[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.06,0:00:03.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One in four people suffer from some sort of mental illness,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.98,0:00:08.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so if it was one, two, three, four, it's you, sir.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.28,0:00:09.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You. Yeah. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.84,0:00:13.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With the weird teeth. And you next to him. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.18,0:00:14.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know who you are.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.24,0:00:16.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Actually, that whole row isn't right. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.64,0:00:21.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's not good. Hi. Yeah. Real bad. Don't even look at me. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.81,0:00:26.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am one of the one in four. Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.92,0:00:29.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think I inherit it from my mother, who,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.93,0:00:32.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,used to crawl around the house on all fours.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.75,0:00:35.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She had two sponges in her hand, and then she had two
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.79,0:00:40.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tied to her knees. My mother was completely absorbent. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.38,0:00:42.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And she would crawl around behind me going,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.68,0:00:46.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Who brings footprints into a building?!"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.25,0:00:48.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that was kind of a clue that things weren't right.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.60,0:00:53.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So before I start, I would like to thank
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.79,0:00:58.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the makers of Lamotrigine, Sertraline, and Reboxetine,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.48,0:01:03.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because without those few simple chemicals, I would not be vertical today.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.40,0:01:08.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how did it start?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.24,0:01:12.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My mental illness -- well, I'm not even going to talk about my mental illness.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.36,0:01:14.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What am I going to talk about? Okay.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.67,0:01:19.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I always dreamt that, when I had my final breakdown,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.07,0:01:21.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would be because I had a deep Kafkaesque
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.61,0:01:24.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,existentialist revelation,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.02,0:01:28.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or that maybe Cate Blanchett would play me and she would win an Oscar for it. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.37,0:01:31.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But that's not what happened. I had my breakdown
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.48,0:01:33.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during my daughter's sports day.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.46,0:01:37.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There were all the parents sitting in a parking lot
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.19,0:01:41.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,eating food out of the back of their car -- only the English --
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.20,0:01:47.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,eating their sausages. They loved their sausages. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.42,0:01:52.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lord and Lady Rigor Mortis were nibbling on the tarmac,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.06,0:01:54.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then the gun went off and all the girlies started running,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.52,0:01:59.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and all the mummies went, "Run! Run Chlamydia! Run!" (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.73,0:02:03.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Run like the wind, Veruca! Run!"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.60,0:02:06.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And all the girlies, girlies running, running, running,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.06,0:02:09.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,everybody except for my daughter, who was just standing
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.01,0:02:11.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the starting line, just waving,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.78,0:02:14.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because she didn't know she was supposed to run.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.11,0:02:18.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I took to my bed for about a month, and when I woke up
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.46,0:02:23.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I found I was institutionalized, and when I saw the other inmates,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.05,0:02:27.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I realized that I had found my people, my tribe. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.44,0:02:30.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because they became my only friends, they became my friends,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.93,0:02:33.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because very few people that I knew -- Well, I wasn't
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.93,0:02:37.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sent a lot of cards or flowers. I mean, if I had had a broken leg
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.30,0:02:39.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or I was with child I would have been inundated,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.46,0:02:43.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but all I got was a couple phone calls telling me to perk up.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.14,0:02:44.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Perk up.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.84,0:02:49.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because I didn't think of that. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.54,0:02:52.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter) (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.84,0:02:57.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because, you know, the one thing, one thing that you get with this disease,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.12,0:03:01.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this one comes with a package, is you get a real sense of shame,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.09,0:03:03.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because your friends go, "Oh come on, show me the lump,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.40,0:03:05.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,show me the x-rays," and of course you've got nothing to show,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.81,0:03:08.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so you're, like, really disgusted with yourself because you're thinking,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.90,0:03:11.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I'm not being carpet-bombed. I don't live in a township."
