Seasonal depression, often called “seasonal affective disorder”, can make getting through the Wintertime much more difficult. But what’s really happening in our brains and bodies when winter darkness sets in? How do our urban environments, work culture, and economic systems create the worst conditions for winter struggles. Shouldn’t we all be hibernating anyways?

In this episode, I explore the links between seasonal depression and Vitamin D, beyond simplistic explanations about light exposure, revealing fascinating connections between our environment, brain chemistry, immune function, and mental health. I’ll tell you a bit about my own experience as living in Berlin, a city with pretty minimal winter sunlight, has given me personal insight into how profoundly seasonal shifts can affect our mental and physical wellbeing.

The world needs all of us to be tuned in, feeling resilient, and able to support ourselves, our bodies, and our communities, especially right now, so let’s dive into what we can do.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE AT: DEPTHWORK.SUBSTACK.COM

In this episode:

• The medicalization of structural problems: how urban environments, work culture, and economic factors set us up for seasonal struggle

• • What science actually tells us about vitamin D’s role in brain health, immune function, and mood regulation
• • My personal experiences with vitamin D testing and its connections to autoimmunity and mental health
• • Practical strategies for feeling awake and alive during darker months

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  Support Immigrants & Stand Against ICE:

  • https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

  • https://www.wfmn.org/funds/immigrant-rapid-response/

  • https://mylegalaid.org/

  • https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/volunteer

  Mutual Aid Resources:

  • https://www.alwaysreadyhq.com/9719/strategies-for-forming-local-mutual-aid-groups/
  • https://wildanarchistvessel.substack.com/p/10-ways-to-start-doing-mutual-aid

  
  

  Resources:

  • • Find videos and bonus episodes: ⁠⁠⁠DEPTHWORK.SUBSTACK.COM⁠⁠⁠
    • Get the book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health⁠⁠⁠
    • Become a member: ⁠⁠⁠The Institute for the Development of Human Arts⁠⁠⁠
    • Train with us: ⁠⁠⁠Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum

  Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

In this episode of the Depth Work podcast, I speak with clinical psychologist, professor, and author, Phil Yanos about his powerful new book "Exiles in New York City" an exploration of how institutionalization creates barriers of exclusion and banishment in urban landscapes.

Phil shares his unique journey growing up on Ward's Island near Manhattan Psychiatric Center, where his father worked as a psychiatrist. Through his research and interviews with current residents, Phil reveals how Ward's Island has become a site of profound contradiction – simultaneously rebranded as a recreational space for privileged New Yorkers while functioning as a place of exile for those deemed too "mad" to belong in mainstream society.

In our conversation we explore concrete solutions for transforming Ward's Island into a more just and integrated community, a vision that seems more possible with the recent election of Zohran Mamdani who has emphasized housing justice. We also discuss the wins and losses in mental health advocacy in recent years, what we’ve learned from working with those labeled with “psychosis” or “schizophrenia”, and what clinicians can do better.

Bio:

Philip T. Yanos is professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, City University of New York and Director of Clinical Training for the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at John Jay College. He is the author of "Exiles in New York City: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island" (2025) and Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential (2018). During his childhood in the 1970s, Yanos lived on the grounds of Manhattan State Hospital on Ward’s Island, where his father was a psychiatrist.

• Exiles in New York City: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island https://cup.columbia.edu/book/exiles-in-new-york-city/9780231212373/

• Exiles in the City Podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/exiles-in-the-city/

Resources:

• Find videos and bonus episodes: ⁠⁠DEPTHWORK.SUBSTACK.COM⁠⁠
• Get the book: ⁠⁠⁠Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health⁠⁠
• Become a member: ⁠⁠The Institute for the Development of Human Arts⁠⁠
• Train with us: ⁠⁠Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum