Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Measurable levels of antidepressants have appeared in the sewers of Istanbul”

Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who said that today’s success culture, focused on having more possessions, puts people into chronic stress and that the price for this is paid in mental health, said, “Modernity, which teaches toxic success, says ‘You must be perfect, you must always be applauded.’ This has caused chronic stress. Right now, in New York, and similarly in Istanbul, antidepressants have become measurable in the sewers.” Prof. Tarhan also stated that if the life philosophy does not change, antidepressant sales will increase further in the 2030s.

He added that the secret to not collapsing in the face of failures and difficulties is “psychological resilience,” and he proposed the term “psychological elasticity” for this concept.

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the topic of success and failure on the EKOTÜRK program With Nevzat Tarhan.

Success theories are based on three main approaches

Prof. Tarhan highlighted three main approaches in theories of success: “First is the idea ‘I have a goal, I reached it, so I am successful.’ This approach is especially considered in Western philosophy within frameworks of perfectionism, being reward-oriented, and competition. The second is the meaning-oriented view of success. Here, the person has a life philosophy focused not on pleasure but on meaning. They set a long-term goal, and the effort shown in the process of achieving that goal is defined as success. The third is the transcendental approach to success. In this approach success is not limited simply to a person reaching their own goals or investing in their future; the contribution they make to society, their ability to transcend themselves, and their production of value are also considered success. When these three approaches are considered together a multidimensional concept of success emerges.”

The concept of success has evolved with the influence of social media

Prof. Tarhan noted that today, especially under the influence of social media, the classical understanding of success with its competitive structure has evolved differently: “Criteria such as physical appearance, material wealth, high follower count or receiving many likes are now presented as ‘success.’ This situation is identified by some researchers as a toxic success culture or success pornography. A kind of ‘yearning for success’ in the form of external approval has become widespread. However, it has been observed that this kind of approach does not satisfy individuals in the long term.” Prof. Tarhan expressed that this culture exploits the biological vulnerabilities of the human brain and creates a dopamine-focused, pleasure-based understanding of success, emphasizing that dependence on external approval is dangerous, and noting the collapse that occurs when applause ends.

Some personal development techniques, very harmful

Prof. Tarhan emphasized that real success comes from a person facing themselves: “There are some personal development techniques that do a lot of damage. ‘Your spouse has no equal. You are the best! There is success; there is no failure; there are only results.’ They inflate the ego. After that you go to work, you find nobody adequate. You go home to your spouse, you criticize them. ‘They did not realize my worth,’ ‘Do you know who I am?’ Like this. In this age people’s biggest organ is their ego.” Prof. Tarhan noted that praise and recognition have a role in motivation, as the saying goes, “merit is due to acclaim,” but emphasized that this should not turn into an ego-satisfying tool. Defining healthy success as a journey, he said, “Success is not the result, it is the process. Success is being on the road. The person on the road says while climbing the stairs today, ‘Today I succeeded by one step, but there are many more steps ahead of me!’” Prof. Tarhan finally emphasized the importance of the “inner reward” mechanism, where a person tracks their own growth rather than depending on external reward. He stated that self-compassion-oriented beliefs, like “I can say I achieved these things compared to one week ago,” lead to more lasting happiness and success.

Success is not a result, but a journey that requires continuity

Criticizing today’s comparison-based understanding of success, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that real success is to act with internal motivation, like a “steamship” that does not rely on external applause or wind. He warned of the dangers of motivation dependent on external approval. Prof. Tarhan said: “There are two types of ships: a sailing ship and a steamship. The steamship does not need the wind. A person should become like a steamship. If you are a sailing ship, you always depend on an external reason, you feed on the wind or applause. If the motivation is found internally, nothing can stop you.”

Being able to form deep relationships is also a form of success

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in today’s age, where superficial relationships dominate, one of the most important definitions of success is the ability to form meaningful and deep connections. He explained that such relationships relieve the feeling of loneliness and that this, in itself, is a great achievement. Prof. Tarhan said, “Being able to form deep relationships is also success. Today, people tend to have only superficial relationships and cannot form deep ones. Deep connections eliminate loneliness. We see that behind many problems and the wrong behaviors of young people lies a silent message saying ‘notice me.’ It is a demand for recognition, for being valued. People who establish emotional bonds do not feel lonely.”

Prof. Tarhan also drew attention to the risks of perceiving constant visibility and public recognition as success: “Being someone pointed out by others is like walking on rocks. When you fall, you break something. Walking on flat land is easier. Being an average person is like walking on a plain. Even if you fall, you can get back up, but when you walk on rocks, one mistake can ruin your reputation instantly. That’s the risk.”

