The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety - Dr. Scott Eilers

Scott Eilers
  • 4.8 (225)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

There are people who understand depression and anxiety on a personal level and there are people who understand depression and anxiety on a medical level. There are relatively few people who understand both, and I’m one of them. As a clinical psychologist I have a doctorate degree and thousands of hours of professional experience providing treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. I also have 39 years of personal experience managing mood and anxiety disorders as I myself deal with these struggles. This podcast is my attempt to synthesize my personal knowledge with my professional knowledge.

  1. 16h ago

    Why you feel chronically dead inside

    Get 10% off your Pulsetto FIT here: https://pulsetto.tech/pages/drscott or use my coupon code DRSCOTT. It’s completely risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it and see how your body responds.If you used to feel everything and now you mostly feel numb, there may be a reason. Sometimes emotional numbness isn't an inability to feel—it's the result of learning how to turn down painful emotions so effectively that you accidentally turn down the good ones too.In this video, I break down three less-obvious ways we can block our own emotions: constantly expecting the worst, living in a chronic fight-or-flight state, and carrying unresolved grief or trauma. These strategies may have helped you survive something once, but they can eventually leave your entire emotional range feeling smaller.If you've built a life you think you should be able to enjoy but can't seem to actually feel it, the answer may not be figuring out how to create happiness. It may be understanding what's preventing you from feeling what's already there. If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  2. Aug 31

    9 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Depression By Connecting With The Natural World

    Thank you to Quince for sponsoring this video! Upgrade your wardrobe, home, and more with high-end essentials from Quince! Go to https://quince.yt.link/UVgz9sT for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. #QuincePartnerEveryday Liquid Multivitamin: https://quince.yt.link/fLlyttAPlant-Based Sleep Gummies: https://quince.yt.link/kgdV97GPerformance Pre-Workout: https://quince.yt.link/JhEZlsIRecovery Zero Sugar Hydration: https://quince.yt.link/L2HF056Daily Superfood Greens: https://quince.yt.link/wzS2uAWOne of my most reliable tools against depression is reconnecting with nature. When depression makes you feel isolated, worthless, or disconnected from the world around you, interacting with something living can create a sense of belonging that can be difficult to find anywhere else.I share nine practical ways to reconnect with the natural world, from simply opening a window or taking a walk to growing something, caring for an animal, creating nature-based art, and even sleeping outside. None of these works every time—but nature has helped pull me through more depressive episodes than I can count.You are not separate from nature. You are nature. Sometimes caring for the living world around you—and remembering that you're part of it—can help you begin caring about yourself again.If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  3. Aug 28

    Winning The War On Emptiness: 7 Strategies For Overcoming Anhedonia

    Thanks to Grow Therapy for sponsoring this video! Head to https://growtherapy.yt.link/hshEjBV to find your dream therapist today!Anhedonia can make you feel like a background character in your own life—still going through the motions, but unable to feel joy, pleasure, or meaning. In this video, I share seven strategies I personally use when depression leaves me feeling emotionally numb.I’ll walk through checking the lock, scaffolding positive experiences, finding “loopholes,” investing in future joy, apathyception, creating novelty, and what I do when none of those strategies work.If you’re stuck in that numb, repetitive “NPC mode” right now, I want you to remember that your current emotional state can make itself feel permanent—even when it isn’t. If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  4. Aug 24

    7 Strategies For Living With Analytical Suicidal Ideation

    Thanks to Monarch for partnering with me! Start your free trial and get 50% off your first year of total money clarity using my link https://monarchmoney.yt.link/3td8zqw or code drscott50 for 50% Off Monarch Core tier.What is analytical suicidal ideation—and why does life sometimes stop feeling worth the effort? In this video, I explain a pattern I've repeatedly seen in myself and in the people I've worked with: not wanting to die because of overwhelming emotional pain, but because life simply no longer feels worth the cost of continuing. I share the behavioral and cognitive changes that have helped me escape these periods and rebuild a life that actually feels worth living.I discuss how sleep, nutrition, movement, finances, relationships, purpose, novelty, gratitude, and realistic expectations all contribute to your emotional "balance sheet." When too much energy is going out and not enough meaning, joy, or connection is coming back in, it's understandable to wonder how long you can keep going.If you've ever felt exhausted by life rather than overwhelmed by it, I hope this gives you a new way to understand what you're experiencing—and a practical place to start changing it. You are not doomed to feel this way forever.If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  5. Aug 17

