I already knew I loved this man not only for his insight, his sincerity in helping people suffering and for his perfect explanation of concepts but then when his cat appeared behind the curtain and to find out he is a cat lover. ❤ This man rocks
Would you consider discussing depression and long term illness, and/or injury which causes extreme change of lifestyle? Until my hip is replaced in 2 months, I can’t move with extreme pain, and the pain meds are strong and changing my disposition/personality-I am depressed.
I was crying at the start as missing lost family which is most of them tbh, then only thing I've laughed at all day is the cat as I have a bunch of them, as wondered what was up! Cat people are usually nice
This is so much better than the other depression videos. I love that you talked about anhedonia so thoroughly, because for me, it’s the number one most frustrating symptom of my depression (and usually the first sign that it’s getting bad again). And I feel like most videos talk about the feelings of sadness… not the utter, grey, joyless flatness that I usually experience.
I know I have never heard of some of these symptoms but I now recognize that I have them. I can't remember the last time I felt joyful about anything. I remember one Christmas I kept staring at an ornament that said JOY and wondering how that felt. 😢
I wish I felt sadness. I just nothing, constant numb emptyness. Always flat no matter what. When I know I should feel sad/grief at times, or feel some joy at least .
@@lucialuciferion6720wow,. I've been feeling exactly this way, but couldn't explain this to anyone. I don't have my feelings anymore. I thought I was the only one like this,... it has scared me so much. Depression is so scary and uncomfortable.... Hope we get better, and feel correct emotions again 🙏
Depression makes you feel dead and empty. The pain you feel, so bad you can't breath. Pain in head is constant. Feels lots of waves of grief , saddness. Horrible remorse of life.
I get this 100% I deal with these episodes weekly. It's so difficult to do anything on any given day. I usually sleep my days away to escape from my reality.
omg yes like I need to clean my bedroom but it literally causes me pain to even think about starting it. It’s so daunting and overwhelming. I hate this feeling
Your videos should be required viewing for all aspiring therapists. After a lifetime dealing with mental health professionals this is the first time ive heard someone who actually knows what it feels like.
What does depression feel like inside? I'm 65 and have suffered from depression all my life. When people ask, I use this analogy: Imagine your mind, or your brain, is hemorrhaging internally- not blood, but sadness and hopelessness- forever. That's what depression feels like.
Look Idont know if you will ever se this but. This sound stupid but ho friking cares.(English Isn't my first language so don't judge me just so you know and this is going to be loong to). Look I'm a 14 year old femel and have feelt depression for 2 years. My problem is that I care to much about pepole and feel their feelings more than they do and feel like It basically my problem that i deal whit. I'm stress unecessary, introvert, dont feel alive sometimes, fell left out becuse no one seems to care and feel one whit the wall. I don't know how to cam me down when I'm stress luckily I'm geting help from a terapist and a organisation ho helps children ho feel depression. Efter a month i will get tips and stuff to cam down and feel not depresst. If you feel something that I feel I will nethier way tell you what they told me to mabey help you❤.Bayy whis you a great day!😁 Like if Some one se this pls
@@johnjones99124 yeah, chi gong helps a bit when you're agitated. It does not cure depression. At all. Doing chi gong for 8 years now when I'm bordering high stress.
9:14 when your cat appeared and then you held it in your arms was so cute! as a cat person it made me smile, Cupcake is adorable! 🐱💕 Also, Dr. Scott Eilers thank you very much for your videos, I've watched them all, and rewatching again along with listening to your Spotify podcasts, helps me with my anxiety.
This sucks really bad. Cptsd is a constant non stop depression and anxiety. For me the biggest thing with this is mostly a constant high anxiety/hypervigilance that increases the depression
I have found my people on this channel and in this man. I love that he says that no two depressive people are exactly the same. Depression can but doesn't have to lead to extremes of feelings or actions if one receives the correct help from the psychologist, GP and psychiatrist you are seeing. This can be an extremely difficult task for the depressive. One of the things I believe the therapy needs to include is group therapy for the people in the depressive's life specifically significant others. This is absolutely vital in my opinion. It is interesting to see the ways in which depression can manifest from a depressive's point of view. We need to be more open to the possibility that this can be genetically inherited. It is difficult to discover whether having a depressive parent makes one more likely to be born with depression or whether growing up with a depressive in the home makes one more likely to manifest and become a depressive thus perpetuating the problem. In my case I have a son with ADD which has resulted in him believing that he has a bad memory and means that he spent the requisite time in education but didn't reach the necessary results required in the greater world. I feel guilty that this was my fault because he was an unplanned pregnancy which meant I was very angry and really didn't want another child at that time. From birth onwards it seemed he had to fight life and challenge everything as if his life depended on it. It made bonding with him extremely difficult until he was almost 8 years old. I am now 75 and have a wonderful life but whilst I am on top of my depression I am unafraid of death and envy people who have died.
I have never heard or have had this explained so well. I have struggled with depression after my first baby at the age of 22. Now 54, I am still struggling. It’s been lifelong. Thank you for clarifying what has been happening all of these years. I believe I can take some action now and address these symptoms.
I appreciate you for making this video. I have been struggling with depression for most of my life and this is the first time I’ve heard someone speak about the differences from person to person in such detail. I believe through your videos a lot of people will be saved. Thank you
I am 41 now,my early age was ok.I started feel depressed by the age 35,i have insomnia, anxiety,unfocus mind and many more.Our brain need time to heal,dont give it a push to think.Unfortunately we have our own problems,hope the best to all of you
The guilt/shame thing is a major topic as well. It also comes on top of that all. Because of not functioning like before. What we remember on how it was in the past/before the episode. And the guilt trip to friends and family, because of the isolating since we maybe don't have enough energy to hold on to meetings. A bad circle. The wish to meet with others, but not being able to do it, to feel ashamed for the excuses and the sadness to again disappoint others.
Thank you for breaking it down so well. It’s sad that I don’t have anyone interested in understanding or watching this in order to do so. You describe it very well. I’m having a major depression episode that has lasted for a couple years now. I’m 98 lbs from my normal 120 lbs. I sleep most of the time and feel like I have brain fog most of the time. I’m physically weak. I’ve lost interest in the things I love. Cooking, creating art, gardening… I recently went on a trip from NY to NM to maybe help snap out of this depression. I have visited many times and lived there for a couple years. My Dad was born n raised there. I have lots of family there too. I got lost when I first got there and the trip spiraled down from there. I was overwhelmed with anxiety n could barely drive my rental car. Finding my Airbnb was a nightmare. I ended up coming home 3 days into my 7 day trip. I barely made it back to the airport to catch my flight. I’ve traveled since I was a teen by myself. It was always such a thrill for me. I hadn’t a fear in the world. This trip I felt like a nervous child who lost her parents. I am. I was going to honor the 20th anniversary of my Dad’s passing. My Mom passed 2 years ago in November. I had a tiny bit of both of their ashes n I was going to do a little memorial at the top of the Sandia’s. My Dad passed up there while hiking in 2003. I never made it up there to do my memorial. I didn’t do anything the 3 days I was there and I didn’t see any of my family. Although they knew 3 months in advance that I was coming. I get it, life is busy. However, being depressed I always think it’s me somehow. I’m not worthy of their time. They don’t really like me anymore. These things are probably not true but in a depressed mind they are. You beat yourself up about it. It’s a horrible place to be. I can’t watch the news because it wrecks me when I see the things going on right now. It’s physical as well as mental. It’s exhausting. It’s very hard to break out of.
I don't have any words of wisdom, but maybe you can try a local grief support group? And try to take that trip with a friend or two(if you have them , and yes if they can make time ). It sucks, I understand what you're going through. If not in local grief support group, perhaps online forums? Hugs ❤
I completely understand. I'm 21 and have been feeling this way since I was 14. Whenever I open social media I see other people's lives and feel bad that I'm missing out on the prime years of mine. People are dating, travelling, just doing all sorts of things (scuba diving and stuff) and I just sit at home for years on end. I only find some semblance of peace- not really a "positive" peace, but an abating of that numb feeling- when I'm on a religious pilgrimage. I hope I see purpose and faith in life again, and I hope you do too. This video was crazy helpful to me because I often blamed myself for how dumb I acted in college. I didn't talk to anyone and people bullied me, the teachers mocked me saying "does she have a mental problem?" To which people laughed-- and I didn't know that I was acting foolish and ditzy because of my depression. I just blamed myself. I was actually a very smart kid, everyone said so. I had no idea what had happened to me. I wish I knew you in real life and could have met you on that trip. It's going to get slightly better, slowly and slowly
Thanks mate for doing these vids for free. I’m in my 70s and can’t wait to die and I’m so unhappy and lonely. Too late for me to change my fucked up life but I know your work and sharing will make a difference to so many younger people who still have a life ahead of them. Go well.
You explained everything so well. People with depression, and people who interact with depressed people, really need to watch this video. I came away really understanding what depression, and a depressive episode look, and feel. So glad I found your videos on UA-cam. Thank you so much for doing this.
Omg. What a revealing episode. I was thinking,i already tick all the boxes and i wonder if constant guilt can be a symptom... and boom. Thank you so much. This is life changing.
