We Were Never Designed

for This

The Psychological Toxicity of Modern Life

(And What We Can Do About It)

Stephen Ilardi, PhD

Humanity: A Timeline

1,800,000 BCE 10,000 BCE 1800

Hunter-Gatherer Agrarian Industrial

Environmental Mutation

• As in generic mutation, environmental mutation first and foremost recognizes that change is always occurring around us

• The source of this change can reflect shifts in public policy, culture, or technology

• This kind of mutation is

neither inherently good nor bad

Calibrated for Ancestral

Environment: Stress Response

• Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

• Stress hormones (cortisol)

adaptive in short-term

• Chronic stress response is

toxic

Chronic Stress Response:

• Depressive Illness

• Brain Damage (Cortical, hippocampal)

• Cognitive Impairment

• Anxiety

• Sleep Disturbance (NREM/slow wave)

• Immune Dysregulation

• Inflammation (diabetes, asthma, etc.)

Modern Life and the

Runaway Stress Response

• Global village (news of tragedy, danger)

• Global village (social media)

• Interaction with strangers

• 24/7 connectivity (cell, internet)

• Relentless deadline pressure, competition

• And so on . . . (traffic, noise pollution, etc.)

The Chronic Stress Response:

Putting on the Brakes

1. Physical Activity

2. Omega-3 Fats

3. Microbiome (friendly microbes)

4. Sunlight

5. Social Connection

6. Healthy Sleep

7. Engaging (anti-ruminative) activity

Exercise Is Medicine

• Dopamine & serotonin signaling

• Antidepressant effect

• Anti-inflammatory

• Enhanced memory, cognitive function

• Anti-aging effects

Exercise Is Not Natural

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Two families of essential

fatty acids:

a. Omega-3 (ALA, EPA, DHA)

b. Omega-6 (LA, GLA, AA)

Both play a key role in brain

structure and function . . .

Omega-3 Effects on the Brain

• Enhanced signaling in

serotonergic & dopaminergic

pathways

• Anti-inflammatory

• Enhanced memory

• Neuroprotective

The Microbiome

• 100 trillion microbes live in the human body

• Evolved symbiotic relationship (win-win)

• Nutrient extraction, immune system, brain function

• Problems: antibiotics & processed food

• Unhealthy microbes anxiety, depression, inflammation

• Fix: probiotics, fermented foods, plant fiber

The Microbiome

Light Exposure

500 1000 2500 10,000400

No

lightOvercast Day

Circadian

Cue Clear Day

Lux

Low High

Indoor Light

Healthy Sleep:

The average number of hours

of sleep per night has

decreased from 9 to 6.7 hours

over the past century

(National Sleep Foundation, 2007)

Some Habits of Healthy Sleep:

1. Target 7-8 hours per night

2. Get up at same time every day

3. The bed is only for sleep, and vice versa.

4. No bright light/work within 1 hour of

bedtime

5. No caffeine/stimulants within 10 hours of bed

6. Need a tired body and quiet mind

The Dangers of Rumination

• A hallmark symptom of clinical depression and

anxiety

• It ramps up the brain’s stress response.

• Most likely to take place when we’re alone and

idle.

Social Support

• In hunter-gatherer societies,

it is virtually impossible to

survive without the support

of the entire group

• Today, ~1/2 of all

Americans have zero close

friends (Smith-Lovin, 2006)