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.72,0:03:15.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you start to hear these abusive voices, but you don't hear one abusive voice,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.17,0:03:18.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you hear about a thousand -- 100,000 abusive voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.03,0:03:22.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like if the Devil had Tourette's, that's what it would sound like.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.04,0:03:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But we all know in here, you know, there is no Devil,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.66,0:03:26.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are no voices in your head.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.54,0:03:28.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know that when you have those abusive voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.22,0:03:31.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all those little neurons get together and in that little gap
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.12,0:03:34.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you get a real toxic "I want to kill myself" kind of chemical,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.78,0:03:37.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and if you have that over and over again on a loop tape,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.52,0:03:39.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you might have yourself depression.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.42,0:03:42.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Oh, and that's not even the tip of the iceberg.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.10,0:03:45.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you get a little baby, and you abuse it verbally,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.70,0:03:49.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,its little brain sends out chemicals that are so destructive
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.16,0:03:53.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the little part of its brain that can tell good from bad just doesn't grow,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.15,0:03:56.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so you might have yourself a homegrown psychotic.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.61,0:04:00.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If a soldier sees his friend blown up, his brain goes into
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.08,0:04:03.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such high alarm that he can't actually put the experience into words,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.60,0:04:06.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so he just feels the horror over and over again.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.37,0:04:08.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So here's my question. My question is, how come
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.75,0:04:12.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when people have mental damage, it's always an active imagination?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.79,0:04:16.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How come every other organ in your body can get sick
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.01,0:04:18.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you get sympathy, except the brain?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.71,0:04:21.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd like to talk a little bit more about the brain,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.11,0:04:23.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because I know you like that here at TED,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.14,0:04:26.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so if you just give me a minute here, okay.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.60,0:04:28.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Okay, let me just say, there's some good news.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.60,0:04:31.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is some good news. First of all, let me say,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.88,0:04:34.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we've come a long, long way.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.21,0:04:38.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We started off as a teeny, teeny little one-celled amoeba,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:38.25,0:04:42.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tiny, just sticking onto a rock, and now, voila, the brain.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.85,0:04:44.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here we go. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.75,0:04:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This little baby has a lot of horsepower.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.12,0:04:51.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It comes completely conscious. It's got state-of-the-art lobes.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.54,0:04:55.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've got the occipital lobe so we can actually see the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.13,0:04:57.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We got the temporal lobe so we can actually hear the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.78,0:04:59.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here we've got a little bit of long-term memory,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.40,0:05:04.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so, you know that night you want to forget, when you got really drunk? Bye-bye! Gone. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.63,0:05:07.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So actually, it's filled with 100 billion neurons
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.95,0:05:11.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just zizzing away, electrically transmitting information,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.26,0:05:13.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,zizzing, zizzing. I'm going to give you a little side view here.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.98,0:05:17.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't know if you can get that here. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.57,0:05:21.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, zizzing away, and so — (Laughter) —
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.57,0:05:25.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And for every one — I know, I drew this myself. Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:25.26,0:05:28.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For every one single neuron, you can actually have
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.93,0:05:32.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from 10,000 to 100,000 different connections
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.66,0:05:35.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or dendrites or whatever you want to call it, and every time
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.92,0:05:38.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you learn something, or you have an experience,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.44,0:05:40.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that bush grows, you know, that bush of information.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.71,0:05:43.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Can you imagine, every human being is carrying
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.66,0:05:48.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that equipment, even Paris Hilton? (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.59,0:05:50.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Go figure.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:50.28,0:05:53.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I got a little bad news for you folks. I got some bad news.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.76,0:05:56.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This isn't for the one in four. This is for the four in four.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:56.88,0:06:01.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We are not equipped for the 21st century.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.06,0:06:04.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Evolution did not prepare us for this. We just don't have the bandwidth,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:04.81,0:06:07.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and for people who say, oh, they're having a nice day,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:07.40,0:06:10.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're perfectly fine, they're more insane than the rest of us.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.96,0:06:13.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because I'll show you where there might be a few glitches
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.48,0:06:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in evolution. Okay, let me just explain this to you.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.92,0:06:19.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we were ancient man — (Laughter) —
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.49,0:06:23.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,millions of years ago, and we suddenly felt threatened
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.25,0:06:26.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by a predator, okay? — (Laughter) —
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.95,0:06:29.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we would — Thank you. I drew these myself. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.90,0:06:33.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.72,0:06:37.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you. Anyway, we would fill up with our own adrenaline
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.79,0:06:40.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and our own cortisol, and then we'd kill or be killed,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.41,0:06:43.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we'd eat or we'd be eaten, and then suddenly we'd de-fuel,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.68,0:06:45.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we'd go back to normal. Okay.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.62,0:06:50.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the problem is, nowadays, with modern man— (Laughter) —
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.90,0:06:54.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when we feel in danger, we still fill up with our own chemical
Dialogue: 0,0:06:54.66,0:06:59.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but because we can't kill traffic wardens — (Laughter) —
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.30,0:07:04.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or eat estate agents, the fuel just stays in our body
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.10,0:07:06.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over and over, so we're in a constant state of alarm,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.58,0:07:08.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a constant state. And here's another thing that happened.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.32,0:07:11.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,About 150,000 years ago, when language came online,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.42,0:07:13.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we started to put words to this constant emergency,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:13.85,0:07:16.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it wasn't just, "Oh my God, there's a saber-toothed tiger,"
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.50,0:07:20.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which could be, it was suddenly, "Oh my God, I didn't send the email. Oh my God, my thighs are too fat.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.54,0:07:24.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Oh my God, everybody can see I'm stupid. I didn't get invited to the Christmas party!"
Dialogue: 0,0:07:24.55,0:07:27.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you've got this nagging loop tape that goes
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.04,0:07:29.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over and over again that drives you insane, so,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:29.57,0:07:32.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you see what the problem is? What once made you safe
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.55,0:07:34.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now drives you insane.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.35,0:07:37.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but somebody has to be.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.51,0:07:43.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Your pets are happier than you are. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.37,0:07:46.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.27,0:07:51.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So kitty cat, meow, happy happy happy, human beings, screwed. (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.42,0:07:53.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Completely and utterly -- so, screwed.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.70,0:07:56.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But my point is, if we don't talk about this stuff,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:56.16,0:07:58.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we don't learn how to deal with our lives, it's not going
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.50,0:08:00.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be one in four. It's going to be four in four
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.97,0:08:04.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are really, really going to get ill in the upstairs department.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.23,0:08:06.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while we're at it, can we please stop the stigma?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:06.76,0:08:13.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you. (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.44,0:08:24.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause) Thank you.