Same. I've been wanting to go out for lunch or so , or maybe get a coffee , and yet I instantly recognize i will feel guilty , towards the fact I'm having a chance to escape work, and guilt towards whoever 'serves' my table . It's bloody hopeless!
I'm 62 and I've always been an 'unhappy' person. I've been in every type of therapy and course available and you are the first person I've come across who 'gets' it. I would love to tell my oldest child about you but if I did they wouldn't watch you, but I just know you could really help them. They have borderline personality disorder and have struggled all their life. I love them so much but currently they don't want to have anything to do with me. I hope somehow they come across your podcast....
That was an extremely helpful video for me. I am going to view it again. I think at the age of 65, you have given me more insight than I have ever had. Your lovely children got me.. even more invested 😊😊
Hi Scott, you just summed up the last 10 years of my life. Definitely have/ had 7 out of 9 of the recognised definitions of depression. The best way I can describe it is it’s like your life is a rollercoaster but you don’t feel any of the adrenaline you get from being on this rollercoaster. That someone who isn’t suffering from depression gets, they enjoy the highs and lows, the twists and turns, the lops. I can only sit there and feel flat and numb and empty. Thank you for the insight and breaking this down for me and others.
Thank you for breaking this down into understandable terms. The grief, PTSD, (a therapist suggest ed this), and the depression have been overwhelming after caring for my beloved husband who passed from Early On-Set Alzhiemers. What was also surprising was the reaction by a long time friend, who actually said to me, "You're really milking this", after I was wanting to talk about my husband just a few months after he passed. There seemed to be a certain time frame that I was supposed to get over it.
Hi Cynthia, Unbelievable to me that a " friend" would say such a cruel thing to you in a moment of vulnerability! I am so sorry this happened, that is on THEM, speaks to their level of compassion, lack there of! Do not accept it. ❤
I hope you have other people in your life to give you comfort and compassion. That friend has no empathy at all. I would limit how much time to be around them. Just a thought.
I was diagnosed with major depression when I was 19 along with panic disorder. I was in college at the time. It was hell. It lasted for 4 years. I couldn't eat sleep or walk down the hallway in a straight line. I felt like I had A cloud of cotton around my head all the time. Horrible experience that you can't understand unless you go through it through it And you don't want to.
Panic disorder sounds like hell. I've had 1 panic attack and that was caused by an edible. If I had panic attacks out of nowhere, I don't think I'd be able to live that way. Kudos to you.
Some people go through serious dark times in their lives , then they get through it , maybe even with help. To me that's like a " blip" in their life. Depression for me is like being possessed by a Demon , not so bad days feel like the Demon is asleep, Bad days are when its awake and won't leave you alone , Either way you know it's always there !
I completely understand and sympathize with everyone who is feeling this. I have just been dragging myself through this world for 20 years just waiting for it to end
oh my goshhhh…when you started talking about the point of Feelings of Worthlessness and guilt, I felt like a feeling I’ve been experiencing for more than a year now was finally being explained! I would tell myself I’m being “self-cynical” but “the opposite of narcissist” is exactly it. I don’t trust my own thoughts, I always blame myself for things. And you’re so right…it just makes me feel even more tired, and even more disinterested in social interactions and relationships. This point alone, for me, makes this video incredibly worth it. Also, realizing that I most definitely am/have been going through a depressive episode…
Seems like much of my life has been a depressive episode starting definitely by 4, but at age 62 I had a real reactivation in the last month-and-a-half and I was horrified that I could not concentrate at all and could not accomplish tasks that I needed to accomplish. I was looking up ADHD and wondering if I had that even though my doctor told me that ADHD and PTSD have a lot of overlap and she didn't think that I have ADHD but that my symptoms could be attributed to PTSD. She knew what I was going through and that it was a lot and it's a comfort when you're in the pits to get validation that you're dealing with a whole lot. Working on my mood. Working on noticing when I'm finding pleasure in something. Working on being aware of my blessings even if a lot of times life feels flat and no fun. This is a great explanation of depression and hopefully will help other people who don't experience it to understand it better. I have a friend who once told me that she didn't used to understand depression. Until at some point she experienced some loss in her life and then knew what depression was like. When she told me she didn't used to be able to understand depression I thought how lucky she was and that I felt like there was never a time that I didn't understand the feeling of depression.
Yes! Thank you for making this video. It can be so isolating when people don't even understand that there's something they don't understand. This is very validating.
I Have suffered depression for years, it is well under control at the moment. This has to be the best analysis that I’ve ever heard. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for your work. I have watched all of your videos and especially this one is so helpful, because next time I have an episode I can send it to my beloved ones, so I don't have to explain when I have zero energy.
I’m glad that you mentioned that overeating is a sign of depression as people usually think not eating is the only sign in regards to nutrition. I went through a time where I would overeat and would buy bags of chocolates to find some semblance of joy in my life. Something in me snapped after seeing a picture of myself and how much weight I gained(20lbs) as well as higher cholesterol levels so I stopped and started going to the gym and I felt so much better. The best way I can describe depression is an invisible weight that sucks the energy out of the body
@@M.Sforzait is a chore to take a shower and wash and dry my hair, let alone actually put on something other than pajamas or even some makeup. I don't even want to leave the house anymore.
Yes! The difference in depression types vastly differs from person to person I've noticed. I tend to be more emotional, cryey, hopeless, procrastination and over-eat. My teenage son is angrier, emptier, cant sit still, no appetite. Gorgeous kids btw - they convinced me to subscribe for sure 😉
I’ve had tears running down my face since a few minutes into this video. You have explained this so very well. I now understand some of the moods I go through. You are a God send for those of us struggling. I’ve had family members tell me to just get over it. I’ve had PHN for 14 years now. I wish and hope and pray that one day I will just get over it. All the different stages or feelings you have described so well. Thank you SO much for doing these videos. I’m a mess but you are an inspiration and a beacon of light in this dark journey. Thank you again!!! I’ve been subscribed to your channel from the first time God landed me there. Thank you for what you are doing. You are helping immensely. I have days when I don’t even want to watch your latest video. I try but I can’t get motivated. 😢. BUT your children are beautiful!! God bless you all!!! ❤
Depression and mental illness can be difficult to deal with, and it's important to remember that it's not something you can easily "just get over." It's great that you have found ways to cope and still keep yourself motivated in spite of the hardships. Keep up the good work and remember that you are an inspiration to others who may be struggling with mental illness as well. I hope that you can continue to find peace and happiness in your own journey. ❤
I really needed that tonight - Cupcake is adorable and your interaction with her was uplifting. I like that you are a cat 🐱 person, just one more reason (if I needed it) to watch you. The rest of the video was enlightening; I am experiencing a reason to be depressed (the recent death of my mother and the very real fear that my cat is reaching the end of her life (nearly 20 years) whilst in a depressive episode already. I feel anhedonia is part of my symptoms and yet Cupcake got through to me and I enjoyed that moment and will remember it as a good feeling. I can’t quite explain what I AM feeling, not sure I’ve made a lot of sense. It seems that I can feel good and bad - perhaps I need to view your anhedonia video again. I think I am just very confused and dreadfully sad just now and nothing is making sense. I know one thing - I need help. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks but it’s not going to be someone as skilful and empathetic as you ❤Thank you for taking the time to read this, I am usually able to be a bit more coherent but I’m just not reasoning clearly. I guess that is what mental health is all about.
Thank you for sharing, your definition has helped me understand not only myself but has helped to give me some insight into the disease of depression . I lost someone very dear to me last year to suicide and I have struggled since trying to understand why💔😪This I will live with the redt of my life
I've been watching bits n pieces for a little while now. I've been fighting crippling depression for several years. You've made complete sense. I'm grateful for you. Looking forward to buying your book.
My lifelong problem was in how I suffered a lack of personal energy and motivation, and I was said to be too slow of a worker. My entire working career, I was fired from one job and had to move on to the next. My so-called friends made fun of me, and other people hated me. I went to a variety of mental health people who diagnosed me with depression, and I took a number of different pills, but none of them worked
Seven pages of notes taken. Very enlightening. I finally have a term and definition for a huge burden I've carried practically my whole adult life. "Adhedonia" ! It's actually kinda reliving to finally know what this feeling is called. I've carried seven of the nine almost constantly for at least the last 12 years or longer. Stopped the zombie medication a year ago and have been trying to learn and understand more about this frustrating, tiring BS condition since. I like your presentation style and will be listening to more of your content. Keep up the good work.
I have suffered from depression for many years. This is by far the best presentation on the topic I have ever seen. Thank you so much. This has been very helpful.
Listen I was depressed for 26 years of my life and you know what was causing it, it was low thyroid that I didn’t know that I had that was causing me to be in deep depression. The minute I found out from a blood test what I had, I went to my doctor to get the medication Levothyroxine and the minute I look one pill, all of my depression completely vanished. After that, I went on the internet and looked it all up, I found my answer and spoke more about it with my doctor. I’ve been feeling great for 12 years now and I have absolutely no depression whatsoever. I also got rid of my family and my friends who were also contributing to my depression and wouldn’t let me live my life. In 1998, I bought 2 suitcases, packed up my belongings and walked out the door. I got rid of everyone who knew me from the past. I feel absolutely great. My life is absolutely normal.
