About this episode

The episode discusses how the pursuit of happiness can exacerbate depression and emphasizes the importance of contentment instead.

Taking care of your health just got easier, thanks to my sponsor Zocdoc, start here at: https://zocdoc.com/drscotteilersThe antidote to depression isn’t happiness—it’s contentment. I explain why chasing happiness can actually make depression worse, especially when anhedonia makes positive emotions inaccessible or when short-term relief leads to unhealthy decisions. If my podcast has helped, my new book, The Light Between the Leaves , goes even deeper Next Steps: 📩 Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety , delivered weekly. About me: I know what it is to feel hopelessly stuck and worthless to the world in general. I also know what it is to live without those feelings. I’m both a Clinical Psychology specializing in treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, and a human who has spent more than a decade managing sever depression and anxiety. Mental Health Coaching with me Therapy with me (for people in Iowa) Find me on YouTube Resources 🪣 Get my free 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles . 😴 Dramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook. 📖 My 1st book: For When Everything is Burning…

People in this episode

Host: Scott Eilers

Topics covered

• happiness
• contentment
• depression
• anxiety
• mental health
• hedonic treadmill

Keywords

• depression
• anxiety
• happiness
• contentment
• mental health
• hedonic treadmill
• Zocdoc

Sponsors

Zocdoc

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Light Between the Leaves, Sleep Workbook, 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy, For When Everything is Burning

More episodes of The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety - Dr. Scott Eilers

• Why you feel chronically dead inside · September 7, 2026 · 22 min
• 9 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Depression By Connecting With The Natural World · August 31, 2026 · 22 min
• Winning The War On Emptiness: 7 Strategies For Overcoming Anhedonia · August 28, 2026 · 26 min
• 7 Strategies For Living With Analytical Suicidal Ideation · August 24, 2026 · 31 min
• When feeling happy feels uncomfortable or scary (positive affect intolerance explained) · August 10, 2026 · 24 min
• What if I’ve been so depressed for so long that I literally don’t know how to live? · August 3, 2026 · 19 min

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