Depression ranks as the #1 health problem in the developed world, and according to the World Health Organization, 300M of us suffer from depression on any given day. Yet after two full antidepressant trials, only 50% of people fully recover. So, what do we do when antidepressants aren’t enough?
Dr. Stuart Eisendrath is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry Emeritus at the University of California—San Francisco and Founding Director of the UCSF Depression Center. He has 40 years of experience treating a full range of depressive disorders, and his lectures on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) have more than 1.5M views. Dr. Stuart is also the author of When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harness the Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression.
On this episode of Men on Purpose, Dr. Stuart joins Emerald to explain how his interest in the mind-body connection and his own experience with depression inspired his work in mindfulness meditation. He discusses how mindfulness changes the way the brain functions, sharing his own daily meditation practices and offering reassurance for those of us who don’t respond to antidepressants. Listen in for Dr. Stuart’s insight on bringing mindfulness into all aspects of your life and learn how to notice negative thoughts—without taking them on!
What You Will Learn
How Dr. Stuart’s interest in the mind-body connection inspired his work
How mindfulness meditation helped Dr. Stuart recover from depression
Dr. Stuart’s storefront analogy for noticing negative thoughts without taking them on
Dr. Stuart’s simple mindfulness meditation practice
- Close eyes and focus on breath
- When mind wanders, bring attention back to breath
The evolution of Dr. Stuart’s career from researcher to writer and speaker
How mindfulness meditation changes the way the brain functions
Dr. Stuart’s reassurance for patients who don’t respond to antidepressants
How Dr. Stuart sought coaching as part of the creation process for his book
The two forms of mindfulness meditation that Dr. Stuart practices daily
- Sit and watch breath
- Dispositional mindfulness
Dr. Stuart’s insight on bringing mindfulness into all aspects of your life
Connect with Stuart Eisendrath
Dr. Stuart’s Website
Resources
When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harness the Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression by Stuart J. Eisendrath, MD
UCSF Depression Center
Dr. Stuart’s Free Guided Meditations
The Book Midwife
Wickedly Smart Women Podcast
Connect with Emerald GreenForest
Creative Age Consulting Group
Emerald’s Website
Emerald on LinkedIn
Emerald on Twitter