@@crybabychrononaut At first when I was 26 years old when I was living alone my depression was getting worse and I thought that I was headed to psychosis but thank God that didn’t happen and I was still able to go to school and go to work like normal people do. Anyways I write my story down because I wanna help people with depression and try to give them the answers so that they can live normal lives by getting bloodwork done and a full body checked and help them find out if any of it is hereditary. Also sometimes family & friends can make a person feel depressed all the time by physically, mentally, emotionally, verbally and financially using them and abusing them like I went through when I was younger and so I left and now I live my own normal life by not having anymore friends and family ever again.
I had the same thing hypothyroidism! Hashimotos disease...Everyone thought I was depressed, I was ridiculously tired, over weight...levothyroxine helps big time.
Thank you, I've been binge watching your videos and appreciate your knowledge and your straight forward honesty. I struggled with bad depression in my teen years and got through it, but I feel I've always had a sad part living inside me all my life. I've had bouts of depression here and there and realized as I got older, the depressed part of me can't be hypnotized, meaning I'm a realist I don't fall for things easily and that's a good thing. Secondly the depressed part of me almost feels like a superpower because it allows me to not care so much. Meaning it's made me resilient to lets say... insults, harsh words, failure, a critical boss, people opinions, the most calm person in a bad situation. The sadness has made me the most sane person in the room to some degree because I'm always expecting the worst and if the worst happens my mentality is bring it because I'm_not_afraid_to_die. Your dealing with a person who is not thinking like everyone else, that's me and that's you too Dr. Eilers. There is actually a positive side about it, of course I'm not talking about or referencing clinical depression that's a whole other level that needs more attention.
You and your daughter just snagged my subscription! This is the BEST explanation of depression that I have ever seen in me life. THANK YOU. Now, if only I could get off the eternal waiting lists for counsing... one year and counting....
This has been me for the best part of my life. As a kid I thought the best way to deal with this was just to keep it inside and manage it the best way I could without sharing any issues with anyone. Now as an adult, as soon as I say or share something, people usually write me off as crazy, flat out ignore me or abruptly stop speaking to me. To this day, I truly believe that it’s in my best interest to not share any of my true emotions. People are usually cynical and incapable of understanding others’ emotions/feelings if they’ve not experienced any symptoms themselves. Behavioral health specialists tend to immediately put you on some medication. I truly believe most Psychiatrists misdiagnosed a lot of people and all they do is put them on whatever medication they think is best for people. 😏
This was really helpful thank you. My smyptoms are mild but unfortunately I have the full range all the time. Because I can get up and go to work every day and mask my mood people dont realise that I would much prefer to be hiding out in my house not seeing anyone. My life is ticking by and I am wasting it but can find no joy anymore..
I really love your channel. I had all these things happening that I did not understand or know what to do . I do not have any support. Now I understand so much more . I feel like I have finally found people who understand what this illness does to a person. I have some good days and days where I can not get out of my chair. When I am in my chair I feel like I should be doing something. I just can't. However, I beat myself up a lot because I am not taking care of business. I am learning that it is okay if I sit all day , and do nothing . I work on being kind to myself. I would like more video's like this one and I will be playing catch up with past video's. Thank you, Thank you !! Many blessings to you and yours. (Your children are beautiful, so is your cat !)
I’m really happy that I found this guy. For weeks now my mental health has declined and I really wanted to try to understand it more, this really helps to get a better grasp for what’s happening to me. Got a psychotherapist appointment next week to get the help that I desperately need
You are literally explaining some of this my whole life and now, i can’t even get out of bed, i was a trainer and now I have to drag myself to the gym where I used to love to go.. still love but, lost my motivation plus I have ADHD too and high levels of anxiaty but, I don’t have that guild or isolate because I don’t want to be around people, I do isolate because I can’t stand the people that surrounded me and I feel nothing turn them whatsoever. I don’t have a bad outlook of life and not negative but, the feelings are more as numbness and activities I used to love before, food, anything excite me anymore.. I sleep at least 12 hours and not motivated to get out of bed at all most of the time.
Hi Thank you so much for talking about this. I have struggled off and on for years with depression and anxiety. I am really struggling at present but getting assistance via my GP and NHS. The brain is so complicated and the body struggles when it isn't function properly. Exhaustion, stress, anxiety, sleep interrupted, headaches tmj, Angeodema. No appetite, nausea and weird other things in my body. I also have cfs and fibromyalgia so my pain is exacerbated by depression, vicious cycle. It's exhausting trying to stay on top, your explanation is very helpful and I am grateful I found your channel.Thank you for caring enough to help people, you are appreciated.
Thank you thank you thank you for this video. Ive always wondered about the burst of negative energy. I've been diagnosed with major depressive disorder but never knew what psychomotor agitation was.😊
I've lived with depression most of my life. I've never heard anyone explain it so well. This video brought me to tears to be honest with you. Thank you for doing these vids ❤ Love your kitty btw :)
I am sad I feel lonely Nothing seems to catch my attention nothing. I was such a happy person always looked after myself made sure i look pretty and nicely 👗 dressed. I a empty much lost of joy nothing excists me. I use to get excited just going out for a walk, or dinner with friends or family now i have to forced myself to go out. I don't sleep much maybe 5hrs i wake up a few times during the night. I could go to bed after midnight and sleep 4 or 5 hrs. I do the opposite i eat a lot of junk food. I dont have the energy to cook. Omg she looked exactly like my cat, i had her 20 yrs had to put her to sleep 4 month ago. 😢 I dont like being in bed, i get anxious and have to get up. Everything is slower and feels heavy I feel TIRED. I do write a lot. Its strange because if someone calls 📞 and say they are coming over i jump up and do everything i need to do even light candles spray the home i do love a clean house. I don't like being around people, i get anxious being around people when I am not doing well thats the last thing I want to do, i can't deal with people asking me every minute, are you ok. Oh my god stop asking me. 😮 So I rather spend the time alone. I dont have to get dress or 🪮 comb my hair or take a shower i could just do what i want to do. Yes I have a mood disorder.
I have lived with depression for 45 years, and still can't find words that actually describe the feeling / experience. The closest I can come is a terrible, sourceless grief, and complete lack of any sense of a future.
@@jillwonders9562 Oh, I do both of those things, and they do help, to an extent. Medication, I find, takes out the suicidal low, but also any high, leaving me in a sort of muffled mid-range, a half life where nothing is awful, but nothing is much good, either, which is where passive suicidal ideation festers.
best depression explanation I've ever heard, I can relate to everything you said. Fortunately, I only have rather mild symptoms at the moment, but there have been really bad episodes as well. Thank you so much, your video is so helpful i.e. to explain the condition to others.
I know this video is not new, but it turned up in my feed at exactly the right time... Just finished having a conversation with someone who said all you have to do is decide to be happy... Who swore she knew what depression was like. I think she is familiar with the common garden variety, while I am aware of both types.
It's extra fun when you have ptsd and panic disorder too. I really tend to think that the anxiety and panic are what cause me to feel depressed. When I have brief periods of less anxiety I feel less depressed. But was diagnosed with recurrent major depressive disorder as well.
Thank you, Dr. Scott,for breaking down and explaining it all and for helping me understand my depression better. It's a shame the people around me won't watch this video themselves, to even half understand.
Thank you so much for this information. I found this incredibly helpful. I definitely will explore this insightful video again for the future. I really enjoyed cupcake with her cheerful appearance.
Food has always been my thing. When I eat, usually sweet stuff, I can feel my brain light up. All my problems disappear for a while. Emptiness, greyness, boredom gone. Nowadays I have learned to see through this sugar gaslighting. I know the darkness is lurking behind the corner. So I dont binge anymore at least.
Thank you for this video. It's so good, and I've experienced every single one of these things, up to all the examples. I'm just worried about the high and lows once I decide to have children. I can't always upkeep and stay out of depressive episodes. I wonder how over a lifetime, all this stuff can affects one's life, etc. Coupled with ADD, ADHD or whatever. It's all a lot! I worry about the health of my relationship because of my highs and lows. I can't keep any routine for too long before I fall off of them, and start getting into the anhedonia zone.
Your video ending explained one thing that likely helped you … you have a reason to try to get better (your children). I’ve got no one, so no reason. You did help me understand I have PSI, though. Haven’t been able to figure out method and means yet.
This is the best and clearest breakdown of MDD I've seen. Thank you for dispelling the misperception that we just "feel sad." I've shared this video and know that it's helped both those who have depressive episodes, and those with loved ones who experience MDD and hadn't understood what it really entails. Building a more compassionate world is everything.
Thankyou so much for the break down of depression. Loved your clear and consise analysis. Also loved your lovely human element which made it less formal, such as cupcake and your children. It made me feel better. Once again thankyou as noone has ever explained depression to me before. ❤❤❤
Thanks for the exactly explanation of the differences between depression. My 5 cats keep me sane. I am 58 years old and i have been depressed and fighting depression all my life, on top of it i have severe OCD, a constant struggle. Love the way you interact with your cat, he is adorable! Animals is the reason I’m still alive.
