The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety - Dr. Scott Eilers

Scott Eilers
  • 4.8 (218)
  • 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. 4D AGO

    People living with chronic depression are fighting a daily multi-front war you cannot comprehend

    If the usual depression advice hasn’t helped, it might be because it wasn’t built for your type of depression. I created this short quiz to help you identify your pattern and what to do about it.What if the reason you’re exhausted… isn’t because you’re lazy—but because you’re fighting something no one else can see? Depression and suicidal thoughts can consume enormous mental energy, even when it looks like you’re doing nothing.In this video, I explain what it actually feels like to live with suicidal ideation—the constant pressure, the invisible battle, and why “just getting through the day” can take everything you have.If this is your experience, I want you to know this: you’re not alone in this fight. And even if no one else can see the battle you’re fighting, that doesn’t mean it isn’t real—or that it can’t be won.

    14 min

  2. MAR 23

    Fix your black and white, all or nothing negative thoughts about yourself with one simple graph

    If my podcast has helped, ⁠my new book, The Light Between the Leaves⁠, goes even deeper “I’m a failure.” “I’m worthless.” “I’m behind everyone else.” If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, I want to show you how your mind might be distorting reality.In this video, I break down how depression uses black-and-white thinking, overgeneralization, and selective evidence to convince you that you’re at the bottom. Then I walk you through one of my favorite tools—the Continuum Exercise—so you can actually test those thoughts.In my experience, you’re almost never where your depression says you are. And seeing where you actually fall can give you just enough space to start moving forward again. 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.

    18 min

  3. MAR 16

    If You Survived Early Childhood Neglect And Isolation And Your Adult Relationships Feel Empty

    Childhood trauma and emotional neglect don’t just disappear when you become an adult. The coping strategies that helped you survive a painful childhood can quietly sabotage your relationships, mental health, and happiness later in life. In this episode, I explain three common survival strategies people develop in difficult childhoods: losing touch with your needs, feeling disconnected from others, and becoming afraid of vulnerability. These strategies once protected you—but in adulthood they can keep you stuck. Healing starts when you recognize these patterns and slowly begin to replace them with healthier ways of relating to yourself and other people. The survival skills that once protected you don’t have to control the rest of your life. 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.

    21 min

  4. MAR 9

    Refusing to accept a broken world does not make you a broken person. In fact, the opposite

    If my podcast has helped, ⁠⁠my new book, The Light Between the Leaves⁠⁠, goes even deeper. Many people struggling with depression, anxiety, and existential burnout feel like something about modern society just doesn’t work for them. Sometimes the problem isn’t just your mental health. Sometimes the problem is living in a world that rewards productivity more than compassion and success more than kindness. Refusing to accept the broken rules of a broken world does not make you a broken person. And sometimes the smallest act of kindness can be the moment that keeps someone going. 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.

    14 min

  5. MAR 6

    How to stop thinking about the things that stress you out - a strategy for defeating rumination

    Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this video! The first 500 people to use my link will receive a one-month free trial of Skillshare. Get started today! Rumination is when your brain gets stuck on a thought and refuses to let it go. You replay the same worry… the same mistake… the same fear… over and over again. Sometimes for hours. Sometimes for entire days. And the frustrating part? Trying to force yourself to stop thinking about it usually makes it worse. In this episode, I explain a counterintuitive way to break rumination using a principle called limited cognitive capacity — and three variables that determine whether distraction actually works. 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.

    16 min

  6. FEB 27

    5 normal habits that will destroy your mental health

    If you live with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or another chronic mental health condition, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to be normal. Normal does not equal healthy. When your brain is prone to going rogue, you cannot afford the same habits most people can. What works for them may quietly destroy you. Society is not built to protect your mental health. And you cannot fix a mood disorder by acting like you don’t have one. If you have substantial mental health needs, you need sustainable systems — not quick fixes. This comes from experience. I tried to live “normally.” It did not go well. 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.

    15 min

  7. FEB 23

    This skill stopped my stupid brain from ruining my life

    What if the person you need protection from… is you? If your brain constantly attacks your insecurities and drags your mood down, this video will teach you how to set boundaries with your own thoughts. You can’t stop thoughts from appearing.But you can refuse to engage with beliefs that don’t belong to you. I’ll show you how to starve destructive self-talk and reprogram your inner narrative over time. 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.

    12 min

  8. FEB 20

    I Know You’re Horribly Depressed, But You Still Need To Wash Your Butt

    Head to http://cozyearth.com and use my code DRSCOTT for up to 20% off to make your home the best part of life. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!Depression isn’t glamorous—and one of the most humiliating symptoms can be what it does to hygiene.When depression gets bad, people stop showering, brushing their teeth, washing their hair, doing laundry… and then shame kicks in. You isolate, you feel disgusting, you assume everyone hates you, and the spiral gets worse.In this video, I share my highest-conviction strategies for rebuilding hygiene during depression—without making it another reason to hate yourself.If you’ve been ashamed about this, I want you to hear it clearly: you are not alone. And you can rebuild from here. 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.

    21 min
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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.

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