Rethinking Depression

We tend to see depression as an illness to eliminate, evidence that something has gone wrong in the brain. But what if low mood serves a purpose? Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg examines the evolutionary roots of depression and reflects on his own painful experience with suicidal despair. He explores how depression can narrow our focus, and sometimes open the door to change. A note that this story includes a discussion of suicide. If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide, there are people who can help. If you're inside the U.S., call or text 988, or visit the 988 Helpline online . If you’re outside the U.S., you can search for resources in your country on this site. Episode illustration by Runend Art for Unsplash Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You can listen to Rethinking Depression online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Rethinking Depression is an episode from Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain.

This episode is 00:53:07 long.

This episode was published on Mar 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Hidden Brain when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.