I experienced depression as a cold, hollow void. I think of my worst episode as my zombie days, which is appropriate because I was working grave shift then. I deliberately chose grave shift to avoid as many people as possible. Some days I felt like I had a black hole in my head sucking what little energy I had out of me at every waking moment. It manifested physically, like headaches, backaches, insomnia, and appetite loss, and I was constantly freezing cold. It took many small victories over a span of about a year before I started to feel alive again. I had bloodwork done, which revealed levels of Vitamin D3 and B12 that were so low that my thyroid was reacting negatively to it, a fact I never would have known if I hadn't seen a doctor. This was back in 2012. Now, as an American in 2023, it's less affordable and a bigger hassle to see a doctor than ever, so if I ever have another episode, I might have to go it alone like I had to back in my freshman year of high school, where I got failing grades because I literally couldn't sleep more than two hours every other night for the span of about five months, so you'd better believe depression, anxiety and ADHD symptoms were all exacerbated in me. Then my mother, well-meaning yet ignorant Boomer that she is, dismissed my depression as "everyone has depression. Do your homework." The avoidant, dismissive, and careless nature of our society makes me genuinely ask "why do I bother?" but then I keep going, day after bloody day, because luckily, it's what my survival instincts urge me to do. Those instincts come in handy, because despite how low I've felt, how hopeless, useless, and unwanted I've felt over the course of my life, I do manage to get my head above water eventually, and when I do, the most damaging and devastating of thoughts and emotions subside, and I enter into a calm that's generally warm and OK. Every day I feel "OK" is now a blessing thanks to how awful I know I can feel. Honestly, I can live with that. I think we all stand to benefit from being OK with feeling OK. I only want to feel extreme sadness, anger, or even joy in situations that actually call for it, you know? Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Love your videos, Dr. Scott. Take care. :)
High five, I also have low B12 and extremely low vitamin D levels. The fun part is - I don’t know for how long, tho. 😅 (I have a hunch and yes - graveyard shifts (several years ago)) Currently in relatively heavy depressive episode. Still fighting, but somehow stuck. Finally will start to take supplements, because everyone else is always more important than my own problems. I will also go and ask to test my calcium and phosphorus levels, just because my family doctor doesn’t give a shit. It seems that all of my problems - depression, anxiety, tinnitus and some others may be interlinked, and again - nobody gives a shit to ask. 😀 Thank god I have studied biology and can read myself. And yes - currently writing from anger and spite, but somehow it is also exhausting to be fueled only by anger and sadness, so I better take care of myself (despite the directions some “wise” doctors point me to). Then I can care after people I love. P.S. "Then my mother, well-meaning yet ignorant Boomer that she is" ... 😁😁 Thanks for the laughts. 🤘
I am so thankful I found you. I have no access to psychological help where I live. Everything you’ve talked about is so clear and concise. You have described me exactly, I’m trying to keep my cool and not bother people by not talking about how I feel. I don’t ride my horse anymore, I don’t enjoy drawing and painting anymore or my friends.
The reverse narcissism is very accurate i just feel bad constantly anytime i do good or compete because i feel other people are more deserving than ugly old me
Thank you Thank you Dr. Eilers for presenting this invaluable information on symptoms of depression, etc. Your explanation was clear and concise! I am so glad that you will be doing more of these videos. Thank you!
Another great video. If you haven't done so already, can you discuss how self medicating with recreational drugs affects depression. Alcohol, opiods, aderol, Marijuana etc. I'm definitely guilty of using chemical help in the past to "pull me out" of depression and suicidal moods even though I realize they can do more harm in the long run. Thanks a lot for all you do doc. 👍🏽
I love cupcake 😂Thank you for talking about the symptoms. I have the symptoms & tend to swing from one thing to another because I'm caring for my dad. I can get tired & drained & have days where I'm less motivated. Then I can have edgy days. It can be struggle.
I have all of these symptoms after sudden loss of my 23yr old son this summer. Hollow and empty, joyless....stopped doing all my hobbies. What most people dont understand about depressed people....we have to wind up our energy levels to achieve normality, but once your friends of family dinner or event is over you crash....tank completely empty, and struggle for days after to even get out of bed. People see you occasionally and you seem normal or recovering from the loss...but it's just a snapshot of your life. I'm 58, and the thought of being like this for potentially next 25 yrs fills me with dread.
Everything you said was 💯 spot on. Best video explaining depression ever! I'm blown away at how you explained everything I have and still experience. ❤️
My depression was extremely severe. I was cured with antibiotics thanks to a Chinese doctor who traced it to bad gut bacteria from looking at my diet. I also had anxiety, went back to her, and she asked me about my diet again. I told her about my diet and also told her that I had muscle spasms that wouldn't heal. She crunched some numbers and told me to take 1 tablespoon of potassium chloride from salt substitutes a day. She also told me to take a multivitamin/mineral. The first day I had no pain and significant anxiety reduction. After a week the anxiety was also gone. I love Chinese doctors. Western medicine is so behind!
Hey man, thank you so much for these videos..I always feel so acknowledged after watching them. I'm in the deepest dark hole and have been fighting to try to get out, hearing you talk about exactly what I'm going through makes it so much easier for me
We are all just addicted to watching online videos, selfloathing and in self piti. Online addiction is what is keeping alive our depression. But it's good for the people making everyday new videos that we than can watch. They fuel our addiction
I love how cupcake just appeared from behind the curtains to steal the show. I believe she cared about depression more than you realize. In fact, she was reminding the audience that pets can be anti-depressants too.😊
I have a bipolar 2 diagnosis and have thought it’s controlled because I’m not passive suicidal. I thought what’s going on right now was due to autoimmune issues. Well, I have or had had every point you listed. Time to see my psych and psychologist is tomorrow. You provided a huge service. Much gratitude. I subscribed, too.
Anhedonia is a new explanation for what I sometimes experience on an emotional level, even with meds. However, I am cognizant that my life is actually abundant and loving, so I focus on that and remind myself that my emotional status is not necessarily aligned with my reality. This helps during the low times.
I love Cupcake ❤ I also experience all the Anhendoia symptoms. I participate in 12 step groups and often receive shaming responses from my peers 😢😢😢 Your videos bring me hope that i am not an alien
This is me nearly all of my existence. From 10 to now. Just dragging my way through life.
I feel similar to that also
Imagine doing it for 40 years but you will find a way we all must somehow.
Same
Same for 54 years
Same. Can’t find a medication or therapy that works. I have lost 20 years of my life due to this evil disease.
The cat interuption was the first thing that has made me laugh today. Thank you for keeping that in!
Same. We need more Cupcake. 🧁😍
agree! including a cupcake in videos would bring more smiles to cat people here 😻💓
😊me too
I loved cup cake
The cat was awesome 🐈
I already knew I loved this man not only for his insight, his sincerity in helping people suffering and for his perfect explanation of concepts but then when his cat appeared behind the curtain and to find out he is a cat lover. ❤ This man rocks
🐈
@@DrScottEilers I think you should make video what not to say to person with any type of mental illness.
@@izabelaswa85 that’s a great idea. I think I will
Would you consider discussing depression and long term illness, and/or injury which causes extreme change of lifestyle? Until my hip is replaced in 2 months, I can’t move with extreme pain, and the pain meds are strong and changing my disposition/personality-I am depressed.
I was crying at the start as missing lost family which is most of them tbh, then only thing I've laughed at all day is the cat as I have a bunch of them, as wondered what was up! Cat people are usually nice
This is so much better than the other depression videos. I love that you talked about anhedonia so thoroughly, because for me, it’s the number one most frustrating symptom of my depression (and usually the first sign that it’s getting bad again). And I feel like most videos talk about the feelings of sadness… not the utter, grey, joyless flatness that I usually experience.
This video expjlaned everything 100 percent how I feel,
I know I have never heard of some of these symptoms but I now recognize that I have them. I can't remember the last time I felt joyful about anything. I remember one Christmas I kept staring at an ornament that said JOY and wondering how that felt. 😢
I wish I felt sadness. I just nothing, constant numb emptyness. Always flat no matter what. When I know I should feel sad/grief at times, or feel some joy at least .
Same here ... exactly.!
.... this sucks. Life isn't enjoyable anymore.
@@lucialuciferion6720wow,. I've been feeling exactly this way, but couldn't explain this to anyone. I don't have my feelings anymore. I thought I was the only one like this,... it has scared me so much. Depression is so scary and uncomfortable.... Hope we get better, and feel correct emotions again 🙏
I haven’t smiled all week, but cupcake just gave me a smile…cupcake should feature regularly
Depression makes you feel dead and empty. The pain you feel, so bad you can't breath. Pain in head is constant. Feels lots of waves of grief , saddness. Horrible remorse of life.
I know exactly what you are or had
gone through depression sucks
@@rosewelsh6687 I hear you as I’ve walked in your shoes
I have chronic depression and I know how you feel. It is so weird
Heaviness and fatigue. The most simple task can feel like climbing a mountain.
I get this 100% I deal with these episodes weekly. It's so difficult to do anything on any given day.
