ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Solomon - Writer
Andrew Solomon writes about politics, culture and psychology.

Why you should listen

Andrew Solomon is a writer, lecturer and Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. He is president of PEN American Center. He writes regularly for The New Yorker and the New York Times.

Solomon's newest book, Far and Away: Reporting from the Brink of Change, Seven Continents, Twenty-Five Years was published in April, 2016. His previous book, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity won the National Book Critics Circle award for nonfiction, the Wellcome Prize and 22 other national awards. It tells the stories of parents who not only learn to deal with their exceptional children but also find profound meaning in doing so. It was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback editions. Solomon's previous book, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, won the 2001 National Book Award for Nonfiction, was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize and was included in The Times of London's list of one hundred best books of the decade. It has been published in twenty-four languages. Solomon is also the author of the novel A Stone Boat and of The Irony Tower: Soviet Artists in a Time of Glasnost.

Solomon is an activist in LGBT rights, mental health, education and the arts. He is a member of the boards of directors of the National LGBTQ Force and Trans Youth Family Allies. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of Columbia University Medical Center, serves on the National Advisory Board of the Depression Center at the University of Michigan, is a director of Columbia Psychiatry and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Solomon also serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yaddo and The Alex Fund, which supports the education of Romani children. He is also a fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University and a member of the New York Institute for the Humanities and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Solomon lives with his husband and son in New York and London and is a dual national. He also has a daughter with a college friend; mother and daughter live in Texas but visit often.


More profile about the speaker
Andrew Solomon | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxMet

