation can be caused by autoimmune disorders, age, obesity and stress.

So far, we’ve learned that inflammation is a natural response of the immune system, but it causes serious collateral damage to our bodies and brains when it becomes chronic. This, in turn, affects our moods, thoughts and behavior.

But what causes chronic inflammation?

A sensitivity to inflammation and depression could have helped our ancestors survive.

Now that you’ve learned about how inflammation can cause depression, you probably want to know why this is the case.

When we ask why our bodies and brains do this or that, the answer will usually be natural selection. If we adhere to Darwin’s evolutionary theory, then somehow, at some point in human evolution, inflammation and depression must have helped the human species survive.

Medication and therapy that reduce inflammation promise new hope for treating depression.

If you suspect that your depression is caused by inflammation after reading these blinks, you probably want to know what you can do about it.

Unfortunately, professional treatment options for inflammatory depression are still limited.

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von The Inflamed Mind sehen?

Kernaussagen in The Inflamed Mind

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in The Inflamed Mind?

The Inflamed Mind (2018) explains the latest science behind a new theory linking depression to inflammation of the body and brain. Bringing together insights from medicine, psychology and evolutionary theory, psychiatrist Edward Bullmore reveals the complex connections between our immune system and our mental health – and shows how a new holistic understanding of body, mind and brain could revolutionize the way we see and treat depression.

Wer The Inflamed Mind lesen sollte

Med students, physicians and scientists interested in the mind and brain
Psychologists and therapists interested in how physical illness affects mental health
Anyone who has dealt with depression

Über den Autor

Edward Bullmore is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and mental health expert from the UK. He studied medicine at the University of Oxford and is now a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. Since 2005, he has been working for pharma company GlaxoSmithKline on developing new anti-inflammatory drugs for depression.

Kategorien mit The Inflamed Mind

Gesundheit & Ernährung Wissenschaft Psychologie

Ähnlich wie The Inflamed Mind

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety

Drew Ramsey

Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks

Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time

14 min

4.2

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve

Stanley Rosenberg

Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism

19 min

4.5

The Better Brain

Bonnie J. Kaplan and Julia J. Rucklidge

Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition

Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions

32 min

4.6

Undo It!

Anne Ornish and Dean Ornish

How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases

25 min

4.2

Good Reasons for Bad Feelings

Randolph M. Nesse

Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry

Hopeful Reflections on the Beauty and Unpredictability of Existence

How to Overcome Depression through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology

14 min

4.3

Gaslighting

Stephanie Moulton Sarkis

Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People - and Break Free

What Unusual Brains Tell Us About Ourselves

27 min

4.5

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

Dr. Daniel G. Amen

The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Sleep Well Every Night

20 min

4.5

Spark

John J. Ratey & Eric Hagerman

The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

Rediscover the Meaning of Life With This Classic

The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger and Disease Free

16 min

4.0

The 48 Laws of Power (New Version)

Robert Greene

The secret methods to getting what you want

Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness

The 7 Things Resilient People Do Differently (And How They Can Help You Succeed in Business and Life)

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

25 min

4.7

When You're Ready, This Is How You Heal

Brianna Wiest

Inspiration to Begin Your Journey of True Transformation

Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You

The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

16 min

4.3

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Matthew McKay

Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance

The New Psychology of Success

How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal

An Essential Guide to Life

The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour

18 min

4.2

Built to Move

Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett

The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully

18 min

4.6

Never Split the Difference (New Version)

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Innovate and Disrupt to Become Truly Indispensable

16 min

4.5

How to Change Your Mind

Michael Pollan

What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

24 min

4.4

Living Forward

Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy

A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want

A Guide to What Matters Most

The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers

The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat Like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be

20 min

4.6

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Classic That Will Challenge Everything You Know

17 min

4.4

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think

Brianna Wiest

Philosophical Meditations That Will Change Your Life

12 min

4.4

So Good They Can't Ignore You

Cal Newport

Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

The Science of Self-Healing - A Practical Guide

19 min

4.0

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Ben Horowitz

Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Unlock the Secrets of Existence and Transform Your Perspective

14 min

3.7

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was

Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith

How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It

15 min

4.4

Why Don’t Students Like School?

Daniel T. Willingham

A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom

Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level

15 min

4.3

The Ultimate Retroactive Jealousy Cure

Jeff Billings

How to Stop Being Jealous of Your Partner's Past in 12 Steps

Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe The World

11 min

4.1

Making Great Relationships

Rick Hanson

Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love

How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts

24 min

4.4

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.