I usually sleep my days away to escape from my reality.
omg yes like I need to clean my bedroom but it literally causes me pain to even think about starting it. It’s so daunting and overwhelming. I hate this feeling
Can be very painful
Yes, the Cupcake interruption and Scott's inter-action with Cupcake soothed my stomach with a love potion, Thanks. It felt so good.
Your videos should be required viewing for all aspiring therapists. After a lifetime dealing with mental health professionals this is the first time ive heard someone who actually knows what it feels like.
Amen!!!🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️
I’m just so tired…emotionally and physically.
Glad it's not just me
You're not alone. I feel this too, every day.
This....
I can totally relate.
I relate as well 😢.... I don't want to be sad. 😢
What does depression feel like inside? I'm 65 and have suffered from depression all my life. When people ask, I use this analogy: Imagine your mind, or your brain, is hemorrhaging internally- not blood, but sadness and hopelessness- forever. That's what depression feels like.
Have you never used anti depressants? Or didn't they work?
Look Idont know if you will ever se this but. This sound stupid but ho friking cares.(English Isn't my first language so don't judge me just so you know and this is going to be loong to). Look I'm a 14 year old femel and have feelt depression for 2 years. My problem is that I care to much about pepole and feel their feelings more than they do and feel like It basically my problem that i deal whit. I'm stress unecessary, introvert, dont feel alive sometimes, fell left out becuse no one seems to care and feel one whit the wall. I don't know how to cam me down when I'm stress luckily I'm geting help from a terapist and a organisation ho helps children ho feel depression. Efter a month i will get tips and stuff to cam down and feel not depresst. If you feel something that I feel I will nethier way tell you what they told me to mabey help you❤.Bayy whis you a great day!😁 Like if Some one se this pls
practice qi gong ang breathing technique
@@johnjones99124 yeah, chi gong helps a bit when you're agitated. It does not cure depression. At all. Doing chi gong for 8 years now when I'm bordering high stress.
I’m 68 and have endured depression my entire life. I’m at the point where I can’t do this any longer…
9:14 when your cat appeared and then you held it in your arms was so cute! as a cat person it made me smile, Cupcake is adorable! 🐱💕 Also, Dr. Scott Eilers thank you very much for your videos, I've watched them all, and rewatching again along with listening to your Spotify podcasts, helps me with my anxiety.
Would absolutely love a video on C-PTSD if that's not already in the works!
This sucks really bad. Cptsd is a constant non stop depression and anxiety. For me the biggest thing with this is mostly a constant high anxiety/hypervigilance that increases the depression
@@Bar_Bar27exactly!😢❤
I have found my people on this channel and in this man. I love that he says that no two depressive people are exactly the same. Depression can but doesn't have to lead to extremes of feelings or actions if one receives the correct help from the psychologist, GP and psychiatrist you are seeing. This can be an extremely difficult task for the depressive. One of the things I believe the therapy needs to include is group therapy for the people in the depressive's life specifically significant others. This is absolutely vital in my opinion. It is interesting to see the ways in which depression can manifest from a depressive's point of view. We need to be more open to the possibility that this can be genetically inherited. It is difficult to discover whether having a depressive parent makes one more likely to be born with depression or whether growing up with a depressive in the home makes one more likely to manifest and become a depressive thus perpetuating the problem. In my case I have a son with ADD which has resulted in him believing that he has a bad memory and means that he spent the requisite time in education but didn't reach the necessary results required in the greater world. I feel guilty that this was my fault because he was an unplanned pregnancy which meant I was very angry and really didn't want another child at that time. From birth onwards it seemed he had to fight life and challenge everything as if his life depended on it. It made bonding with him extremely difficult until he was almost 8 years old. I am now 75 and have a wonderful life but whilst I am on top of my depression I am unafraid of death and envy people who have died.
I finally understand depression because of this video. Other videos on depression have not been this good. Thank you.
I have never heard or have had this explained so well. I have struggled with depression after my first baby at the age of 22. Now 54, I am still struggling. It’s been lifelong. Thank you for clarifying what has been happening all of these years. I believe I can take some action now and address these symptoms.
I appreciate you for making this video. I have been struggling with depression for most of my life and this is the first time I’ve heard someone speak about the differences from person to person in such detail. I believe through your videos a lot of people will be saved. Thank you
Thank you so much Deon! It means a lot to me that you understand what I’m going for. You might also like my latest video on anxiety!
Kitty, Kitty,,,,……cats can sense our depression, and when I was really sad, cats would lay on my chest and purr…that made me feel so good and loved.
❤
I am 41 now,my early age was ok.I started feel depressed by the age 35,i have insomnia, anxiety,unfocus mind and many more.Our brain need time to heal,dont give it a push to think.Unfortunately we have our own problems,hope the best to all of you
I’m same but for me it started in late 20’s
The guilt/shame thing is a major topic as well. It also comes on top of that all. Because of not functioning like before. What we remember on how it was in the past/before the episode. And the guilt trip to friends and family, because of the isolating since we maybe don't have enough energy to hold on to meetings. A bad circle. The wish to meet with others, but not being able to do it, to feel ashamed for the excuses and the sadness to again disappoint others.
Thank you for breaking it down so well. It’s sad that I don’t have anyone interested in understanding or watching this in order to do so. You describe it very well. I’m having a major depression episode that has lasted for a couple years now. I’m 98 lbs from my normal 120 lbs. I sleep most of the time and feel like I have brain fog most of the time. I’m physically weak. I’ve lost interest in the things I love. Cooking, creating art, gardening…
I recently went on a trip from NY to NM to maybe help snap out of this depression. I have visited many times and lived there for a couple years. My Dad was born n raised there. I have lots of family there too. I got lost when I first got there and the trip spiraled down from there. I was overwhelmed with anxiety n could barely drive my rental car. Finding my Airbnb was a nightmare. I ended up coming home 3 days into my 7 day trip. I barely made it back to the airport to catch my flight.
I’ve traveled since I was a teen by myself. It was always such a thrill for me. I hadn’t a fear in the world.
This trip I felt like a nervous child who lost her parents. I am. I was going to honor the 20th anniversary of my Dad’s passing. My Mom passed 2 years ago in November. I had a tiny bit of both of their ashes n I was going to do a little memorial at the top of the Sandia’s. My Dad passed up there while hiking in 2003. I never made it up there to do my memorial. I didn’t do anything the 3 days I was there and I didn’t see any of my family. Although they knew 3 months in advance that I was coming.
I get it, life is busy. However, being depressed I always think it’s me somehow. I’m not worthy of their time. They don’t really like me anymore.
These things are probably not true but in a depressed mind they are. You beat yourself up about it. It’s a horrible place to be. I can’t watch the news because it wrecks me when I see the things going on right now. It’s physical as well as mental. It’s exhausting. It’s very hard to break out of.
I don't have any words of wisdom, but maybe you can try a local grief support group? And try to take that trip with a friend or two(if you have them , and yes if they can make time ). It sucks, I understand what you're going through. If not in local grief support group, perhaps online forums? Hugs ❤
I'm in the same exact boat. And it's overwhelmingly frustrating, too. You're not alone in your experiemces. Wishing you peace and a happier life.
Especially if you have been the one making other people's issues your own. And they can't be bothered...
I completely understand. I'm 21 and have been feeling this way since I was 14. Whenever I open social media I see other people's lives and feel bad that I'm missing out on the prime years of mine. People are dating, travelling, just doing all sorts of things (scuba diving and stuff) and I just sit at home for years on end. I only find some semblance of peace- not really a "positive" peace, but an abating of that numb feeling- when I'm on a religious pilgrimage. I hope I see purpose and faith in life again, and I hope you do too.
This video was crazy helpful to me because I often blamed myself for how dumb I acted in college. I didn't talk to anyone and people bullied me, the teachers mocked me saying "does she have a mental problem?" To which people laughed-- and I didn't know that I was acting foolish and ditzy because of my depression. I just blamed myself. I was actually a very smart kid, everyone said so. I had no idea what had happened to me.
I wish I knew you in real life and could have met you on that trip. It's going to get slightly better, slowly and slowly
Thanks mate for doing these vids for free. I’m in my 70s and can’t wait to die and I’m so unhappy and lonely. Too late for me to change my fucked up life but I know your work and sharing will make a difference to so many younger people who still have a life ahead of them. Go well.
It’s not too late for you ❤
Never late
@@heinmolenaar6750looks don't mean a thing... Most try to smile for the camera, many in bad shape can put on a really good front.
💕🙏✨
@@heinmolenaar6750 💖🙏✨
You explained everything so well. People with depression, and people who interact with depressed people, really need to watch this video. I came away really understanding what depression, and a depressive episode look, and feel. So glad I found your videos on UA-cam. Thank you so much for doing this.
Omg. What a revealing episode. I was thinking,i already tick all the boxes and i wonder if constant guilt can be a symptom... and boom. Thank you so much. This is life changing.
The lifelong guilt and shame struck me too!!
Same. I've been wanting to go out for lunch or so , or maybe get a coffee , and yet I instantly recognize i will feel guilty , towards the fact I'm having a chance to escape work, and guilt towards whoever 'serves' my table . It's bloody hopeless!