Andrew Solomon: Depression, the secret we share

Andrew Solomon: Depresión, o secreto que compartimos

Filmed:
10,174,764 views

"O oposto á depresión non é a felicidade, senón a vitalidade, e era a vitalidade o que parecía fuxir de min naquel momento". Nunha conferencia a partes iguais elocuente e devastadora, o escritor Andrew Solomon lévate ás esquinas máis escuras da súa mente durante os anos que pelexou contra a depresión. Isto levouno a unha esclarecedora viaxe a través do mundo para entrevistar outras persoas con depresión e a descubrir, para a súa sorpresa, que canto máis falaba el, máis querían as outras persoas contar as súas propias historias. (Gravado en TEDxMet).
- Writer
Andrew Solomon writes about politics, culture and psychology. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
"I felt a funeral in my brain,
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"Sentín un funeral no meu cerebro,
e os parentes ían e viñan
00:19
and mourners to and fro
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camiñando, camiñando
ata que, pareceu,
00:22
kept treading, treading till I felt
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00:24
that sense was breaking through.
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que o sentido crebaba totalmente.
E cando todos estiveron sentados,
00:27
And when they all were seated,
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00:29
a service, like a drum,
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unha liturxia, como un tambor,
00:31
kept beating, beating, till I felt
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comezou a bater, a bater
ata que pensei
00:34
my mind was going numb.
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que a miña mente adormecía
E logo oínos erguer o caixón
e renxer a través da miña alma
00:37
And then I heard them lift a box
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00:39
and creak across my soul
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00:41
with those same boots of lead again,
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coas mesmas botas de chumbo, outra vez,
e o espazo comezou a tanxer,
00:45
then space began to toll,
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Coma se os ceos fosen unha campá,
e a existencia só un oído,
00:48
as if the heavens were a bell
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00:50
and being were an ear,
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00:52
and I, and silence, some strange race
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e eu, e o silencio, unha raza estraña
desfeita, solitaria, aquí.
00:55
wrecked, solitary, here.
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E entón un baleiro na razón, rompeu
00:58
Just then, a plank in reason broke,
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01:01
and I fell down and down
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e caín máis e máis abaixo
e dei cun mundo, a cada mergullo,
01:05
and hit a world at every plunge,
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01:07
and finished knowing then."
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e acabei sabendo, daquela"
01:12
We know depression through metaphors.
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Coñecemos a depresión
a través de metáforas.
Emily Dickinson foi capaz
de expresalo con palabras,
01:15
Emily Dickinson was able to convey it in language,
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01:19
Goya in an image.
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Goya, nunha imaxe.
01:22
Half the purpose of art
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A metade do propósito da arte
é describir estes estados icónicos.
01:24
is to describe such iconic states.
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01:27
As for me, I had always thought myself tough,
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Canto a min, sempre me vin
como unha persoa dura,
01:31
one of the people who could survive
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unha das que poderían sobrevivir
01:33
if I'd been sent to a concentration camp.
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se me enviasen
a un campo de concentración.
01:36
In 1991, I had a series of losses.
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En 1991, sufrín unha serie de perdas.
01:39
My mother died,
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A miña nai morreu,
01:41
a relationship I'd been in ended,
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rematou a relación na que estaba,
01:43
I moved back to the United States
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volvín para os Estados Unidos
despois duns anos no estranxeiro
01:45
from some years abroad,
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01:47
and I got through all of those experiences intact.
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e pasei por estas experiencias intacto.
01:50
But in 1994, three years later,
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Pero en 1994, tres anos despois,
01:53
I found myself losing interest in almost everything.
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atopeime perdendo o interese en case todo,
01:57
I didn't want to do any of the things
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non quería facer nada
do que antes si quería,
01:59
I had previously wanted to do,
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02:01
and I didn't know why.
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e non sabía o porqué.
02:03
The opposite of depression
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O contrario da depresión
non é a felicidade, senón a vitalidade.
02:05
is not happiness, but vitality,
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02:08
and it was vitality
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E era a vitalidade
02:10
that seemed to seep away from me in that moment.
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a que se esvaecía
para min naquel momento.
02:14
Everything there was to do
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Todo o que había para facer
era demasiado traballo.
02:16
seemed like too much work.
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02:18
I would come home
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Volvía á casa
02:20
and I would see the red light
flashing on my answering machine,
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e vía pestanexar a luz
vermella do contestador
02:23
and instead of being thrilled to hear from my friends,
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e en vez de aledarme por
saber dos meus amigos,
02:25
I would think,
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pensaba:
02:27
"What a lot of people that is to have to call back."
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"Vaia morea de xente á que lle
teño que devolver a chamada"
02:30
Or I would decide I should have lunch,
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Ou decidía que tiña que comer
02:32
and then I would think, but
I'd have to get the food out
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pero despois pensaba:
teño que coller a comida,
02:35
and put it on a plate
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poñela no prato
02:37
and cut it up and chew it and swallow it,
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e cortala e mastigala e tragala,
02:41
and it felt to me like the Stations of the Cross.
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e sentía que eran
as estacións do Viacrucis.
02:45
And one of the things that often gets lost
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E algo que a miúdo se esquece
ao falar de depresión
02:47
in discussions of depression
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02:49
is that you know it's ridiculous.
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é que ti sabes que é absurdo.
02:51
You know it's ridiculous while you're experiencing it.
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Sabes que é absurdo
mentres o experimentas.
02:54
You know that most people manage
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Sabes que a maioría da xente é quen
02:56
to listen to their messages and eat lunch
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de escoitar as menxases e xantar
02:58
and organize themselves to take a shower
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e organizarse para ducharse
03:00
and go out the front door
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e saír pola porta
03:02
and that it's not a big deal,
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e que non é gran cousa,
03:03
and yet you are nonetheless in its grip
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e aínda así estás nas súas gadoupas,
03:06
and you are unable to figure out any way around it.
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e es incapaz de idear unha saída.
03:10
And so I began to feel myself doing less
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Así que comecei a sentir que facía menos
03:15
and thinking less
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e pensaba menos
03:17
and feeling less.
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e sentía menos.
03:19
It was a kind of nullity.
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Era unha especie de nulidade.
03:22
And then the anxiety set in.
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E despois chegou a ansiedade.
03:24
If you told me that I'd have to be
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Se me dis que teño que estar
deprimido o próximo mes,
03:26
depressed for the next month,
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diría: "Se está rematado
en novembro, podo facelo."
03:28
I would say, "As long I know it'll be
over in November, I can do it."
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Pero se me dis:
03:31
But if you said to me,
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03:32
"You have to have acute anxiety for the next month,"
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"Tes que ter ansiedade aguda
durante o próximo mes"
03:35
I would rather slit my wrist than go through it.
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Preferiría cortar as veas
antes de pasar por iso.
03:38
It was the feeling all the time
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Era sentir continuamente
03:40
like that feeling you have if you're walking
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coma cando vas andando
03:42
and you slip or trip
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e esvaras ou tropezas
e o chan achégase a ti,
03:43
and the ground is rushing up at you,
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03:45
but instead of lasting half a
second, the way that does,
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pero en vez de durar medio segundo como é,
03:48
it lasted for six months.
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dura seis meses.
03:50
It's a sensation of being afraid all the time
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É a sensación de estar sempre asustado,
03:53
but not even knowing what it is that you're afraid of.
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pero sen sequera saber
de que estás asustado.
03:57
And it was at that point that I began to think
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E foi nese punto cando comecei a pensar
03:59
that it was just too painful to be alive,
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que estar vivo era
sinxelamente demasiado doloroso,
04:03
and that the only reason not to kill oneself
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e que a única razón para non suicidarme
04:06
was so as not to hurt other people.
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era non ferir outra xente.
04:09
And finally one day, I woke up
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E finalmente un día espertei
04:12
and I thought perhaps I'd had a stroke,
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e pensei que quizais sufrira un ataque,
04:14
because I lay in bed completely frozen,
