See if you could pay as little as $0 for therapy using my link: https://growtherapy.yt.link/kYStfSz!What happens when you don’t want to die anymore—but you still don’t really want to live? After one of the worst periods of my life, I got myself out of crisis by slowing everything down. But that left me with a different problem: I had no idea what I actually cared about or what would make life feel worth participating in.In this video, I share three places I eventually found things that mattered to me: in the interests I abandoned before depression, in experiences I had dismissed while severely struggling, and through other people who introduced me to things I never would have discovered alone.If the crisis has passed but you've been left feeling empty, directionless, or unsure what you're supposed to live for now, you aren't necessarily starting from nothing. Some of what you're looking for may already be scattered throughout 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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

Taking care of your health just got easier, thanks to my sponsor Zocdoc, start here at: https://zocdoc.com/drscotteilersYour brain probably doesn’t work the way you think it does—and misunderstanding it can make your mental health worse. We try to force ourselves to stop thinking, choose happiness, numb painful emotions, or simply wait until we feel better. Unfortunately, brains are far more counterintuitive than that.In this video, I break down four harsh truths about how your brain actually works: your perception of reality is shaped by old beliefs, you can’t directly command your brain, mental health requires ongoing maintenance, and you can’t selectively numb painful emotions without also dulling the good ones.Understanding your brain won’t suddenly make it cooperate. But it can help you stop accidentally working against it.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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/esovhAP or code drscott50 for 50% Off Monarch Core tier.Sometimes the hardest part of your life isn’t what’s actually happening—it’s what your brain does with what’s happening. Cognitive distortions are thinking patterns that can take real problems, uncertainty, or discomfort and add an entirely new layer of emotional distress on top of them.In this video, I break down four of the most common patterns I see: black-and-white thinking, personalization, emotional reasoning, and catastrophizing. More importantly, I’ll give you a practical strategy for challenging each one without pretending your problems aren’t real or forcing yourself into “positive thinking.”The goal isn’t to convince yourself everything is fine. It’s to stop paying an emotional price for problems that exist primarily inside your own thought patterns.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.

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 me
• Therapy with me (for people in Iowa)
• Find me on YouTube

Resources

🪣 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.