The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety - Dr. Scott Eilers

Scott Eilers
  • 4.9 (208)
  • 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. 1D AGO

    How To Appreciate What You Have In Life Before You Lose It

    Most people don’t realize what mattered most to them until it’s already gone—and by then, all that’s left is grief, regret, and the feeling that you wasted time you didn’t know was precious. The human mind is terrible at appreciating the present while we’re still living it. In this episode, I share a set of practical ways to recognize what truly matters before you lose it—from doing things like it’s the last time, to putting a price tag on what you’d never trade, to a few unconventional techniques that can snap gratitude into focus when your brain refuses to cooperate. This is a chapter preview from my upcoming book The Light Between the Leaves, releasing April 2026 and available now for pre-order. This chapter is called “Remember What Matters Most.” Get the book here.https://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYT Next Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychology Depression and Anxiety resource: 🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory ♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better 📖 My book: For When Everything is Burning https://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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

  2. 4D AGO

    Empty Depression, Social Isolation, Addiction, Broken Systems, and Moments That Saved Me

    Thanks to Huel for sponsoring this video! Get 15% off Huel’s newest and existing products by heading to nhttps://huel.yt.link/1cTKz1e and using code SCOTT10 (new customers only, min $75 purchase).Depression isn’t just sadness—and having “a good life” doesn’t make you immune to it. In this conversation, I break down the two very different ways depression shows up, why success and stability don’t protect your mental health, and how purpose, pressure, and meaning shape both work and well-being.We also explore discipline, isolation, alcohol, motivation, and why mental health improvement requires effort—but not constant self-punishment. If you’ve ever wondered why things should feel good but don’t, this episode is for you. If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperhttps://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYTNext Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    47 min

  3. DEC 19

    14 Tips To Survive The Holidays With Sanity (Mostly) Intact - From A Psychologist

    The holidays can be one of the hardest times of year for mental health — and if you dread this season instead of enjoying it, you’re not broken. You’re human.In this video, I break down a practical holiday survival guide for navigating winter depression, family stress, loneliness, grief, financial pressure, and emotional overload. Whether you’re overwhelmed by too many people, struggling with too few, or just feeling crushed by the season itself, this is a grounded, realistic framework for getting through it with your sanity intact.This isn’t about toxic positivity or “just be grateful.” It’s about boundaries, energy budgeting, nervous system care, and redefining what the holidays actually need to be — for you.If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperhttps://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYTNext Steps: Get $50 OFF an annual Shortform ( @_Shortform ) sub at shortform.com/drscott and start learning more from nonfiction.📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    32 min

  4. DEC 13

    Psychologist’s 2026 Guide to PTSD and CPTSD

    If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperhttps://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYT PTSD is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions on earth. In this episode, I explain what PTSD really is, how it differs from Complex PTSD, what happens in your brain and body during trauma, and why some people develop it while others don’t. You’ll learn the four symptom categories, the overlap with other diagnoses (like anxiety, depression, and BPD), and the treatments that actually work—including exposure therapy, EMDR, and TF-CBT—plus practical self-regulation tools you can start using today. Whether you’ve been through trauma yourself or are trying to understand someone who has, this is your crash course in what PTSD really means—and why recovery is possible.Next Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    46 min

  5. DEC 8

    An Antidote To Suicide - Making A Violent Commitment To Living

    Do you ever feel like you weren’t meant to be here—like you’re the unwanted guest at a party? I’ve felt that most of my life. I'm sharing the shift that pulled me back from the edge: making a violent commitment to living—taking suicide off the table (Plan B) so I could finally go all-in on Plan A. I cover the “burn the ships” mindset, the difference between having a thought and entertaining a thought, and why small coping tips can feel absurd when the pain is massive—plus what to do instead.If you’re in crisis (U.S.): call/text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Outside the U.S., please contact your local crisis line.If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperhttps://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYTNext Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    17 min

  6. DEC 5

    The Light Between The Leaves Book Preview (The Lake/Envy Is Ignorance)

    A lake. A glass-calm afternoon. And a monster just beyond where we could see.This is a backstory reading from my new book, The Light Between the Leaves (April 2026) — Truth #2: “Envy is Ignorance.” The story (called “The Lake”) sets up why comparing your life to others ignores what’s under the surface — the unseen predators, pressures, and private costs we never witness. No quick tips here; just the origin story behind a lesson that changes how you look at envy.Pre-order the book now https://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYTSubscribe for the next chapter segment (the Application) and more mental-health tools grounded in real life.Next Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    13 min

  7. DEC 1

    Navigating The Grief Of A Broken Life

    Thanks to Grow Therapy for sponsoring this video! Find your estimate and get started today!Those “random” waves of sadness? They might be ambiguous grief—grieving the life you won’t have, the alternate selves that never got to exist. In this video I name it, normalize it, and share two frameworks that help:1. Engage the life you have (even if it’s not the one you wanted)2. Grief = Pain + Time (why you can’t rush it or ignore it)If this resonates, you’re not broken—and you’re not alone.If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperNext Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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

  8. NOV 24

    This Powerful, Unpredictable Tool Has Ended Many Of My Depressive Episodes

    Depression often feels like numbness—not joy vs. sadness, but a total loss of excitement. In this video, I share the surprising pattern that has ended several of my depressive episodes: finding a spark worth chasing. I walk through 8 real examples (from gaming and football to fragrances, barbecue, tools, watches, and gardening) and extract the active ingredient you can apply to your own life—even if your “spark” looks different than mine. MasterClass has great offers this holiday season. If you use my link, you’ll get up to 50% off an annual subscription. Head over to ⁠https://masterclass.yt.link/4ns74gv⁠ for the current offer and they’ll know I sent you! If my videos have helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves, goes even deeperhttps://bit.ly/DrScottLightBetweentheLeavesYTNext Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly. https://bit.ly/SelfHopePsychologyDepression and Anxiety resource:🪣 Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles. https://bit.ly/DrScottBucketTheory♥︎ 2 Unique ways to work with me - https://drscotteilers.com😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.https://www.drscotteilers.com/resources#how-to-sleep-better📖 My book: For When Everything is Burninghttps://bit.ly/forwheneverythingisburning 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.

    27 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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