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porque estaba na cama
totalmente inmobilizado,
04:16
looking at the telephone, thinking,
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mirando o teléfono, pensando:
04:18
"Something is wrong and I should call for help,"
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"Algo vai mal e debería chamar
para pedir axuda"
04:22
and I couldn't reach out my arm
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e non podía estirar o brazo
04:24
and pick up the phone and dial.
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e agarrar o teléfono e marcar.
04:26
And finally, after four full hours
of my lying and staring at it,
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E finalmente, despois de catro horas
deitado mirándoo
04:30
the phone rang,
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o teléfono soou,
04:32
and somehow I managed to pick it up,
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e dalgún xeito conseguín contestar
04:34
and it was my father,
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e era o meu pai e dixen:
04:36
and I said, "I'm in serious trouble.
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"Teño un problema serio,
Temos que facer algo."
04:39
We need to do something."
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04:41
The next day I started with the medications
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O día seguinte comecei
coa medicación e a terapia.
04:44
and the therapy.
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04:47
And I also started reckoning
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E tamén empecei a considerar
esta terrible cuestión:
04:49
with this terrible question:
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04:51
If I'm not the tough person
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Se non son a persoa dura,
04:53
who could have made it
through a concentration camp,
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que podería sobrevivir
a un campo de concentración,
04:56
then who am I?
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entón quen son?
04:57
And if I have to take medication,
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E se tiña que tomar medicación,
04:59
is that medication making me more fully myself,
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esa medicación facíame
ser completamente eu,
05:03
or is it making me someone else?
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ou convertíame noutra persoa?
05:05
And how do I feel about it
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E que me parecía se me convertía noutro?
05:07
if it's making me someone else?
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05:09
I had two advantages as I went in to the fight.
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Tiña dúas vantaxes nesta travesía.
05:13
The first is that I knew that, objectively speaking,
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A primeira é que eu sabía que,
falando obxectivamente,
05:16
I had a nice life,
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tiña unha boa vida,
05:17
and that if I could only get well,
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e que se era capaz de poñerme ben
05:19
there was something at the other end
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había algo ao final
polo que valía a pena vivir.
05:21
that was worth living for.
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05:23
And the other was that I had
access to good treatment.
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E a outra é que tiña acceso
a un bo tratamento.
05:26
But I nonetheless emerged and relapsed,
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Pero aínda así saín e recaín,
05:29
and emerged and relapsed,
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e saín e recaín,
05:32
and emerged and relapsed,
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e saín e recaín,
05:35
and finally understood
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e finalmente entendín
05:37
I would have to be on medication
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que tería que medicarme
e ir a terapia para sempre.
05:39
and in therapy forever.
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E pensei:
05:41
And I thought, "But is it a chemical problem
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"Pero é un problema químico
ou psicolóxico?
05:44
or a psychological problem?
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05:45
And does it need a chemical cure
or a philosophical cure?"
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E precisa dunha cura química
ou unha cura filosófica?"
05:49
And I couldn't figure out which it was.
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E non fun quen de saber a resposta.
05:51
And then I understood that actually,
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E logo entendín que en realidade
05:54
we aren't advanced enough in either area
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non estamos tan avanzados nesas
áreas como para explicalo todo.
05:56
for it to explain things fully.
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05:58
The chemical cure and the psychological cure
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Tanto a cura química
como a cura psicolóxica
06:01
both have a role to play,
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teñen un papel que cumprir,
06:03
and I also figured out that depression was something
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e tamén souben que a depresión era
algo entretecido tan profundamente en nós
06:06
that was braided so deep into us
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06:09
that there was no separating it
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que non se podía separar
do noso carácter e personalidade.
06:10
from our character and personality.
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06:13
I want to say that the treatments we have
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Quero decir que os tratamentos
para a depresión son terribles.
06:15
for depression are appalling.
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06:17
They're not very effective.
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Non son moi efectivos.
06:19
They're extremely costly.
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Son moi caros.
06:21
They come with innumerable side effects.
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Teñen innumerables efectos secundarios.
06:24
They're a disaster.
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Son un desastre.
06:25
But I am so grateful that I live now
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Pero estou tan agradecido por vivir
agora e non hai 50 anos,
06:28
and not 50 years ago,
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06:30
when there would have been almost nothing
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cando non se podería facer case nada.
06:32
to be done.
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06:33
I hope that 50 years hence,
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Espero que dentro de 50 anos,
06:36
people will hear about my treatments
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a xente oia falar dos meus tratamentos
06:37
and be appalled that anyone endured
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e se arrepíe de que alguén soportara
unha ciencia tan primitiva.
06:40
such primitive science.
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06:42
Depression is the flaw in love.
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A depresión é a imperfección do amor.
06:47
If you were married to someone and thought,
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Se estás casado con alguén e pensas:
06:50
"Well, if my wife dies, I'll find another one,"
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"Ben, se a miña muller morre,
atoparei outra"
06:54
it wouldn't be love as we know it.
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non sería amor tal como o coñecemos.
06:57
There's no such thing as love
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Non existe o amor
sen a anticipación da perda,
06:59
without the anticipation of loss,
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07:01
and that specter of despair
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e o espectro da desesperación
pode ser o motor da intimidade.
07:04
can be the engine of intimacy.
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07:08
There are three things people tend to confuse:
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Hai tres cousas que
a xente tende a confundir:
07:11
depression, grief and sadness.
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depresión, dor e tristeza.
07:14
Grief is explicitly reactive.
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A dor é explicitamente reactiva.
07:18
If you have a loss and you feel incredibly unhappy,
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Se sofres unha perda
e te sentes moi infeliz,
07:21
and then, six months later,
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e logo, 6 meses despois,
07:22
you are still deeply sad, but
you're functioning a little better,
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estás aínda moi triste,
pero xa empezas a funcionar mellor,
07:25
it's probably grief,
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probablemente sexa dor,
07:27
and it will probably ultimately resolve itself
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e probablemente se resolva
por si mesma en certa medida.
07:29
in some measure.
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07:31
If you experience a catastrophic loss,
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Se experimentas unha perda catastrófica,
07:34
and you feel terrible,
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e te sentes fatal,
07:35
and six months later you can barely function at all,
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e seis meses despois
case non podes funcionar,
07:38
then it's probably a depression that was triggered
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probablemente se desencadeou
unha depresión
07:40
by the catastrophic circumstances.
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polas circunstancias catastróficas.
07:43
The trajectory tells us a great deal.
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A traxectoria dinos moito.
07:47
People think of depression as being just sadness.
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A xente pensa na depresión
simplemente como estar triste.
07:50
It's much, much too much sadness,
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É moita, moita, demasiada tristeza,
07:52
much too much grief
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moita, demasiada dor,
07:54
at far too slight a cause.
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por algo tan lixeiro.
07:57
As I set out to understand depression,
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Cando comezaba a comprender a depresión
08:00
and to interview people who had experienced it,
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e a entrevistar persoas que a sufriran,
08:02
I found that there were people who seemed
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atopei que había xente que tiña
a primeira vista o que parecía
08:05
on the surface to have what sounded like
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08:07
relatively mild depression
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unha relativamente leve depresión
08:09
who were nonetheless utterly disabled by it.
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3447
e que estaban aínda así
totalmente incapacitados por ela.
08:13
And there were other people who had what sounded
187
481195
1858
E había outra xente que parecía ter,
08:15
as they described it
188
483053
1312
segundo a describía, unha depresión grave
08:16
like terribly severe depression
189
484365
2251
08:18
who nonetheless had good lives in the interstices
190
486616
2815
que tiña porén boas vidas
08:21