Intelligent people think of long-term rewards

Addressing the neurological mechanisms behind the pursuit of success, Prof. Tarhan said, “There are two kinds of rewards: immediate rewards and long-term rewards. Intelligent people use their brain’s reward center by focusing on long-term rewards. This is the serotonin-based system, which seeks ideas, ideals, and meaning. The dopamine-based brain, on the other hand, lives on instant rewards. When one ends, it immediately seeks another. This is pleasure-focused and not sustainable.”

Emphasizing that everyone should define their own concept of success, he added: “Instead of dwelling on ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys,’ people should focus on ‘What can I do?’ Then ask the second question: ‘Where should I start?’ You must start somewhere. Success works the same way. If you try to swallow an apple whole, you can’t. You have to divide it into pieces.”

True success is learning from failures

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the modern understanding of success, which is focused on “having more,” has pushed people into chronic stress and led to a surge in antidepressant use. He stated that true success is learning from failures and developing psychological flexibility. He emphasized that being able to remain calm in moments of anger is one of the most important skills on the path to success and warned that this emotion can be used as a weapon by manipulative people. “Some people provoke anger, make you feel like a failure, and then say, ‘You’re always like this. You can’t do anything right. Without me, you are nothing.’ They enslave the person emotionally. Toxic people do this. In what we call the toxic triad, such individuals lack empathy, see their egos as superior, are closed to criticism, and believe that anything is permissible to achieve their goals,” said Prof. Tarhan.

He pointed out that the modern success culture, centered on constant achievement and perfection, drives people into chronic stress at the expense of their mental health. “Modernity, which preaches toxic success, tells people, ‘You must be perfect, you must always be applauded.’ This has caused chronic stress. Right now, in New York and also in Istanbul, antidepressants have become measurable in the sewers. Why are people taking so many antidepressants? If our philosophy of life does not change, antidepressant sales will be even higher in the 2030s. That means something is going wrong,” he said.

One should be able to face themselves

Prof. Tarhan described self-confrontation as a powerful sign of self-confidence and said that the greatest measure of confidence is a person’s ability to evaluate themselves as if they were a third party: “My strength is this, my weakness is that. This was my mistake in that situation. What did this teach me?” He added, “That is a sign of maturity. It is a mark of wisdom that comes with personal growth. It’s not easy to apply, but one must at least be on that path. Learning from failures is not only about academic success; it is also true for success in life.”

He also pointed out that it is wrong to see the end of a marriage as a “failure,” saying, “Separation is not a choice, it is a result.” Prof. Nevzat Tarhan concluded by saying that defending oneself in the face of failure is a natural human reflex, illustrating it with Nasreddin Hodja’s famous story: “When he fell off the donkey, he said, ‘I was going to get off anyway!’” He emphasized that the path to maturity and wisdom lies in self-criticism.

The cultural equivalent of the word “Empathy” is “İnsaf” (Fairness of Heart)

Emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in life success, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the most accurate cultural equivalent of the word empathy in Turkish is insaf. Offering a deep analysis of the word’s origin, he said: “The most beautiful word that expresses empathy is insaf. The word insaf comes from the Arabic root nısf, which means ‘half.’ Like half of an apple. It means, in relationships, do not just look from your own half. Be fair, look from the other person’s half too. The word insaf actually means being able to approach situations with empathy and to see the bigger picture.”

The secret to withstanding challenges is “psychological resilience”

Prof. Tarhan explained that the secret to not breaking down in the face of failures and difficulties is psychological resilience and proposed the term psychological elasticity to describe this concept.

Unlike those with rigid thinking, people with flexible minds grow stronger by learning from experiences. He said, “The true equivalent of psychological resilience is actually psychological flexibility. A person bends under pressure, learns something, and returns to balance. There can be no close relationship that is entirely smooth and without obstacles; conflicts will inevitably occur. When they do, one should be able to ask, ‘What percentage of this is my responsibility and what percentage belongs to the other side?’ and, if necessary, know how to apologize for their mistakes.”

Real happiness is not dependent on external circumstances

Prof. Tarhan noted that true happiness, also called authentic happiness, is an inner state of maturity rather than something based on outside conditions. He said, “Authentic happiness means being able to be happy even in prison, and not becoming arrogant even in a palace. It is like those flowers that bloom in all four seasons, which is being able to remain joyful under any condition.”

He underlined the importance of viewing failure not as a threat but as an opportunity for growth, saying, “Many people cannot progress on the path to success because of their fear of failure. Those who fear failure tend to blame others easily. People who are closed to criticism behave the same way. However, a person with problem-solving skills can overcome failure and learn something valuable from it.”