The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety - Dr. Scott Eilers Scott Eilers
-
- Health & Fitness
-
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. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support
-
Why You Do Amazing, Then Fall Apart Sometimes
Would you describe your life as a rollercoaster?
This probably looks like sustained periods where you're extremely high-functioning and then prolonged periods where you struggle to do even the most basic functions.
Most people suffering from depression and anxiety experience this to some degree. If this is you, you're probably like me, a "high ceiling, low floor" person - highly functional sometimes, unable to do basics at others.
I'm sharing the 3 keys that help me move through the lows - and highs - for more consistent functionality.
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
Sleep better, without pills (partner I believe in)
My book: For When Everything is Burning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety(I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
Android
Connect with me on TikTok:
Connect on Instagram
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support -
How To Change The Channel In Your Mind
Trying to replace negative thoughts with positive ones rarely works for your mental wellbeing. Your brain perceives threat and warns you by replaying those thoughts. Fighting this impulse makes your mind cling tighter.
I'm laying out an effective retraining technique. No more fruitless thought struggles - you'll gain control.
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
Sleep better, without pills (partner I believe in)
My book: For When Everything is Burning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety(I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
Android
Connect with me on TikTok:
Connect on Instagram
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
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.
0:00 - The Lie About Overcoming Negative Thoughts
2:15 - Why Positive Thinking Backfires
4:32 - The Five Core Organizers
7:48 - Changing the Channel in Your Mind
11:03 - Engaging Your Other "Advisors"
14:27 - Using Physical Movement to Shift Focus
17:51 - Mastering the Channel Changing Technique
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support -
Please Let There Be A Purpose To All This Pain
Life doesn't always make sense, not all pain has a purpose - and this reality can hurt. This frustrated me for years.
While not all pain leads to something positive, I want to offer a perspective that can help you avoid falling into deeper levels of despair. I call this technique, 'The Web.'
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
Sleep better, without pills (partner I believe in)
My book: For When Everything is Burning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety(I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
Android
Connect with me on TikTok:
Connect on Instagram
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support -
The Person I Want To Be Doesn’t Exist
Society expects everyone to fit into predetermined molds, but that's not realistic. There is no "normal" path meant for everyone.
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
Sleep better, without pills (partner I believe in)
My book: For When Everything is Burning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety (I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
Android
Connect with me on TikTok
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
0:00 - The Person I Want To Be Doesn't Exist
2:15 - Searching for a Path That Fits
5:28 - The Delusion of a Secret Society
8:40 - Accepting There Is No Preset Path
11:25 - Finding Peace in My Uniqueness
14:10 - Crafting a Customized Life
17:35 - Embracing Your Distinctive Identity
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support -
4 things you should never say to someone who is struggling (and what to say instead)
There's an epidemic of unhelpful responses when someone opens up about their struggles. My take: Most well-meaning people inadvertently make things worse because they simply don't know what to say.
When we see loved ones suffering, it triggers distress in us too. Our instinct is to quickly make their pain go away, for our sake as much as theirs. But rushing them through emotions or invalidating their fexelings creates isolation.
I want to look at four common unhelpful responses, and give you some new tools to use. These tools also apply to your self-talk - be your own supportive friend.
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
https://mailchi.mp/90ccaf44c876/self-hope-psychology
Get better sleep, naturally https://bit.ly/SleepResetQuiz (Partner link, but I believe in them)
My book: For When Everything is Burning
https://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety (I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
https://apps.apple.com/il/app/mood-bloom-therapeutic-game/id6449717065?mt=8
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hedonia.bloom.mood&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1
Connect with me on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.scott.eilers
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
http://www.northstarpsychcenter.com/
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
http://www.drscotteilers.com/
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support -
Why Smarter People Are More Depressed
People with depression often feel like they aren't very smart - I hear this all the time in therapy sessions.
But the usually the opposite is true. And there are a few very interesting reasons for that.
Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.
https://mailchi.mp/90ccaf44c876/self-hope-psychology
My book: For When Everything is Burning
https://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning
Mood Bloom games for depression and anxiety (I have partnered with this brand):
iOS
https://apps.apple.com/il/app/mood-bloom-therapeutic-game/id6449717065?mt=8
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hedonia.bloom.mood&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1
Connect with me on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.scott.eilers
Therapy with me (Iowa residents only)
http://www.northstarpsychcenter.com/
Work with me (Non-Iowa residents)
http://www.drscotteilers.com/
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-eilers/support
Customer Reviews
Very sincere, helpful, practical and insightful
Such a good series with very clear applicable wisdom and techniques. No clickbait, no courses/ classes/ trainings or other expensive upper level content being pushed. This is the kind of podcast you wish other psychology podcasts were like, but it definitely speaks to a specific type of person and isn’t trying to be a general audience podcast , which is why it is so helpful to the people who click with it.
Latest Podcast Episode
My personal feeling about what you described is you are experiencing a combination of depression with anhedonia and a form of DPDR. Thanks for your sharing and being vulnerable!
My favorite podcast
This podcast has seriously saved my mental health these past few weeks! It’s been a heavy season of life and I needed to hear these words. Dr. Scott has a way of explaining things that make sense and you can tell he actually gets it. He’s been through it, and I can tell he genuinely wants to help people feel better. He has a gift.