    The pursuit of happiness is making you miserable

    Taking care of your health just got easier, thanks to my sponsor Zocdoc, start here at: https://zocdoc.com/drscotteilersThe antidote to depression isn’t happiness—it’s contentment. I explain why chasing happiness can actually make depression worse, especially when anhedonia makes positive emotions inaccessible or when short-term relief leads to unhealthy decisions. If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.I break down the “hedonic treadmill,” why good things eventually become our new normal, and why constantly needing more can leave us less satisfied with what we already have. Contentment gives me something more stable to build on because it doesn’t require me to feel good in order to recognize that parts of my life are good.I also share five ways I’ve learned to practice contentment, including challenging emotional reasoning, accepting some discontentment, and resisting the belief that one more achievement or purchase will finally make me feel whole. The goal isn’t to convince yourself everything is wonderful—it’s learning when good enough really is enough.

  6. Aug 10

    When feeling happy feels uncomfortable or scary (positive affect intolerance explained)

    If your body feels restless, tense, or overstimulated, see how CozyThrowzzz™ uses warmth and gentle pressure to help you feel supported while you move through the moment.https://cozyzzz.com/pages/cozyzzz-dr-scott(I've put together a little sensory guide you can download from the link above as well).What if feeling good actually makes you feel worse? I explain positive affect intolerance—why joy, comfort, love, accomplishment, or excitement can trigger anxiety, suspicion, anger, or the feeling that something bad is about to happen.I break down how depression, trauma, inconsistent relationships, ADHD, autism, and cyclical mood disorders can teach your brain not to trust positive emotions. I also explain why pushing good feelings away can become an automatic form of self-protection.Finally, I share several ways I’ve worked on this myself, including gradual exposure to positive emotions, challenging the beliefs that make comfort feel unsafe, and learning to let good experiences last a little longer. The goal isn’t to force yourself to be happy—it’s to stop feeling like happiness itself is dangerous.If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  7. Aug 3

    What if I’ve been so depressed for so long that I literally don’t know how to live?

    hanks to Monarch for partnering with me! Start your free trial and get 50% off your first year of total money clarity using my link https://monarchmoney.yt.link/lN5YDJ4 or code drscott50 for 50% Off Monarch Core tier.What happens when depression lifts—but you feel years behind everyone else? In this video, I share one of the hardest seasons of my life: recovering after a decade of severe depression while realizing I had missed many of the life skills other people seemed to learn naturally. I'll walk through the three lessons that helped me rebuild without burning myself out.We talk about why patience is essential in recovery, why asking for help can dramatically shorten the learning curve, and why finding joy matters just as much as rebuilding your life. If you're finally starting to feel better but don't know how to move forward, I hope these lessons help you find your footing.Depression can delay your development—but it doesn't define your future. Recovery isn't about catching up to everyone else. It's about building a life that works for you. If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

  8. Jul 31

    5 Reasons Your Depression Will Never Get Better

    Thanks to Grow Therapy for sponsoring this video! Head to https://growtherapy.yt.link/fdPWV2y to find your dream therapist today!Why does depression seem impossible to escape? In this video, I take a different approach by using humor and reverse psychology to explore five habits that quietly keep depression alive. From abandoning the things that once brought joy to comparing your real life with impossible standards, these patterns can trap you in a cycle that's difficult to recognize—but possible to change.We'll talk about why self-care actually creates self-worth, why trying to recover completely alone often backfires, how chasing only short-term pleasure keeps you emotionally stuck, and why comparison robs you of hope. I'll also share how these same traps have shown up in my own life.Recovery doesn't require perfection. It starts by noticing the patterns that keep you stuck—and choosing a different direction.If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeper Next Steps:📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with meTherapy with me (for people in Iowa)Find me on YouTubeResources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client. But I do care.

See All (269)

4.8
out of 5
225 Ratings

About

There are people who understand depression and anxiety on a personal level and there are people who understand depression and anxiety on a medical level. There are relatively few people who understand both, and I’m one of them. As a clinical psychologist I have a doctorate degree and thousands of hours of professional experience providing treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. I also have 39 years of personal experience managing mood and anxiety disorders as I myself deal with these struggles. This podcast is my attempt to synthesize my personal knowledge with my professional knowledge.

Information

You Might Also Like