121: When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough

Women In-Depth: Conversations about the Inner Lives of Women

“There’s some distance between the spark and the flame, and in that distance, it gives you the freedom to respond more skillfully to the situation.”

Depression is part of a common human experience but finding relief from it is incredibly complicated.

Depression is a relapsing illness, and taking an antidepressant is not always a viable or effective solution for those suffering.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Stuart Eisendrath about how to treat depression when the antidepressants just aren’t enough. He walks through the definition of depression and anxiety, how they distort time and how we experience the present moment, and then finally how to align ourselves back to the present moment. Specifically, Dr. Stuart Eisendrath talks about mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which teaches people a different way to respond to their depressive state, and how to take action in the moment.

Take a listen to learn more about mindfulness practices and cognitive therapy, and how these techniques can shift one’s relationship with depression to finally experience healing.

About Stuart Eisendrath:

Dr. Stuart Eisendrath is the founding Director of the University of California San Francisco Depression Center. He has treated a full range of depressive disorders, from mild to the most severe over the last 40 years using multiple modalities. His lectures on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the University of California TV has been viewed over 1.5 million times, and he’s rapidly developing MBCT as a modality for individuals currently in episodes of depression.

Some Questions I Ask:

• What drew you to writing this book? (2:14)
• What is mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy? (5:57)
• How does anger play into depression? (19:52)
• How can someone stop the process of rumination? (25:16)
• How does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy affect the brain itself? (37:38)
• What some first steps people can take to bring mindfulness into their life? (39:26)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What alternatives Dr. Stuart Eisendrath uses to treat depression and anxiety. (3:45)
• How to change your relationship to cumbersome depressive thoughts. (9:38)
• The key to shifting out of a depressive state. (14:31)
• How to use the RAIN technique to decenter from the anger that coincides with depression. (21:16)
• How Dr. Stuart Eisendrath’s personal experience with depression has informed in his work. (30:43)
• How to prevent relapses of depression without continued use of medication. (34:34)

Resources:

UCSF Depression Center

Website

When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough by Dr. Stuart Eisendrath

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