Yes, guilt is most definitely a symptom of depression
I had no idea that my not caring if I died was a sign of depression. Thank you.
I'm 62 and I've always been an 'unhappy' person. I've been in every type of therapy and course available and you are the first person I've come across who 'gets' it. I would love to tell my oldest child about you but if I did they wouldn't watch you, but I just know you could really help them. They have borderline personality disorder and have struggled all their life. I love them so much but currently they don't want to have anything to do with me. I hope somehow they come across your podcast....
💔 bless you and your kids
That was an extremely helpful video for me. I am going to view it again. I think at the age of 65, you have given me more insight than I have ever had. Your lovely children got me.. even more invested 😊😊
Hi Scott, you just summed up the last 10 years of my life. Definitely have/ had 7 out of 9 of the recognised definitions of depression. The best way I can describe it is it’s like your life is a rollercoaster but you don’t feel any of the adrenaline you get from being on this rollercoaster. That someone who isn’t suffering from depression gets, they enjoy the highs and lows, the twists and turns, the lops. I can only sit there and feel flat and numb and empty. Thank you for the insight and breaking this down for me and others.
Thank you for breaking this down into understandable terms. The grief, PTSD, (a therapist suggest ed this), and the depression have been overwhelming after caring for my beloved husband who passed from Early On-Set Alzhiemers. What was also surprising was the reaction by a long time friend, who actually said to me, "You're really milking this", after I was wanting to talk about my husband just a few months after he passed. There seemed to be a certain time frame that I was supposed to get over it.
Hi Cynthia, Unbelievable to me that a " friend" would say such a cruel thing to you in a moment of vulnerability! I am so sorry this happened, that is on THEM, speaks to their level of compassion, lack there of! Do not accept it. ❤
GOSH! So sorry that happened to you. And soooo unbelievable
@@ERRNCJThank you for your kind comment❤
@@louisecampbell2628Thank you. ❤
I hope you have other people in your life to give you comfort and compassion. That friend has no empathy at all. I would limit how much time to be around them. Just a thought.
I was diagnosed with major depression when I was 19 along with panic disorder. I was in college at the time. It was hell. It lasted for 4 years. I couldn't eat sleep or walk down the hallway in a straight line. I felt like I had A cloud of cotton around my head all the time. Horrible experience that you can't understand unless you go through it through it And you don't want to.
Amen to that!!! 🙏🏻
Like NPD abuse. An unspeakable hell.
Panic disorder sounds like hell. I've had 1 panic attack and that was caused by an edible. If I had panic attacks out of nowhere, I don't think I'd be able to live that way. Kudos to you.
@@philkim8297 Thanks. I've had many, and they're hell. Sheer terror.
Some people go through serious dark times in their lives , then they get through it , maybe even with help. To me that's like a " blip" in their life. Depression for me is like being possessed by a Demon , not so bad days feel like the Demon is asleep, Bad days are when its awake and won't leave you alone , Either way you know it's always there !
Frustrating I have to forgive myself and remember the devil is a liar he is the father of lies and god loves us and wants us to be happy
This man is a gift.
I completely understand and sympathize with everyone who is feeling this. I have just been dragging myself through this world for 20 years just waiting for it to end
oh my goshhhh…when you started talking about the point of Feelings of Worthlessness and guilt, I felt like a feeling I’ve been experiencing for more than a year now was finally being explained! I would tell myself I’m being “self-cynical” but “the opposite of narcissist” is exactly it. I don’t trust my own thoughts, I always blame myself for things. And you’re so right…it just makes me feel even more tired, and even more disinterested in social interactions and relationships. This point alone, for me, makes this video incredibly worth it. Also, realizing that I most definitely am/have been going through a depressive episode…
Cupcake has adorably masterful timing. Thank you for sharing that precious interruption!
Seems like much of my life has been a depressive episode starting definitely by 4, but at age 62 I had a real reactivation in the last month-and-a-half and I was horrified that I could not concentrate at all and could not accomplish tasks that I needed to accomplish. I was looking up ADHD and wondering if I had that even though my doctor told me that ADHD and PTSD have a lot of overlap and she didn't think that I have ADHD but that my symptoms could be attributed to PTSD. She knew what I was going through and that it was a lot and it's a comfort when you're in the pits to get validation that you're dealing with a whole lot.
Working on my mood. Working on noticing when I'm finding pleasure in something. Working on being aware of my blessings even if a lot of times life feels flat and no fun. This is a great explanation of depression and hopefully will help other people who don't experience it to understand it better. I have a friend who once told me that she didn't used to understand depression. Until at some point she experienced some loss in her life and then knew what depression was like. When she told me she didn't used to be able to understand depression I thought how lucky she was and that I felt like there was never a time that I didn't understand the feeling of depression.
Episodes hit me and last about 3 days to a week. Thank Jesus I am retired.
Yes! Thank you for making this video. It can be so isolating when people don't even understand that there's something they don't understand. This is very validating.
I Have suffered depression for years, it is well under control at the moment. This has to be the best analysis that I’ve ever heard. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for your work. I have watched all of your videos and especially this one is so helpful, because next time I have an episode I can send it to my beloved ones, so I don't have to explain when I have zero energy.
I love how you Included your cat in the video. Very informative video and you brought a smile to my face
I’m glad that you mentioned that overeating is a sign of depression as people usually think not eating is the only sign in regards to nutrition. I went through a time where I would overeat and would buy bags of chocolates to find some semblance of joy in my life. Something in me snapped after seeing a picture of myself and how much weight I gained(20lbs) as well as higher cholesterol levels so I stopped and started going to the gym and I felt so much better. The best way I can describe depression is an invisible weight that sucks the energy out of the body
@@sgnibble1 BUT, major depression won’t let many of us get out of bed to go to a gym? Id rather poke my eyes out.
@@M.Sforza that’s fair but everyone will experience it differently which is the point I was trying to make. I hope you’re feeling better
@@M.Sforzait is a chore to take a shower and wash and dry my hair, let alone actually put on something other than pajamas or even some makeup. I don't even want to leave the house anymore.
This just explains how I feel exactly and I so wish others understood.
😢
Thank you for doing videos like this. So difficult to talk about our mental health.
Yes! The difference in depression types vastly differs from person to person I've noticed. I tend to be more emotional, cryey, hopeless, procrastination and over-eat. My teenage son is angrier, emptier, cant sit still, no appetite.
Gorgeous kids btw - they convinced me to subscribe for sure 😉
I’ve had tears running down my face since a few minutes into this video. You have explained this so very well. I now understand some of the moods I go through. You are a God send for those of us struggling. I’ve had family members tell me to just get over it. I’ve had PHN for 14 years now. I wish and hope and pray that one day I will just get over it. All the different stages or feelings you have described so well. Thank you SO much for doing these videos. I’m a mess but you are an inspiration and a beacon of light in this dark journey. Thank you again!!! I’ve been subscribed to your channel from the first time God landed me there. Thank you for what you are doing. You are helping immensely. I have days when I don’t even want to watch your latest video. I try but I can’t get motivated. 😢. BUT your children are beautiful!! God bless you all!!! ❤
Depression and mental illness can be difficult to deal with, and it's important to remember that it's not something you can easily "just get over."
It's great that you have found ways to cope and still keep yourself motivated in spite of the hardships. Keep up the good work and remember that you are an inspiration to others who may be struggling with mental illness as well. I hope that you can continue to find peace and happiness in your own journey. ❤
I really needed that tonight - Cupcake is adorable and your interaction with her was uplifting. I like that you are a cat 🐱 person, just one more reason (if I needed it) to watch you. The rest of the video was enlightening; I am experiencing a reason to be depressed (the recent death of my mother and the very real fear that my cat is reaching the end of her life (nearly 20 years) whilst in a depressive episode already. I feel anhedonia is part of my symptoms and yet Cupcake got through to me and I enjoyed that moment and will remember it as a good feeling. I can’t quite explain what I AM feeling, not sure I’ve made a lot of sense. It seems that I can feel good and bad - perhaps I need to view your anhedonia video again. I think I am just very confused and dreadfully sad just now and nothing is making sense. I know one thing - I need help. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks but it’s not going to be someone as skilful and empathetic as you ❤Thank you for taking the time to read this, I am usually able to be a bit more coherent but I’m just not reasoning clearly. I guess that is what mental health is all about.
Thank you for sharing, your definition has helped me understand not only myself but has helped to give me some insight into the disease of depression . I lost someone very dear to me last year to suicide and I have struggled since trying to understand why💔😪This I will live with the redt of my life
I've been watching bits n pieces for a little while now. I've been fighting crippling depression for several years. You've made complete sense. I'm grateful for you. Looking forward to buying your book.
My lifelong problem was in how I suffered a lack of personal energy and motivation, and I was said to be too slow of a worker. My entire working career, I was fired from one job and had to move on to the next. My so-called friends made fun of me, and other people hated me. I went to a variety of mental health people who diagnosed me with depression, and I took a number of different pills, but none of them worked
Seven pages of notes taken. Very enlightening. I finally have a term and definition for a huge burden I've carried practically my whole adult life. "Adhedonia" ! It's actually kinda reliving to finally know what this feeling is called. I've carried seven of the nine almost constantly for at least the last 12 years or longer. Stopped the zombie medication a year ago and have been trying to learn and understand more about this frustrating, tiring BS condition since. I like your presentation style and will be listening to more of your content. Keep up the good work.