between their depressive episodes.
191
489431
2155
nos intervalos entre episodios depresivos.
08:23
And I set out to find out what it is
192
491586
2685
E comecei a descubrir o que
causaba que certas persoas
08:26
that causes some people
193
494271
1603
fosen máis resilientes que outras.
08:27
to be more resilient than other people.
194
495874
2253
08:30
What are the mechanisms
195
498127
1559
Cales son os mecanismos
que lle permiten á xente sobrevivir?
08:31
that allow people to survive?
196
499686
1844
08:33
And I went out and I interviewed person after person
197
501530
3169
E saín entrevistar unha tras outra
08:36
who was suffering with depression.
198
504699
2175
persoas que estaban sufrindo depresión.
08:38
One of the first people I interviewed
199
506874
1951
Unha das primeiras ás que entrevistei
08:40
described depression
200
508825
1881
describiu a depresión como
un xeito máis lento de estar morto
08:42
as a slower way of being dead,
201
510706
3261
08:45
and that was a good thing for me to hear early on
202
513967
2124
e para min foi unha boa cousa
oílo ao principio
08:48
because it reminded me
203
516091
1366
porque me recordou
que ese xeito lento de estar morto
08:49
that that slow way of being dead
204
517457
1999
08:51
can lead to actual deadness,
205
519456
2035
pode levar a unha morte real,
08:53
that this is a serious business.
206
521491
2004
que é un asunto serio.
08:55
It's the leading disability worldwide,
207
523495
2659
É o líder mundial da discapacidade,
08:58
and people die of it every day.
208
526154
3030
e a xente morre diso cada día.
09:01
One of the people I talked to
209
529184
1769
Unha das persoas coas que falei
cando intentaba entender isto
09:02
when I was trying to understand this
210
530953
1974
09:04
was a beloved friend
211
532927
1668
era unha querida amiga
coñecida desde había moitos anos,
09:06
who I had known for many years,
212
534595
2018
09:08
and who had had a psychotic episode
213
536613
2542
e que sufrira un episodio psicótico
no primeiro ano da facultade
09:11
in her freshman year of college,
214
539155
1904
09:13
and then plummeted into a horrific depression.
215
541059
3056
e que despois caeu de golpe
nunha depresión terrible.
09:16
She had bipolar illness,
216
544115
1426
Tiña síndrome bipolar,
09:17
or manic depression, as it was then known.
217
545541
2643
ou enfermidade maníaco-depresiva,
como se dicía daquela,
09:20
And then she did very well
218
548184
2044
e foille moi ben co litio
durante moitos anos,
09:22
for many years on lithium,
219
550228
1708
09:23
and then eventually,
220
551936
1375
e logo, co tempo, quitáronlle o litio
09:25
she was taken off her lithium
221
553311
1960
09:27
to see how she would do without it,
222
555271
1835
para ver como estaba sen el,
09:29
and she had another psychosis,
223
557106
1975
e tivo outra psicose
09:31
and then plunged into the worst depression
224
559081
2338
e logo caeu na peor depresión
que vin na miña vida,
09:33
that I had ever seen
225
561419
1872
09:35
in which she sat in her parents' apartment,
226
563291
3015
durante a que sentaba no
apartamento dos pais
09:38
more or less catatonic, essentially without moving,
227
566306
3077
mais ou menos catatónica,
basicamente sen moverse,
09:41
day after day after day.
228
569383
2482
día tras día tras día.
09:43
And when I interviewed her about
that experience some years later --
229
571865
3217
E cando lle preguntei
sobre esta experiencia anos despois,
09:47
she's a poet and psychotherapist
named Maggie Robbins —
230
575082
3331
-é unha poeta e psicoterapeuta
chamada Maggie Robbins-
09:50
when I interviewed her, she said,
231
578413
3233
cando a entrevistei, díxome:
09:53
"I was singing 'Where Have All The Flowers Gone'
232
581646
3384
"Estaba cantando 'A onde foron as flores'
09:57
over and over to occupy my mind.
233
585030
3210
unha e outra vez para ocupar a mente.
10:00
I was singing to blot out the
things my mind was saying,
234
588240
3135
Cantaba para bloquear
as cousas que dicía a miña mente,
10:03
which were, 'You are nothing. You are nobody.
235
591375
4490
que eran 'Non es nada. Non es ninguén.
10:07
You don't even deserve to live.'
236
595865
2826
Non mereces nin vivir.'
10:10
And that was when I really started thinking
237
598691
2178
E aí foi cando de verdade comecei a pensar
10:12
about killing myself."
238
600869
2213
en suicidarme".
10:15
You don't think in depression
239
603082
1908
Durante a depresión non pensas
que che puxeron un veo gris
10:16
that you've put on a gray veil
240
604990
2137
10:19
and are seeing the world through the haze
241
607127
1980
e que ves o mundo a través
dunha néboa de mal humor.
10:21
of a bad mood.
242
609107
1894
10:23
You think that the veil has been taken away,
243
611001
2720
Pensas que che quitaron o veo,
10:25
the veil of happiness,
244
613721
1922
o veo da felicidade,
10:27
and that now you're seeing truly.
245
615643
2424
e que agora ves a verdade.
10:30
It's easier to help schizophrenics who perceive
246
618067
2964
É máis fácil axudar
esquizofrénicos que perciben
10:33
that there's something foreign inside of them
247
621031
1811
que hai algo alleo dentro deles
que precisa ser exorcizado,
10:34
that needs to be exorcised,
248
622842
2187
10:37
but it's difficult with depressives,
249
625029
2164
pero é difícil cos depresivos,
10:39
because we believe we are seeing the truth.
250
627193
3847
porque cremos que estamos vendo a verdade.
10:43
But the truth lies.
251
631040
2947
Pero a verdade mente.
10:45
I became obsessed with that sentence:
252
633987
1998
Obsesioneime con esa frase:
10:47
"But the truth lies."
253
635985
2375
"Pero a verdade mente"
10:50
And I discovered, as I talked to depressive people,
254
638360
2453
E descubrín, ao falar
con persoas deprimidas,
10:52
that they have many delusional perceptions.
255
640813
2682
que teñen moitas percepcións ficticias.
10:55
People will say, "No one loves me."
256
643495
1667
Eles diranche "Ninguén me quere"
10:57
And you say, "I love you,
257
645162
1651
e ti dislles "Eu quérote,
10:58
your wife loves you, your mother loves you."
258
646813
2522
a túa muller quérete, a túa nai quérete".
11:01
You can answer that one pretty readily,
259
649335
1923
Podes contestar sen problemas
polo menos a maioría da xente.
11:03
at least for most people.
260
651258
1665
11:04
But people who are depressed will also say,
261
652923
2267
Pero a xente deprimida tamén che dirá:
11:07
"No matter what we do,
262
655190
1705
"Tanto ten o que fagamos,
ao final imos morrer."
11:08
we're all just going to die in the end."
263
656895
2273
11:11
Or they'll say, "There can be no true communion
264
659168
2203
Ou dirán: "Non pode haber
auténtica comunión
11:13
between two human beings.
265
661371
1653
entre dous seres humanos.
11:15
Each of us is trapped in his own body."
266
663024
2576
Cada un está atrapado no seu propio corpo"
11:17
To which you have to say,
267
665600
1849
Ao que tes que responder
11:19
"That's true,
268
667449
1321
"Iso é certo,
11:20
but I think we should focus right now
269
668770
1818
pero creo que agora deberiamos
centrarnos en qué imos almorzar".
11:22
on what to have for breakfast."
270
670588
1896
11:24
(Laughter)
271
672484
2185
(Risos)
11:26
A lot of the time,
272
674669
1669
Gran parte do tempo,
11:28
what they are expressing is not illness, but insight,
273
676338
2896
o que expresan non é tristura,
senón perspicacia,
11:31
and one comes to think what's really extraordinary
274
679234
2657
e isto lévame a pensar
que é extraordinario
11:33
is that most of us know about
those existential questions
275
681891
2934
que a maioría de nós
coñece estas preguntas existenciais
11:36
and they don't distract us very much.
276
684825
2290
sen que nos distraian moito.
11:39
There was a study I particularly liked
277
687115
2159
Había un estudo que
me gustaba especialmente
11:41
in which a group of depressed
278
689274
1680
no cal a un grupo de xente deprimida e
a un de xente non deprimida
11:42
and a group of non-depressed people
279
690954
1901
11:44
were asked to play a video game for an hour,
280
692855
2623
se lles pide que xoguen
a un videoxogo durante unha hora,
11:47
and at the end of the hour,
281
695478
1813
e ao final desa hora,
11:49
they were asked how many little monsters
282
697291
1651
preguntábaselles cantos monstruíños
pensaban que mataran.
11:50
they thought they had killed.
283
698942
1864
11:52
The depressive group was usually accurate
284
700806
2212
O grupo deprimido normalmente acertaba
cunha marxe dun 10 por cento,
11:55
to within about 10 percent,
285
703018
2058
11:57
and the non-depressed people
286
705076
1471
e o grupo de non deprimidos
11:58
guessed between 15 and 20 times as many
287
706547
3545
supoñía entre 15 e 20 veces máis
monstruíños
12:02
little monsters — (Laughter) —
288
710092
1742
(Risos)
12:03
as they had actually killed.
289
711834
4111
dos que realmente mataran.
12:07
A lot of people said, when I chose
to write about my depression,
290
715945
3066
Moita xente dixo, cando decidín
escribir sobre a miña depresión,
12:11
that it must be very difficult
291
719011
1769
que debía ser moi difícil expoñerse así,
12:12
to be out of that closet, to have people know.
292
720780
3124
que a xente o soubese.
12:15
They said, "Do people talk to you differently?"
293
723904
2200
Dicían: "A xente fálache distinto?"
12:18
And I said, "Yes, people talk to me differently.
294
726104
2072
e eu dicía: "Si, a xente
fálame distinto.
12:20
They talk to me differently insofar
295
728176
1914
Fálanme distinto desde o momento
12:22
as they start telling me about their experience,
296
730090
2790
en que comezan a falarme
da súa experiencia,
12:24
or their sister's experience,
297
732880
1835
ou da experiencia da súa irmá,
12:26
or their friend's experience.
298
734715
1774
ou da experiencia do seu amigo.
12:28
Things are different because now I know
299
736489
2292
A cousas son diferentes porque agora sei
12:30
that depression is the family secret
300
738781
2681
que a depresión é o segredo familiar
que todo o mundo ten.
12:33
that everyone has.
301
741462
2077
12:35
I went a few years ago to a conference,
302
743539
3628
Hai uns anos fun a unha conferencia
12:39
and on Friday of the three-day conference,
303
747167
2653
e o venres da conferencia de tres días
12:41
one of the participants took me aside, and she said,
304
749820
2891
unha das participantes
levoume á parte e díxome:
12:44
"I suffer from depression and
305
752711
3405
"Teño depresión
e dáme un pouco de vergoña,
12:48
I'm a little embarrassed about it,
306
756116
2769
12:50
but I've been taking this medication,
307
758885
2103
pero estiven tomando esta medicación,
12:52
and I just wanted to ask you what you think?"
308
760988
2948
e só quería preguntarche que opinas".
12:55
And so I did my best to give
her such advice as I could.
309
763936
2834
Así que me esforcei en darlle
o mellor consello que puiden.
12:58
And then she said, "You know,
310
766770
1720
E entón díxome: "Sabes?
o meu home nunca entendería isto.
13:00
my husband would never understand this.
311
768490
2791
13:03
He's really the kind of guy to whom
this wouldn't make any sense,
312
771281
2573
É o tipo de persoa para o que
isto non tería sentido,
13:05
so I just, you know, it's just between us."
313
773854
2867
así que, xa sabes, que quede entre nós."
13:08
And I said, "Yes, that's fine."
314
776721
1786
E díxenlle: "Si, está ben."
13:10
On Sunday of the same conference,
315
778507
2109
No domingo da mesma conferencia,
13:12
her husband took me aside,
316
780616
3044
o seu home chamoume á parte
(Risos)
13:15
and he said, "My wife wouldn't think
317
783660
1694
e díxome "A miña muller non me vería
13:17
that I was really much of a guy if she knew this,
318
785354
2435
como o home que son se o soubese
13:19
but I've been dealing with this depression
319
787789
2466
pero estou loitando cunha depresión
e estou tomando esta medicación
13:22
and I'm taking some medication,
320
790255
1354
13:23
and I wondered what you think?"
321
791609
2505
e preguntábame que opinabas".
13:26
They were hiding
322
794114
1423
Estaban agochando a mesma medicación
13:27
the same medication in two different places
323
795537
2215
en dous sitios distintos do mesmo cuarto.
13:29
in the same bedroom.
324
797752
2645
(Risos)
13:32
And I said that I thought
325
800397
2021
E díxenlle que pensaba
que a comunicación no matrimonio
13:34
communication within the marriage
