Depression Is 300,000 Years Old. Here's How They Coped

For 300,000 years, humans almost never experienced prolonged depression. Today, over 300 million people are clinically depressed. What changed? In this video, I break down what ancient humans actually did differently — and why modern life has quietly dismantled every natural protection our brains evolved to rely on. This isn't about willpower or mindset. It's structural. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. — Chapters: 0:00 – The feeling you can't explain 1:10 – The Kaluli study that shocked researchers 2:30 – The 5 things ancient humans had 3:00 – Movement 3:45 – Sunlight 4:20 – Belonging 5:10 – Purpose 6:00 – Grief 7:00 – When agriculture changed everything 8:00 – What ancient tribes actually did for depression 8:45 – You are not broken — Sources referenced: • Schieffelin, E. (2004) – Kaluli people study, Papua New Guinea • JAMA Psychiatry (2016) – Exercise and depression meta-analysis • Lambert et al. (2002) – Sunlight and serotonin • Fessler, D. – Traditional societies and depression responses • US Surgeon General Advisory on Loneliness (2023) — If you found this interesting, subscribe — I make videos on topics I find fascinating :) #ancienthistory #human #depression #explained #education