I have suffered from depression for many years. This is by far the best presentation on the topic I have ever seen. Thank you so much. This has been very helpful.
Listen I was depressed for 26 years of my life and you know what was causing it, it was low thyroid that I didn’t know that I had that was causing me to be in deep depression. The minute I found out from a blood test what I had, I went to my doctor to get the medication Levothyroxine and the minute I look one pill, all of my depression completely vanished. After that, I went on the internet and looked it all up, I found my answer and spoke more about it with my doctor. I’ve been feeling great for 12 years now and I have absolutely no depression whatsoever. I also got rid of my family and my friends who were also contributing to my depression and wouldn’t let me live my life. In 1998, I bought 2 suitcases, packed up my belongings and walked out the door. I got rid of everyone who knew me from the past. I feel absolutely great. My life is absolutely normal.
Thyroid dysfunction is pretty rare, if I'm not mistaken
Sounds like you traded depression for psychosis 🧚
@@crybabychrononaut At first when I was 26 years old when I was living alone my depression was getting worse and I thought that I was headed to psychosis but thank God that didn’t happen and I was still able to go to school and go to work like normal people do. Anyways I write my story down because I wanna help people with depression and try to give them the answers so that they can live normal lives by getting bloodwork done and a full body checked and help them find out if any of it is hereditary. Also sometimes family & friends can make a person feel depressed all the time by physically, mentally, emotionally, verbally and financially using them and abusing them like I went through when I was younger and so I left and now I live my own normal life by not having anymore friends and family ever again.
I had the same thing hypothyroidism! Hashimotos disease...Everyone thought I was depressed, I was ridiculously tired, over weight...levothyroxine helps big time.
Lucky
I wish i could find a psychologist like you to work with . Im grateful i found this channel
Thank you, I've been binge watching your videos and appreciate your knowledge and your straight forward honesty.
I struggled with bad depression in my teen years and got through it, but I feel I've always had a sad part living inside me all my life.
I've had bouts of depression here and there and realized as I got older, the depressed part of me can't be hypnotized, meaning I'm a realist I don't fall for things easily and that's a good thing.
Secondly the depressed part of me almost feels like a superpower because it allows me to not care so much. Meaning it's made me resilient to lets say... insults, harsh words, failure, a critical boss, people opinions, the most calm person in a bad situation.
The sadness has made me the most sane person in the room to some degree because I'm always expecting the worst and if the worst happens my mentality is bring it because I'm_not_afraid_to_die. Your dealing with a person who is not thinking like everyone else, that's me and that's you too Dr. Eilers.
There is actually a positive side about it, of course I'm not talking about or referencing clinical depression that's a whole other level that needs more attention.
I am so happy to have found your channel. Extremely grateful for your help ❤
You and your daughter just snagged my subscription! This is the BEST explanation of depression that I have ever seen in me life.
THANK YOU.
Now, if only I could get off the eternal waiting lists for counsing... one year and counting....
This has been me for the best part of my life. As a kid I thought the best way to deal with this was just to keep it inside and manage it the best way I could without sharing any issues with anyone. Now as an adult, as soon as I say or share something, people usually write me off as crazy, flat out ignore me or abruptly stop speaking to me. To this day, I truly believe that it’s in my best interest to not share any of my true emotions. People are usually cynical and incapable of understanding others’ emotions/feelings if they’ve not experienced any symptoms themselves. Behavioral health specialists tend to immediately put you on some medication. I truly believe most Psychiatrists misdiagnosed a lot of people and all they do is put them on whatever medication they think is best for people. 😏
This was really helpful thank you. My smyptoms are mild but unfortunately I have the full range all the time. Because I can get up and go to work every day and mask my mood people dont realise that I would much prefer to be hiding out in my house not seeing anyone. My life is ticking by and I am wasting it but can find no joy anymore..
I get it. I consider myself a highly functional depressive. I can do everything I need to get done but underneath I am sad
I really love your channel. I had all these things happening that I did not understand or know what to do . I do not have any support. Now I understand so much more . I feel like I have finally found people who understand what this illness does to a person. I have some good days and days where I can not get out of my chair. When I am in my chair I feel like I should be doing something. I just can't. However, I beat myself up a lot because I am not taking care of business. I am learning that it is okay if I sit all day , and do nothing . I work on being kind to myself. I would like more video's like this one and I will be playing catch up with past video's. Thank you, Thank you !! Many blessings to you and yours. (Your children are beautiful, so is your cat !)
I’m really happy that I found this guy. For weeks now my mental health has declined and I really wanted to try to understand it more, this really helps to get a better grasp for what’s happening to me. Got a psychotherapist appointment next week to get the help that I desperately need
You are literally explaining some of this my whole life and now, i can’t even get out of bed, i was a trainer and now I have to drag myself to the gym where I used to love to go.. still love but, lost my motivation plus I have ADHD too and high levels of anxiaty but, I don’t have that guild or isolate because I don’t want to be around people, I do isolate because I can’t stand the people that surrounded me and I feel nothing turn them whatsoever. I don’t have a bad outlook of life and not negative but, the feelings are more as numbness and activities I used to love before, food, anything excite me anymore.. I sleep at least 12 hours and not motivated to get out of bed at all most of the time.
Hi
Thank you so much for talking about this. I have struggled off and on for years with depression and anxiety. I am really struggling at present but getting assistance via my GP and NHS. The brain is so complicated and the body struggles when it isn't function properly. Exhaustion, stress, anxiety, sleep interrupted, headaches tmj, Angeodema. No appetite, nausea and weird other things in my body. I also have cfs and fibromyalgia so my pain is exacerbated by depression, vicious cycle. It's exhausting trying to stay on top, your explanation is very helpful and I am grateful I found your channel.Thank you for caring enough to help people, you are appreciated.
Thank you thank you thank you for this video. Ive always wondered about the burst of negative energy. I've been diagnosed with major depressive disorder but never knew what psychomotor agitation was.😊
I've lived with depression most of my life. I've never heard anyone explain it so well. This video brought me to tears to be honest with you. Thank you for doing these vids ❤ Love your kitty btw :)
I am sad I feel lonely Nothing seems to catch my attention nothing. I was such a happy person always looked after myself made sure i look pretty and nicely 👗 dressed. I a empty much lost of joy nothing excists me. I use to get excited just going out for a walk, or dinner with friends or family now i have to forced myself to go out. I don't sleep much maybe 5hrs i wake up a few times during the night. I could go to bed after midnight and sleep 4 or 5 hrs. I do the opposite i eat a lot of junk food. I dont have the energy to cook. Omg she looked exactly like my cat, i had her 20 yrs had to put her to sleep 4 month ago. 😢 I dont like being in bed, i get anxious and have to get up. Everything is slower and feels heavy I feel TIRED. I do write a lot. Its strange because if someone calls 📞 and say they are coming over i jump up and do everything i need to do even light candles spray the home i do love a clean house. I don't like being around people, i get anxious being around people when I am not doing well thats the last thing I want to do, i can't deal with people asking me every minute, are you ok. Oh my god stop asking me. 😮 So I rather spend the time alone. I dont have to get dress or 🪮 comb my hair or take a shower i could just do what i want to do. Yes I have a mood disorder.
I totally understand.
Oh, sweet Kitty!!! Aw, Cupcake came in to offer some cuddle therapy for depression. Every purr helps. Sweet man🥰
I have lived with depression for 45 years, and still can't find words that actually describe the feeling / experience. The closest I can come is a terrible, sourceless grief, and complete lack of any sense of a future.
I have had depression as long as you have. I see a doctor and take medication and it helps.
Or a sense of a future of the life you wanted. Unrealized goals. And then we get in our own way to even come close to making goals.
@@jillwonders9562 Oh, I do both of those things, and they do help, to an extent. Medication, I find, takes out the suicidal low, but also any high, leaving me in a sort of muffled mid-range, a half life where nothing is awful, but nothing is much good, either, which is where passive suicidal ideation festers.
best depression explanation I've ever heard, I can relate to everything you said. Fortunately, I only have rather mild symptoms at the moment, but there have been really bad episodes as well.
Thank you so much, your video is so helpful i.e. to explain the condition to others.
I know this video is not new, but it turned up in my feed at exactly the right time... Just finished having a conversation with someone who said all you have to do is decide to be happy... Who swore she knew what depression was like. I think she is familiar with the common garden variety, while I am aware of both types.
It's extra fun when you have ptsd and panic disorder too. I really tend to think that the anxiety and panic are what cause me to feel depressed. When I have brief periods of less anxiety I feel less depressed. But was diagnosed with recurrent major depressive disorder as well.
Thank you, Dr. Scott,for breaking down and explaining it all and for helping me understand my depression better. It's a shame the people around me won't watch this video themselves, to even half understand.
Thank you so much for this information. I found this incredibly helpful. I definitely will explore this insightful video again for the future. I really enjoyed cupcake with her cheerful appearance.