326
802418
1684
13:36
might be triggering some of their problems.
327
804102
2014
podía estar desencadeando
algúns dos problemas.
13:38
(Laughter)
328
806116
4191
(Risos)
13:42
But I was also struck
329
810307
1655
Pero tamén quedei abraiado
13:43
by the burdensome nature
330
811962
1806
pola incómoda natureza do segredo mutuo.
13:45
of such mutual secrecy.
331
813768
2373
13:48
Depression is so exhausting.
332
816141
1885
A depresión tamén é extenuante,
13:50
It takes up so much of your time and energy,
333
818026
2768
Requíreche tanto tempo e enerxía,
13:52
and silence about it,
334
820794
1504
e o silencio ao respecto
13:54
it really does make the depression worse.
335
822298
2731
realmente empeora a depresión.
13:57
And then I began thinking about all the ways
336
825029
1733
E despois comecei a pensar
13:58
people make themselves better.
337
826762
1966
en todos os xeitos cos
que a xente se sente mellor.
14:00
I'd started off as a medical conservative.
338
828728
2439
Comecei como un conservador da medicina.
14:03
I thought there were a few
kinds of therapy that worked,
339
831167
2372
Pensaba que un par
de tipos de terapia funcionaban,
14:05
it was clear what they were --
340
833539
1809
estaba claro que o facían,
14:07
there was medication,
341
835348
1644
estaba a medicación,
14:08
there were certain psychotherapies,
342
836992
1476
algúns tipos de psicoterapia,
14:10
there was possibly electroconvulsive treatment,
343
838468
2445
estaba posiblemente
a terapia electroconvulsiva,
14:12
and that everything else was nonsense.
344
840913
2675
e todo o demais non tiña sentido.
14:15
But then I discovered something.
345
843588
1832
Pero entón descubrín algo.
14:17
If you have brain cancer,
346
845420
1752
Se tes un tumor cerebral
14:19
and you say that standing on your head
347
847172
1472
e dis que facer o pino
20 minutos cada mañá
14:20
for 20 minutes every morning makes you feel better,
348
848644
2995
fai que te sintas mellor,
14:23
it may make you feel better,
349
851639
1514
se cadra faino,
pero segues tendo un tumor cerebral,
14:25
but you still have brain cancer,
350
853153
1588
14:26
and you'll still probably die from it.
351
854741
2289
e probablemente vaias morrer igual.
14:29
But if you say that you have depression,
352
857030
2512
Pero se dis que tes unha depresión,
14:31
and standing on your head for 20 minutes every day
353
859542
2105
e que facer o pino 20 minutos cada día
14:33
makes you feel better, then it's worked,
354
861647
2484
fai que te sintas mellor, entón funcionou,
14:36
because depression is an illness of how you feel,
355
864131
2360
porque a depresión é unha
doenza de como te sentes,
14:38
and if you feel better,
356
866491
1609
e se te sentes mellor,
14:40
then you are effectively not depressed anymore.
357
868100
2830
entón efectivamente
xa non estás deprimido.
14:42
So I became much more tolerant
358
870930
2033
Así que me volvín moito máis tolerante
14:44
of the vast world of alternative treatments.
359
872963
2925
co amplo mundo
dos tratamentos alternativos.
14:47
And I get letters, I get hundreds of letters
360
875888
2384
E recibo cartas, recibo centos de cartas
14:50
from people writing to tell me
about what's worked for them.
361
878272
2516
de xente que me conta
o que lles funcionou.
14:52
Someone was asking me backstage today
362
880788
2201
Alguén me preguntou hoxe
entre bastidores, sobre a meditación.
14:54
about meditation.
363
882989
1463
14:56
My favorite of the letters that I got
364
884452
2465
A miña carta favorita,
entre as que recibín, era dunha muller
14:58
was the one that came from a woman
365
886917
1474
15:00
who wrote and said that she had tried therapy,
366
888391
2207
que escribiu e me dixo que
probara terapia, medicación,
15:02
she had tried medication,
she had tried pretty much everything,
367
890598
2387
que probara case de todo,
15:04
and she had found a solution
and hoped I would tell the world,
368
892985
2837
pero atopou a solución, e quería
que eu llo dixese ao mundo,
15:07
and that was making little things from yarn.
369
895822
3812
e era facer cousiñas de fío.
15:11
(Laughter)
370
899634
2999
(Risos)
15:14
She sent me some of them. (Laughter)
371
902633
3524
Envioume algunhas.
(Risos)
15:18
And I'm not wearing them right now.
372
906157
3688
E non as levo postas agora mesmo.
(Risos)
15:21
I suggested to her that she also should look up
373
909845
2515
Suxerinlle que debería mirar tamén
trastorno obsesivo compulsivo no DSM.
15:24
obsessive compulsive disorder in the DSM.
374
912360
4048
15:28
And yet, when I went to look
at alternative treatments,
375
916408
3128
E así, cando miraba
os tratamentos alternativos,
15:31
I also gained perspective on other treatments.
376
919536
2908
gañaba perspectiva respecto
aos outros tratamentos.
15:34
I went through a tribal exorcism in Senegal
377
922444
2903
Pasei por un exorcismo tribal en Senegal
15:37
that involved a great deal of ram's blood
378
925347
2013
que incluía bastante
sangue de año
15:39
and that I'm not going to detail right now,
379
927360
2062
e do que non vou dar detalles agora mesmo,
15:41
but a few years afterwards I was in Rwanda
380
929422
2000
pero uns anos despois estaba en Ruanda,
15:43
working on a different project,
381
931422
1758
traballando nun proxecto distinto,
15:45
and I happened to describe
my experience to someone,
382
933180
2796
E resulta que lle describín
a miña experiencia a alguén,
15:47
and he said, "Well, you know,
383
935976
1760
e díxome:
Ben, iso é o oeste de África,
estamos no leste
15:49
that's West Africa, and we're in East Africa,
384
937736
1820
15:51
and our rituals are in some ways very different,
385
939556
1834
e os nosos rituais son distintos
nalgúns aspectos,
15:53
but we do have some rituals that have something
386
941390
2013
pero temos algúns rituais
que teñen algo en común co que describes."
15:55
in common with what you're describing."
387
943403
1987
15:57
And I said, "Oh." And he said, "Yes," he said,
388
945390
1663
E dixo:
"Pero temos moitos problemas cos
traballadores occidentais de saúde mental,
15:59
"but we've had a lot of trouble with
Western mental health workers,
389
947053
2642
16:01
especially the ones who came
right after the genocide."
390
949695
2757
especialmente cos que
viñeron tralo xenocidio."
16:04
And I said, "What kind of trouble did you have?"
391
952452
2327
E dixen: "Que tipo de problemas tedes?
16:06
And he said, "Well,
392
954779
1546
E díxome: "Ben, fan cousas moi estrañas.
16:08
they would do this bizarre thing.
393
956325
2664
16:10
They didn't take people out in the sunshine
394
958989
1885
Non levan a xente ao sol,
16:12
where you begin to feel better.
395
960874
1700
cando comezan a estar mellor,
16:14
They didn't include drumming or music
to get people's blood going.
396
962574
3094
non inclúen percusión ou música
que fai que o sangue se mova.
16:17
They didn't involve the whole community.
397
965668
1842
Non implican toda a comunidade.
16:19
They didn't externalize the depression
398
967510
1775
Non externalizan a depresión
como un espírito invasor.
16:21
as an invasive spirit.
399
969285
1433
16:22
Instead what they did was they took people
400
970718
2631
En vez diso, o que fan é levar a xente
unha por unha a uns cuartiños sórdidos
16:25
one at a time into dingy little rooms
401
973349
2628
16:27
and had them talk for an hour
402
975977
1343
e teñenos falando unha hora
16:29
about bad things that had happened to them."
403
977320
2230
sobre as cousas malas que lles pasaron."
16:31
(Laughter) (Applause)
404
979550
5460
(Risos)
(Aplausos)
16:37
He said, "We had to ask them to leave the country."
405
985010
2362
Díxome: "Pedímoslles
que marchasen do país."
16:39
(Laughter)
406
987372
3057
(Risos)
16:42
Now at the other end of alternative treatments,
407
990429
2444
Na outra esquina dos
tratamentos alternativos,
16:44
let me tell you about Frank Russakoff.
408
992873
2035
deixádeme falarvos de Frank Russakoff.
16:46
Frank Russakoff had the worst depression
409
994908
3053
Frank Russakoff tiña probablemente
a peor depresión que vin nun home.
16:49
perhaps that I've ever seen in a man.
410
997961
2915
16:52
He was constantly depressed.
411
1000876
1993
Estaba continuamente deprimido,
16:54
He was, when I met him, at a point at which
412
1002869
2141
Estaba, cando o coñecín, nun punto no que
16:57
every month he would have electroshock treatment.
413
1005010
3158
cada mes recibía un
tratamento de electroshock.
17:00
Then he would feel sort of disoriented for a week.
414
1008168
2575
Sentíase desorientado unha semana,
17:02
Then he would feel okay for a week.
415
1010743
1803
despois sentíase ben unha semana,
17:04
Then he would have a week of going downhill.
416
1012546
1700
despois tiña unha semana de caída,
17:06
And then he would have another
electroshock treatment.
417
1014246
2685
e despois recibía outro
tratamento de electroshock.
17:08
And he said to me when I met him,
418
1016931
1415
E cando o coñecín díxome:
17:10
"It's unbearable to go through my weeks this way.
419
1018346
2552
"É insufrible pasar as
semanas deste xeito,
17:12
I can't go on this way,
420
1020898
1507
non podo seguir así,
17:14
and I've figured out how I'm going to end it
421
1022405
2264
e xa sei como vou acabar
17:16
if I don't get better.
422
1024669
1557
se non melloro.
17:18
But," he said to me, "I heard about a protocol
423
1026226
2708
Pero -díxome- oín falar dun protocolo
no Mass General
17:20
at Mass General for a procedure called
424
1028934
2223
para unha cirurxía chamada cingulotomía
que é unha operación cerebral,
17:23
a cingulotomy, which is a brain surgery,
425
1031157
2026
17:25
and I think I'm going to give that a try."
426
1033183
2571
e creo que o vou tentar."
17:27
And I remember being amazed at that point
427
1035754
1954
E lembro estar fascinado nese momento
ao pensar que alguén
17:29
to think that someone
428
1037708
1300
17:31
who clearly had so many bad experiences
429
1039008
3221
que claramente pasou por
tantas malas experiencias
17:34
with so many different treatments
430
1042229
1859
con tantos tratamentos diferentes
17:36
still had buried in him somewhere enough optimism
431
1044088
3122
aínda tivese nalgún sitio
do seu interior o optimismo
17:39
to reach out for one more.
432
1047210
2550
suficiente para buscar outro máis.
17:41
And he had the cingulotomy,
433
1049760
2180
E pasou por esta cirurxía
e tivo moito éxito.
17:43
and it was incredibly successful.
434
1051940
2041
17:45
He's now a friend of mine.
435
1053981
1493
Agora é amigo meu,
17:47
He has a lovely wife and two beautiful children.
436
1055474
3492
ten unha esposa adorable
e dous preciosos fillos.
17:50
He wrote me a letter the Christmas after the surgery,
437
1058966
2949
Escribiume unha carta
o Nadal posterior á operación
17:53
and he said,
438
1061915
1189
e díxome:
17:55
"My father sent me two presents this year,
439
1063104
2407
"O meu pai mandoume dous regalos este ano,
17:57
First, a motorized C.D. rack from The Sharper Image
440
1065511
2602
primeiro, unha torre de CD
automática de The Sharper Image
18:00
that I didn't really need,
441
1068113
1421
que eu non precisaba,
18:01
but I knew he was giving it to me to celebrate
442
1069534
2097
pero sei que ma estaba dando para celebrar
18:03
the fact that I'm living on my own
443
1071631
1728
que eu vivise só e tivese un traballo
que parecía encantarme.
18:05
and have a job I seem to love.
444
1073359
2047
18:07
And the other present
445
1075406
1561
E o outro regalo,
era unha foto da miña avoa,
18:08
was a photo of my grandmother,
446
1076967
1576
18:10
who committed suicide.
447
1078543
2252
que se suicidou.
18:12
As I unwrapped it, I began to cry,
448
1080795
2935
Cando o desenvolvín, comecei a chorar,
18:15
and my mother came over and said,
449
1083730
1880
e veu a miña nai e díxome:
18:17
'Are you crying because of the
relatives you never knew?'
450
1085610
3315
"Estás chorando por parentes
que non coñeciches?"
18:20
And I said, 'She had the same disease I have.'
451
1088925
4088
e eu díxenlle: "Tiña a mesma
enfermidade ca min".
18:25
I'm crying now as I write to you.
452
1093013
2581
Choro agora mentres che escribo.
18:27
It's not that I'm so sad, but I get overwhelmed,
453
1095594
3595
Non é que estea triste,
senón sobrecollido.
18:31
I think, because I could have killed myself,
454
1099189
2221
Porque creo que eu puiden suicidarme
18:33
but my parents kept me going,
455
1101410
