Tim DraperFounder and Managing Partne, Draper Associate · I back the ideas that look crazy first

40% of people don’t respond to antidepressants. What if healing looked different? 🧠

22 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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1:07

In this brief spoken segment, the presenter shares personal observations about the limitations of traditional antidepressants—highlighting that roughly 40% of patients are resistant and may experience severe side effects that blunt personality. They argue that psychedelics, particularly through micro‑dosing, can foster genuine healing by creating new neural pathways, breaking negative habits, and restoring motivation. An anecdote about a woman who, after a decade of medication with little improvement, began micro‑dosing and experienced a noticeable uplift—getting out of bed, feeling purposeful, and enjoying life—illustrates the claim. The speaker introduces the concept of “Ewa,” framing mental health as the engine of economies, societies, families, and couples, and posits that investing in the mind is the most powerful platform for societal progress.

Chapters

I grew up with someone that had depression. Antidepressants don't act in 40% of the people that will be resistant to them. They have severe side effects like taking your personality away. Psychedelics bring to you a more genuine way of healing. You're literally creating new paths in your mind to generate new habits that are good for you or breaking negative ones. After 10 years of treating herself with medication, she still didn't have motivation or she didn't feel like she could do things for people. So when she started microdosing, I saw this plus on her. Like, she was not depressed, but she was feeling meaningful. She was going out from bed. You don't have to be super, super, super depressed to not be enjoying life. And that was the first idea of Ewa. Our minds are like the engine of Our economies, our societies, our families, our couples. It's the biggest platform you can invest.