Food has always been my thing. When I eat, usually sweet stuff, I can feel my brain light up. All my problems disappear for a while. Emptiness, greyness, boredom gone. Nowadays I have learned to see through this sugar gaslighting. I know the darkness is lurking behind the corner. So I dont binge anymore at least.
i can relate 😢
Thank you for this video. It's so good, and I've experienced every single one of these things, up to all the examples. I'm just worried about the high and lows once I decide to have children. I can't always upkeep and stay out of depressive episodes. I wonder how over a lifetime, all this stuff can affects one's life, etc. Coupled with ADD, ADHD or whatever. It's all a lot! I worry about the health of my relationship because of my highs and lows. I can't keep any routine for too long before I fall off of them, and start getting into the anhedonia zone.
A good support network, including a professional treatment team, is key. Best of luck to you!
This guys inspiration (and those biceps) helped me dust off my weight set that was collecting dust......that is a start.👍👍👍👍
Your video ending explained one thing that likely helped you … you have a reason to try to get better (your children). I’ve got no one, so no reason. You did help me understand I have PSI, though. Haven’t been able to figure out method and means yet.
I have every symptom and can’t remember a time when I didn’t have at least half of them. Thank you for this video.
This is the best and clearest breakdown of MDD I've seen. Thank you for dispelling the misperception that we just "feel sad." I've shared this video and know that it's helped both those who have depressive episodes, and those with loved ones who experience MDD and hadn't understood what it really entails. Building a more compassionate world is everything.
This is absolutely brilliant. For the first time I understand what this disorder is actually like. Thank you very much.
I understand that comment about feeling this way most of your life and just pulling through life!😢
Thankyou so much for the break down of depression. Loved your clear and consise analysis. Also loved your lovely human element which made it less formal, such as cupcake and your children. It made me feel better. Once again thankyou as noone has ever explained depression to me before. ❤❤❤
Thanks for the exactly explanation of the differences between depression. My 5 cats keep me sane. I am 58 years old and i have been depressed and fighting depression all my life, on top of it i have severe OCD, a constant struggle. Love the way you interact with your cat, he is adorable! Animals is the reason I’m still alive.
I experienced depression as a cold, hollow void. I think of my worst episode as my zombie days, which is appropriate because I was working grave shift then. I deliberately chose grave shift to avoid as many people as possible. Some days I felt like I had a black hole in my head sucking what little energy I had out of me at every waking moment. It manifested physically, like headaches, backaches, insomnia, and appetite loss, and I was constantly freezing cold. It took many small victories over a span of about a year before I started to feel alive again. I had bloodwork done, which revealed levels of Vitamin D3 and B12 that were so low that my thyroid was reacting negatively to it, a fact I never would have known if I hadn't seen a doctor. This was back in 2012.
Now, as an American in 2023, it's less affordable and a bigger hassle to see a doctor than ever, so if I ever have another episode, I might have to go it alone like I had to back in my freshman year of high school, where I got failing grades because I literally couldn't sleep more than two hours every other night for the span of about five months, so you'd better believe depression, anxiety and ADHD symptoms were all exacerbated in me. Then my mother, well-meaning yet ignorant Boomer that she is, dismissed my depression as "everyone has depression. Do your homework."
The avoidant, dismissive, and careless nature of our society makes me genuinely ask "why do I bother?" but then I keep going, day after bloody day, because luckily, it's what my survival instincts urge me to do. Those instincts come in handy, because despite how low I've felt, how hopeless, useless, and unwanted I've felt over the course of my life, I do manage to get my head above water eventually, and when I do, the most damaging and devastating of thoughts and emotions subside, and I enter into a calm that's generally warm and OK. Every day I feel "OK" is now a blessing thanks to how awful I know I can feel. Honestly, I can live with that. I think we all stand to benefit from being OK with feeling OK. I only want to feel extreme sadness, anger, or even joy in situations that actually call for it, you know?
Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Love your videos, Dr. Scott. Take care. :)
High five, I also have low B12 and extremely low vitamin D levels. The fun part is - I don’t know for how long, tho. 😅 (I have a hunch and yes - graveyard shifts (several years ago)) Currently in relatively heavy depressive episode. Still fighting, but somehow stuck. Finally will start to take supplements, because everyone else is always more important than my own problems. I will also go and ask to test my calcium and phosphorus levels, just because my family doctor doesn’t give a shit. It seems that all of my problems - depression, anxiety, tinnitus and some others may be interlinked, and again - nobody gives a shit to ask. 😀 Thank god I have studied biology and can read myself.
And yes - currently writing from anger and spite, but somehow it is also exhausting to be fueled only by anger and sadness, so I better take care of myself (despite the directions some “wise” doctors point me to). Then I can care after people I love.
P.S. "Then my mother, well-meaning yet ignorant Boomer that she is" ... 😁😁 Thanks for the laughts. 🤘
I am so thankful I found you. I have no access to psychological help where I live. Everything you’ve talked about is so clear and concise. You have described me exactly, I’m trying to keep my cool and not bother people by not talking about how I feel. I don’t ride my horse anymore, I don’t enjoy drawing and painting anymore or my friends.
thank U Dr. Scott 4 making this video. I have bipolar 1. I have been in a severe depression for many years, every single day :/
The reverse narcissism is very accurate i just feel bad constantly anytime i do good or compete because i feel other people are more deserving than ugly old me
I know how you feel, but Jesus still loves us ❤
@Kimberly-n4v i think jesus is cool but i play SMT and i think his dad will be mad at me for that considering hes the final boss in 3 of the games
Thank you Thank you Dr. Eilers for presenting this invaluable information on symptoms of depression, etc. Your explanation was clear and concise! I am so glad that you will be doing more of these videos.
Thank you!
Another great video. If you haven't done so already, can you discuss how self medicating with recreational drugs affects depression. Alcohol, opiods, aderol, Marijuana etc. I'm definitely guilty of using chemical help in the past to "pull me out" of depression and suicidal moods even though I realize they can do more harm in the long run. Thanks a lot for all you do doc. 👍🏽
I love cupcake 😂Thank you for talking about the symptoms. I have the symptoms & tend to swing from one thing to another because I'm caring for my dad. I can get tired & drained & have days where I'm less motivated. Then I can have edgy days. It can be struggle.
I have all of these symptoms after sudden loss of my 23yr old son this summer. Hollow and empty, joyless....stopped doing all my hobbies.
What most people dont understand about depressed people....we have to wind up our energy levels to achieve normality, but once your friends of family dinner or event is over you crash....tank completely empty, and struggle for days after to even get out of bed.
People see you occasionally and you seem normal or recovering from the loss...but it's just a snapshot of your life.
I'm 58, and the thought of being like this for potentially next 25 yrs fills me with dread.
I appreciate you doing this to help people. I wont go into my story but the only way is up now. You genuinely help me. Thank you.
Everything you said was 💯 spot on. Best video explaining depression ever! I'm blown away at how you explained everything I have and still experience. ❤️
My depression was extremely severe. I was cured with antibiotics thanks to a Chinese doctor who traced it to bad gut bacteria from looking at my diet. I also had anxiety, went back to her, and she asked me about my diet again. I told her about my diet and also told her that I had muscle spasms that wouldn't heal. She crunched some numbers and told me to take 1 tablespoon of potassium chloride from salt substitutes a day. She also told me to take a multivitamin/mineral. The first day I had no pain and significant anxiety reduction. After a week the anxiety was also gone. I love Chinese doctors. Western medicine is so behind!
Thank you🙂
Hey man, thank you so much for these videos..I always feel so acknowledged after watching them. I'm in the deepest dark hole and have been fighting to try to get out, hearing you talk about exactly what I'm going through makes it so much easier for me
We are all just addicted to watching online videos, selfloathing and in self piti. Online addiction is what is keeping alive our depression. But it's good for the people making everyday new videos that we than can watch. They fuel our addiction
I love how cupcake just appeared from behind the curtains to steal the show. I believe she cared about depression more than you realize. In fact, she was reminding the audience that pets can be anti-depressants too.😊
If she had that much empathy she would stop randomly peeing on the couch 😂
aaaw!! how can she do that?? i'm sure she didn't mean to.. she says she wont do it again if u give her treats everyday.
@@DrScottEilers get her checked out---peeing outside the box can indicate a medical issue ❤
Thanks for your videos, I just ordered your book.
I have a bipolar 2 diagnosis and have thought it’s controlled because I’m not passive suicidal. I thought what’s going on right now was due to autoimmune issues. Well, I have or had had every point you listed. Time to see my psych and psychologist is tomorrow. You provided a huge service. Much gratitude. I subscribed, too.
Anhedonia is a new explanation for what I sometimes experience on an emotional level, even with meds. However, I am cognizant that my life is actually abundant and loving, so I focus on that and remind myself that my emotional status is not necessarily aligned with my reality. This helps during the low times.
I love Cupcake ❤ I also experience all the Anhendoia symptoms. I participate in 12 step groups and often receive shaming responses from my peers 😢😢😢 Your videos bring me hope that i am not an alien
There is no place for shaming in a 12-step group. The meetings help with my depression and my social problems.
all your videos make me feel so seen and heard.