The Resilient Founder

19Medicating Our Way to Recovery

When it comes to medication, two belief systems prevail. One is that the brain is a biochemical machine. All our brain activity is driven by chemistry, including thoughts, emotions, and memory. Thus, depression is a biological or chemical reaction.¹ And it has very little to do with the rest of our habits, routines, and lifestyles.

The second view looks at a lot more than just the brain chemistry. It attempts to take a more holistic and philosophical perspective. It brings in the person as well as the contextual environment. It looks at genetics, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and social relationships. And adds external factors to that, which relate to society, macro events, and specifics, such as trauma – soon you have a pretty complex matrix.²

In the first belief system, that it's all just biochemistry, medications can help alleviate the mental challenges. The adjacent view – in which it is believed to be much more than just brain chemistry – often leads us to experiment with various paths to recovery. One takes a more definitive stance, whereas the other takes an experimental approach. No matter how we get there, our minds and bodies are out of tune. And we need to get back in the game. Take the example of a wounded bird or an animal in a jungle, unable to fend for itself. Chances are that it will get eaten up quickly. As humans, we do have support systems, but the very first step is to get functional or else we can spiral down.

The role ...