1703
pero meus pais termaron de min,
e tamén os doutores
18:35
and so did the doctors,
456
1103113
1749
18:36
and I had the surgery.
457
1104862
1854
e a cirurxía.
18:38
I'm alive and grateful.
458
1106716
2815
Estou vivo e agradecido.
18:41
We live in the right time,
459
1109531
2260
Vivimos no momento correcto,
aínda que ás veces non o pareza."
18:43
even if it doesn't always feel like it."
460
1111791
3879
18:47
I was struck by the fact that depression
461
1115670
1897
Estaba sorprendido porque a depresión
18:49
is broadly perceived to be
462
1117567
1725
é maiormente percibida como unha cousa
moderna, occidental, da clase media,
18:51
a modern, Western, middle-class thing,
463
1119292
3537
18:54
and I went to look at how it operated
464
1122829
2152
e fun mirar como funcionaba
nunha variedade de contextos,
18:56
in a variety of other contexts,
465
1124981
2003
18:58
and one of the things I was most interested in
466
1126984
2119
e unha das cousas que
máis interese me causou
19:01
was depression among the indigent.
467
1129103
1790
foi a depresión entre os indixentes.
19:02
And so I went out to try to look at
468
1130893
1781
Así que intentei saber
19:04
what was being done for
poor people with depression.
469
1132674
2580
que se facía polas persoas
pobres con depresión,
19:07
And what I discovered is that poor people
470
1135254
2158
E o que descubrín foi
que as persoas pobres
19:09
are mostly not being treated for depression.
471
1137412
2557
maioritariamente non son tratadas
para a depresión.
19:11
Depression is the result of a genetic vulnerability,
472
1139969
2919
A depresión é o resultado
da vulneralidade xenética,
19:14
which is presumably evenly
distributed in the population,
473
1142888
3158
que en principio está distribuída
igualitariamente entre a poboación,
19:18
and triggering circumstances,
474
1146046
1953
e as circunstancias desencadeantes,
19:19
which are likely to be more severe
475
1147999
1903
que adoitan ser máis graves
para a xente empobrecida.
19:21
for people who are impoverished.
476
1149902
1875
19:23
And yet it turns out that if you have
477
1151777
2427
E aínda así resulta que se tes
unha vida estupenda
19:26
a really lovely life but feel miserable all the time,
478
1154204
2140
pero sempre te sentes miserable
19:28
you think, "Why do I feel like this?
479
1156344
2000
pensas: "Por que me sinto así?
19:30
I must have depression."
480
1158344
1669
Debo ter unha depresión."
19:32
And you set out to find treatment for it.
481
1160013
1923
E decides buscar un tratamento.
19:33
But if you have a perfectly awful life,
482
1161936
2093
Pero se tes unha vida desastrosa,
19:36
and you feel miserable all the time,
483
1164029
1867
e sénteste miserable todo o tempo,
19:37
the way you feel is commensurate with your life,
484
1165896
2826
o teu sentimento concorda coa túa vida,
19:40
and it doesn't occur to you to think,
485
1168722
1724
e non se che ocorre pensar,
19:42
"Maybe this is treatable."
486
1170446
1783
"Se cadra isto pódese tratar."
19:44
And so we have an epidemic in this country
487
1172229
3136
Así que temos unha epidemia neste país
19:47
of depression among impoverished people
488
1175365
2913
de depresión entre persoas empobrecidas
19:50
that's not being picked up
and that's not being treated
489
1178278
2512
que non se detecta, que non se trata
19:52
and that's not being addressed,
490
1180790
2056
e que non se aborda,
19:54
and it's a tragedy of a grand order.
491
1182846
2200
e é unha traxedia de gran magnitude.
19:57
And so I found an academic
492
1185046
1488
Así que atopei una académica
19:58
who was doing a research project
493
1186534
1817
que facía un proxecto de investigación
nos arrabaldes pobres de D.C.,
20:00
in slums outside of D.C.,
494
1188351
1741
onde seleccionaba mulleres
que foran por outros problemas de saúde
20:02
where she picked up women who had
come in for other health problems
495
1190092
2997
20:05
and diagnosed them with depression,
496
1193089
1779
e eran diagnosticadas de depresión
20:06
and then provided six months
of the experimental protocol.
497
1194868
3266
e proporcionáballes seis meses
baixo o protocolo experimental.
20:10
One of them, Lolly, came in,
498
1198134
2329
Unha delas, Lolly, veu
20:12
and this is what she said the day she came in.
499
1200463
2297
e díxome isto o día que veu.
20:14
She said, and she was a woman, by the way,
500
1202760
3395
Díxome, e era unha muller que, por certo,
tiña sete fillos.
20:18
who had seven children. She said,
501
1206155
2092
Díxome: "Tiña un traballo,
pero tiven que deixalo porque
20:20
"I used to have a job but I had to give it up because
502
1208247
2651
non era capaz de saír da casa.
20:22
I couldn't go out of the house.
503
1210898
2060
20:24
I have nothing to say to my children.
504
1212958
2228
Non tiña nada que
dicirlles aos meus fillos.
20:27
In the morning, I can't wait for them to leave,
505
1215186
2767
Pola maña, estou desexando que marchen,
20:29
and then I climb in bed and
pull the covers over my head,
506
1217953
2990
para meterme na cama e
tapar a cabeza coas mantas,
20:32
and three o'clock when they come home,
507
1220943
1646
e as tres, cando volven,
20:34
it just comes so fast."
508
1222589
1801
chegan tan rápido".
20:36
She said, "I've been taking a lot of Tylenol,
509
1224390
2240
Díxome: "Tomaba moito Tylenol,
20:38
anything I can take so that I can sleep more.
510
1226630
2759
calquera cousa coa que
puidese durmir máis,
20:41
My husband has been telling me I'm stupid, I'm ugly.
511
1229389
3770
o meu marido dicíame
que era estúpida, fea.
20:45
I wish I could stop the pain."
512
1233159
3505
Oxalá puidese parar a dor".
20:48
Well, she was brought into
this experimental protocol,
513
1236664
2640
Ben, trouxérona a este
protocolo experimental,
20:51
and when I interviewed her six months later,
514
1239304
2308
e cando a entrevistei
seis meses despois,
20:53
she had taken a job working in childcare
515
1241612
4407
tiña un traballo coidando nenos
20:58
for the U.S. Navy, she had left the abusive husband,
516
1246019
3805
para o exército americano,
deixara o marido violento,
21:01
and she said to me,
517
1249824
2082
e díxome:
21:03
"My kids are so much happier now."
518
1251906
2369
"Os meus fillos son
moito máis felices agora."
21:06
She said, "There's one room in my new place
519
1254275
1977
Dixo: "Hai un cuarto na miña nova casa
para os rapaces
21:08
for the boys and one room for the girls,
520
1256252
2608
e un para as rapazas,
21:10
but at night, they're just all up on my bed,
521
1258860
2539
pero pola noite, saltan á miña cama,
21:13
and we're doing homework
all together and everything.
522
1261399
2612
e facemos os deberes xuntos e todo.
21:16
One of them wants to be a preacher,
523
1264011
1673
Un deles quere ser predicador,
21:17
one of them wants to be a firefighter,
524
1265684
1700
outro quere ser bombeiro,
21:19
and one of the girls says she's going to be a lawyer.
525
1267384
2966
e unha das nenas di que vai ser avogada.
21:22
They don't cry like they used to,
526
1270350
2005
Xa non choran como antes,
21:24
and they don't fight like they did.
527
1272355
2558
nin pelexan como facían.
21:26
That's all I need now is my kids.
528
1274913
3780
Iso é todo o que preciso, os meus fillos.
21:30
Things keep on changing,
529
1278693
1912
As cousas seguen cambiando,
21:32
the way I dress, the way I feel, the way I act.
530
1280605
5193
como me visto, como me sinto, como actúo.
21:37
I can go outside not being afraid anymore,
531
1285798
3687
Xa podo saír sen ter medo,
21:41
and I don't think those bad feelings are coming back,
532
1289485
3409
e non creo que eses malos
sentimentos vaian volver,
21:44
and if it weren't for Dr. Miranda and that,
533
1292894
3035
e se non fora pola doutora Miranda e isto,
21:47
I would still be at home with
the covers pulled over my head,
534
1295929
3617
estaría aínda na casa,
coas mantas enriba da cabeza,
21:51
if I were still alive at all.
535
1299546
2349
no caso de estar aínda viva.
21:53
I asked the Lord to send me an angel,
536
1301895
3732
Pedinlle ao Señor que me enviase un anxo,
21:57
and he heard my prayers."
537
1305627
4330
e escoitou as miñas pregarias."
22:01
I was really moved by these experiences,
538
1309959
3353
Estaba realmente conmovido
por estas experiencias,
22:05
and I decided that I wanted to write about them
539
1313312
2539
e decidín que quería escribir sobre elas,
22:07
not only in a book I was working on,
540
1315851
1379
non só no libro que escribía
senón tamén nun artigo,
22:09
but also in an article,
541
1317230
1311
22:10
and so I got a commission from
The New York Times Magazine
542
1318541
2321
así que me encargaron
da revista New York Times,
22:12
to write about depression among the indigent.
543
1320862
2016
escribir sobre a depresión
entre os indixentes.
22:14
And I turned in my story,
544
1322878
1616
E entreguei a miña historia,
22:16
and my editor called me and said,
545
1324494
1596
e o meu editor chamoume e díxome:
"Non podemos publicar isto."
22:18
"We really can't publish this."
546
1326090
1710
22:19
And I said, "Why not?"
547
1327800
1750
E díxenlle: "Por que?"
22:21
And she said, "It just is too far-fetched.
548
1329550
2305
E díxome: "É demasiado rebuscado.
22:23
These people who are sort of at
the very bottom rung of society
549
1331855
3778
Esta xente está
como no máis baixo da sociedade
22:27
and then they get a few months of treatment
550
1335633
1704
e cun par de meses de tratamento
22:29
and they're virtually ready to run Morgan Stanley?
551
1337337
2632
xa están virtualmente listas
para manexar Morgan Stanley?
22:31
It's just too implausible."
552
1339969
1854
É demasiado imposible."
22:33
She said, I've never even heard of anything like it."
553
1341823
2205
Díxome: "Nunca oín nada igual."
22:36
And I said, "The fact that you've never heard of it
554
1344028
2534
E díxenlle: "O feito de que nunca o oíras
22:38
is an indication that it is news."
555
1346562
3000
é un indicativo de que son 'noticias'."
22:41
(Laughter) (Applause)
556
1349562
6134
(Risas)
(Aplausos)
22:49
"And you are a news magazine."
557
1357317
2494
"E vós sodes unha revista de noticias."
22:51
So after a certain amount of negotiation,
558
1359811
1982
Despois dunha serie de
negociacións accederon.
22:53
they agreed to it.
559
1361793
1241
22:55
But I think a lot of what they said
560
1363034
1615
Pero penso moito en que o que dixo
estaba dalgún xeito conectado
22:56
was connected in some strange way
561
1364649
2295
22:58
to this distaste that people still have
562
1366944
2142
co desprezo que a xente aínda ten
pola idea do tratamento,
23:01
for the idea of treatment,
563
1369086
1463
23:02
the notion that somehow if we went out
564
1370549
1882
a noción de que dalgún xeito se saímos
23:04
and treated a lot of people in indigent communities,
565
1372431
2696
e tratamos moita xente
en comunidades de indixentes
sería un tipo de explotación,
23:07
that would be an exploitative thing to do,
566
1375127
1898
porque os estariamos cambiando.
23:09
because we would be changing them.
567
1377025
1642
23:10
There is this false moral imperative
568
1378667
2033
Hai un imperativo da falsa moral
que parece rodearnos,
23:12
that seems to be all around us
569
1380700
1789
23:14
that treatment of depression,
570
1382489
2354
de que o tratamento da depresión,
23:16
the medications and so on, are an artifice,
571
1384843
2299
os medicamentos e demais,
son un artificio,
23:19
and that it's not natural.
572
1387142
2172
e que non é natural.
23:21
And I think that's very misguided.
573
1389314
2849
E eu penso que é un erro.
23:24
It would be natural for people's teeth to fall out,
574
1392163
3532
É natural que á xente lle caian os dentes,
23:27
but there is nobody militating against toothpaste,
575
1395695
3330
pero non hai ninguén militando
contra a pasta de dentes,
23:31
at least not in my circles.
576
1399025
2128
polo menos non nos meus círculos.
23:33
And people then say, "Well, but isn't depression
577
1401153
2502
A xente di:
"Pero a depresión non é algo que se
supón que hai que experimentar?
23:35
part of what people are supposed to experience?
578
1403655
2185
23:37
Didn't we evolve to have depression?
579
1405840
1741
Non evolucionamos para ter depresión?
23:39
Isn't it part of your personality?"
580
1407581
1907
Non é parte da personalidade?"
23:41
To which I would say, mood is adaptive.
581
1409488
2746
Ao que debo dicir, o humor é adaptable,
23:44
Being able to have sadness and fear
582
1412234
3329
ser quen de sentir tristura e medo,
23:47
and joy and pleasure
583
1415563
1842
e alegría e pracer,
23:49
and all of the other moods that we have,
584
1417405
1803
e todos os outros estados de ánimo
que temos, é incriblemente valioso.
23:51
that's incredibly valuable.
585
1419208
2064
23:53
And major depression is something that happens
586
1421272
3047
E unha depresión grave
é algo que ocorre
cando o sistema creba.
23:56
when that system gets broken.
587
1424319
2012
23:58
It's maladaptive.
588
1426331
1717
É falta de adaptación.
24:00
People will come to me and say,
589
1428048
1572
A xente virá e dirame:
24:01
"I think, though, if I just stick it out for another year,
590
1429620
2768
"Creo, aínda así, que
se aguantara outro ano,
24:04
I think I can just get through this."
591
1432388
2076
podería superalo."
24:06
And I always say to them, "You may get through it,
592
1434464
2303
E sempre lles digo: "Quizais o superaras,
pero nunca volverás a ter 37 anos.
24:08
but you'll never be 37 again.
593
1436767
2709
24:11
Life is short, and that's a whole year
594
1439476
2550
A vida é curta, e é un ano enteiro
do que estás a falar.
24:14
you're talking about giving up.
595
1442026
1956
24:15
Think it through."
596
1443982
1538
Pénsao ben."
24:17
It's a strange poverty of the English language,
597
1445520
2846
É estraña a pobreza da lingua inglesa,
24:20
and indeed of many other languages,
598
1448366
2108
e de feito de moitas outras linguas,
24:22
that we use this same word, depression,
599
1450474
2218
que utilizamos a mesma palabra, depresión,
24:24
to describe how a kid feels
600
1452692
1805
para describir como se sente un neno
cando chove no seu aniversario,
24:26
when it rains on his birthday,
601
1454497
1712
24:28
and to describe how somebody feels
602
1456209
2528
e para describir como se sente unha persoa
o minuto antes de suicidarse.
24:30
the minute before they commit suicide.
603
1458737
2454
24:33
People say to me, "Well, is it
continuous with normal sadness?"
604
1461191
3105
A xente dime: "Ben, é unha
continuación da tristeza normal?"
24:36
And I say, in a way it's continuous
with normal sadness.
605
1464296
3144
E eu digo, en certo modo, é
unha continuación da tristeza normal.
24:39
There is a certain amount of continuity,
606
1467440
2200
Hai un certo grao de continuidade,
24:41
but it's the same way there's continuity
607
1469640
1957
pero é o mesmo tipo de continuación
24:43
between having an iron fence outside your house
608
1471597
1987
entre ter un valo de ferro arredor da casa
24:45
that gets a little rust spot
609
1473584
1677
que ten un puntiño de ferruxe
24:47
that you have to sand off and do a little repainting,
610
1475261
2746
que tes que lixar e pintar un pouco
24:50
and what happens if you leave
the house for 100 years
611
1478007
2647
e o que sucede se
abandonas a casa 100 anos
24:52
and it rusts through until it's only a pile
612
1480654
2898
e se enferruxou tanto que
só é unha morea de po laranxa.
24:55
of orange dust.
613
1483552
1234
24:56
And it's that orange dust spot,
614
1484786
2173
E é esa morea de po laranxa,
24:58
that orange dust problem,
615
1486959
1789
ese problema do po laranxa,
25:00
that's the one we're setting out to address.
616
1488748
2989
o que estamos tentando abordar.
25:03
So now people say,
617
1491737
2240
E agora a xente di:
25:05
"You take these happy pills, and do you feel happy?"
618
1493977
2731
"Tomas estas pastillas da
felicidade, e xa es feliz?"
25:08
And I don't.
619
1496708
1886
E non.
25:10
But I don't feel sad about having to eat lunch,
620
1498594
2822
Pero non me sinto triste
por ter que xantar,
25:13
and I don't feel sad about my answering machine,
621
1501416
2836
e non me sinto triste
polo contestador,
25:16
and I don't feel sad about taking a shower.
622
1504252
2845
e non me sinto triste
por ter que ducharme.
25:19
I feel more, in fact, I think,
623
1507097
2854
De feito, penso que sinto máis,
25:21
because I can feel sadness without nullity.
624
1509951
2430
porque podo sentir tristeza
sen sentir nulidade.
25:24
I feel sad about professional disappointments,
625
1512381
4347
Sintome triste polas
decepcións profesionais,
25:28
about damaged relationships,
626
1516728
2347
polas relacións danadas,
25:31
about global warming.
627
1519075
2039
e polo quecemento global.
Esas son as cousas polas
que me sinto triste agora.
25:33
Those are the things that I feel sad about now.
628
1521114
2725
25:35
And I said to myself, well, what is the conclusion?
629
1523839
2734
E díxenme a min mesmo,
cal é a conclusión?
25:38
How did those people who have better lives
630
1526573
2561
Como conseguiu esta
xente que ten vidas mellores,
25:41
even with bigger depression manage to get through?
631
1529134
2554
aínda con peores depresións,
seguir adiante?
25:43
What is the mechanism of resilience?
632
1531688
2797
Cal é o mecanismo da resiliencia?
25:46
And what I came up with over time
633
1534485
2084
E o que aparecía continuamente
25:48
was that the people who deny their experience,
634
1536569
2916
era que a xente que nega a experiencia,
25:51
the ones who say, "I was depressed a long time ago
635
1539485
2032
e din "Tiven depresión hai moito tempo,
25:53
and I never want to think about it again
636
1541517
1737
e non quero volver pensar nela,
25:55
and I'm not going to look at it
637
1543254
1242
e non quero mirala,
25:56
and I'm just going to get on with my life,"
638
1544496
1890
simplemente vou seguir coa miña vida",
25:58
ironically, those are the people
639
1546386
1959
ironicamente, son as persoas que
están máis escravizadas polo que teñen.
26:00
who are most enslaved by what they have.
640
1548345
2698
26:03
Shutting out the depression strengthens it.
641
1551043
2564
Silenciar a depresión refórzaa.
26:05
While you hide from it, it grows.
642
1553607
3280
Mentres a escondes, medra.
26:08
And the people who do better
643
1556887
2860
E a xente que mellor o fai,
26:11
are the ones who are able to tolerate the fact
644
1559747
2599
e a que é tolerante
co feito de ter esa condición.
26:14
that they have this condition.
645
1562346
1622
26:15
Those who can tolerate their depression
646
1563968
2470
Aquela que pode aceptar a súa depresión,
é quen acada a resiliencia.
26:18
are the ones who achieve resilience.
647
1566438
1782
26:20
So Frank Russakoff said to me,
648
1568220
1783
Frank Russakoff díxome:
26:22
"If I had it again to do over,
649
1570003
1516
"Se tivese que facelo de novo,
supoño que non o faría deste xeito,
26:23
I suppose I wouldn't do it this way,
650
1571519
2137
26:25
but in a strange way, I'm grateful
651
1573656
1964
pero dun modo estraño,
estou agradecido pola experiencia.
26:27
for what I've experienced.
652
1575620
1503
26:29
I'm glad to have been in the hospital 40 times.
653
1577123
3817
Estou contento por
ter que estar 40 veces no hospital.
26:32
It taught me so much about love,
654
1580940
2603
Ensinoume tanto sobre o amor,
26:35
and my relationship with my parents and my doctors
655
1583543
2840
e a miña relación
cos meus pais e doutores,
26:38
has been so precious to me, and will be always."
656
1586383
4389
foi tan valiosa, e sempre o será".
26:42
And Maggie Robbins said,
657
1590772
1926
E Maggie Robbins dixo:
26:44
"I used to volunteer in an AIDS clinic,
658
1592698
2989
"Adoitaba ser voluntaria
nunha clínica de SIDA
26:47
and I would just talk and talk and talk,
659
1595687
3014
e simplemente falaba e falaba e falaba
26:50
and the people I was dealing with
660
1598701
1813
e a xente coa que trataba
non era moi receptiva, e pensaba:
26:52
weren't very responsive, and I thought,
661
1600514
2067
26:54
'That's not very friendly or helpful of them.'
662
1602581
3961
'Isto non é moi amable
nin útil pola súa parte'
(Risos)
26:58
And then I realized,
663
1606542
1642
"E despois deime de conta,
27:00
I realized that they weren't going to do more
664
1608184
2127
deime de conta de
que non ían facer máis,
27:02
than make those first few minutes of small talk.
665
1610311
2387
que eses escasos primeiros
minutos de conversa.
27:04
It was simply going to be an occasion
666
1612698
2057
Ía simplemente ser un momento
27:06
where I didn't have AIDS and I wasn't dying,
667
1614755
2878
no que eu non tiña SIDA
e non estaba morrendo,
27:09
but could tolerate the fact that they did
668
1617633
2973
pero podía aceptar o feito
de que eles si o estiveran,
27:12
and they were.
669
1620606
1787
e estábano.
27:14
Our needs are our greatest assets.
670
1622393
3603
As nosas necesidades son
os nosos maiores activos.
27:17
It turns out I've learned to give
671
1625996
2139
Resulta que aprendín a dar
todo o que preciso."
27:20
all the things I need."
672
1628135
4025
Valorar a depresión propia
non evita unha recaída,
27:24
Valuing one's depression
673
1632160
1691
27:25
does not prevent a relapse,
674
1633851
2194
pero pode facer a perspectiva
dunha recaída
27:28
but it may make the prospect of relapse
675
1636045
2661
27:30
and even relapse itself easier to tolerate.
676
1638706
4218
e mesmo a recaída
máis fácil de aceptar.
27:34
The question is not so much
677
1642924
2045
A pregunta non é tanto
atopar un gran significado
27:36
of finding great meaning and deciding
678
1644969
2175
e decidir que a túa depresión tivo moito
significado.
27:39
your depression has been very meaningful.
679
1647144
2027
27:41
It's of seeking that meaning
680
1649171
2171
Está en buscar ese significado
e pensar, cando volve:
27:43
and thinking, when it comes again,
681
1651342
1804
27:45
"This will be hellish,
682
1653146
1640
"Isto vai ser infernal,
pero vou aprender algo."
27:46
but I will learn something from it."
683
1654786
2701
27:49
I have learned in my own depression
684
1657487
2264
Aprendín da miña propia depresión
27:51
how big an emotion can be,
685
1659751
2013
o grande que pode ser unha emoción,
27:53
how it can be more real than facts,
686
1661764
3097
como pode ser máis real que os feitos,
27:56
and I have found that that experience
687
1664861
2949
e descubrín que esta experiencia
27:59
has allowed me to experience positive emotion
688
1667810
2892
me permitiu experimentar
emocións positivas
28:02
in a more intense and more focused way.
689
1670702
3520
dun modo máis intenso e máis centrado.
28:06
The opposite of depression is not happiness,
690
1674222
3487
O oposto á depresión non é a felicidade,
28:09
but vitality,
691
1677709
1454
senón a vitalidade,
28:11
and these days, my life is vital,
692
1679163
2741
e estes días, a miña vida é vital,
28:13
even on the days when I'm sad.
693
1681904
2745
aínda nos días que estou triste.
28:16
I felt that funeral in my brain,
694
1684649
3313
Sentín ese funeral no meu cerebro,
28:19
and I sat next to the colossus
695
1687962
2024
e senteime preto do Coloso,
no bordo do mundo,
28:21
at the edge of the world,
696
1689986
2247
28:24
and I have discovered
697
1692233
2089
e descubrín algo dentro de min
28:26
something inside of myself
698
1694322
1851
28:28
that I would have to call a soul
699
1696173
2133
que debería chamar alma
28:30
that I had never formulated
until that day 20 years ago
700
1698306
3756
que nunca formulara
ata ese día hai 20 anos
28:34
when hell came to pay me a surprise visit.
701
1702062
4518
cando o inferno me fixo
unha visita sorpresa.
28:38
I think that while I hated being depressed
702
1706580
4098
Creo que aínda que odiaba estar deprimido
28:42
and would hate to be depressed again,
703
1710678
2334
e que odiaría estar deprimido de novo,
28:45
I've found a way to love my depression.
704
1713012
2744
atopei un xeito de amar a miña depresión.
28:47
I love it because it has forced me
705
1715756
2025
Ámoa porque me obrigou
a buscar e aferrarme á alegría.
28:49
to find and cling to joy.
706
1717781
2769
28:52
I love it because each day I decide,
707
1720550
3488
Ámoa porque cada día decido,
28:56
sometimes gamely,
708
1724038
1540
ás veces valentemente,
28:57
and sometimes against the moment's reason,
709
1725578
2698
e ás veces contra a lóxica do momento,
29:00
to cleave to the reasons for living.
710
1728276
2578
pegarme ás razóns para vivir.
29:02
And that, I think, is a highly privileged rapture.
711
1730854
4123
E iso, creo, é unha grande
e privilexiada alegría.
29:06
Thank you.
712
1734977
3983
Grazas.
(Aplausos)
Grazas.
29:10
(Applause)
713
1738960
3136
(Aplausos)
Translated by Alicia Ferreiro
Reviewed by Carme Paz

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Solomon - Writer
Andrew Solomon writes about politics, culture and psychology.

Why you should listen

Andrew Solomon is a writer, lecturer and Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. He is president of PEN American Center. He writes regularly for The New Yorker and the New York Times.

Solomon's newest book, Far and Away: Reporting from the Brink of Change, Seven Continents, Twenty-Five Years was published in April, 2016. His previous book, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity won the National Book Critics Circle award for nonfiction, the Wellcome Prize and 22 other national awards. It tells the stories of parents who not only learn to deal with their exceptional children but also find profound meaning in doing so. It was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback editions. Solomon's previous book, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, won the 2001 National Book Award for Nonfiction, was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize and was included in The Times of London's list of one hundred best books of the decade. It has been published in twenty-four languages. Solomon is also the author of the novel A Stone Boat and of The Irony Tower: Soviet Artists in a Time of Glasnost.

Solomon is an activist in LGBT rights, mental health, education and the arts. He is a member of the boards of directors of the National LGBTQ Force and Trans Youth Family Allies. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of Columbia University Medical Center, serves on the National Advisory Board of the Depression Center at the University of Michigan, is a director of Columbia Psychiatry and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Solomon also serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yaddo and The Alex Fund, which supports the education of Romani children. He is also a fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University and a member of the New York Institute for the Humanities and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Solomon lives with his husband and son in New York and London and is a dual national. He also has a daughter with a college friend; mother and daughter live in Texas but visit often.


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