June 14, 2014

Help with Depression on Free Audio & Video

Depression is disease that millions suffer with on a daily basis. This list of audio and video resources is designed to help those living with depression find helpful coping strategies and for those that want to learn how to help a loved one. In this selection, you’ll find lectures tackling the “Rise of Mental Illness in America” and how modern psychology has shifted its treatment of depression. You’ll also find resources to help you combat the disease, such as guided meditations to help relieve anxiety, and therapeutic lifestyle suggestions that can help alter your mood. Whether you are dealing with depression yourself, or want to be there for someone in your life, this list is here to give you fresh hope:

1. The New Psychology of Depression

From Oxford University comes this 3-hour series covering “The New Psychology of Depression”. Dr. Danny Penman and Professor Mark Williams (co-authors of the book Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World) discuss the global health problem of depression and the current methods for treating it including medication and therapy. They then discuss Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) which Professor Williams co-developed. They describe what MBCT is and the success that it has had in preventing relapse of depression in the many studies that have been conducted throughout the world. Anyone who has experienced depression or knows someone who has should listen to this great series on the latest information about treating depression. Note: To play the podcasts click the Download File links.

2. The Soul in Depression

Listen to this podcast from American Public Media’s Speaking of Faith program covering the topic of depression. Nearly ten million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression, and if you have experienced depression or know someone who has then this audio program is a helpful resource covering the spiritual side of depression. In this podcast host Krista Tippett interviews author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression Andrew Solomon, Quaker author & activist Parker Palmer, and poet Anita Barrows about their experiences with depression. Each author discusses some of the life-affirming, spiritual qualities that can come from someone who has survived a bout of depression. This podcast is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from the Speaking of Faith website.

3. Dr. Aaron Beck on Cognitive Behavior Therapy

In the mid-1960s, Dr. Aaron Beck developed Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) as a way to treat psychopathological conditions such as depression and anxiety. Since then cognitive therapy has become the most popular and commonly used form of psychotherapy for depression treatment. Dr. Beck is now 90 years old and he recently did a 2-hour interview with his daughter Dr. Judith S. Beck about his life and career, and how he went from having no interest in psychiatry to creating Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Along with explaining his discoveries with cognitive therapy and telling many interesting stories along the way, Dr. Beck also looks to the future of CBT and ways that it has been shown to be effective with treating anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, suicidal thinking, and schizophrenia. Watch this in-depth interview with one of the giants of psychotherapy, Dr. Aaron Beck.

4. Relieve Anxiety and Depression: Seven Guided Meditations

Sounds True is offering Seven Free Guided Meditations to help with Relieving Anxiety and Depression. The different meditations are given by leading mindfulness teachers such as James Gordon, MD, Erin Olivo, PhD, MPH, Mark Hyman, MD, Daniel J. Siegel, MD, Rick Hanson, PhD, Tara Brach, PhD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. James Gordon leads a “Soft Belly Meditation”, Erin Olivo guides you on a full “Body Scan”, Mark Hyman introduces you to “Guided Relaxation Visualization”, along with four other quality meditations. Each meditation is split up into a separate MP3 file and all the meditations put together last about an hour.

5. Stephen Ilardi: Therapeutic Lifestyle Change for Depression

Dr. Stephen Ilardi is the author of The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs. In this entertaining talk from Kansas University, Professor Ilardi lays out his 6-Step Program for Therapeutic Lifestyle Change. Drawing from research that modern day hunter-gatherer groups have almost no incidence of depression, Dr. Ilardi compared their lifestyle to our modern day lifestyle and came up with some major differences that have led to today’s epidemic of depression. He guides us through his program that involves goal-oriented exercise, fish oil supplementation, plenty of natural sunlight, ample sleep, social connections, and participation in meaningful tasks that leave little time for negative thoughts. Along the way Dr. Ilardi answers many questions regarding his program. It’s a great watch for anyone interested in beating depression and anxiety, preventing depression, or just wanting to live a healthier emotional lifestyle. This 1 Hr. 45 Min. talk is available on streaming video through YouTube.

6. Robert Whitaker: Rise of Mental Illness in America

Journalist and author Robert Whitaker takes time to talk about his book Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America in this talk delivered at the Harvard Book Store. Whitaker shows how mental illness has been rising in America in the past 50 years despite the development of numerous psychiatric drugs to treat various mental illnesses. While Whitaker acknowledges that using these drugs selectively can be effective in the short term, he presents studies that suggest that many of these psychiatric drugs are not effective in curing mental illness in the long term. Going against the status quo of what psychiatry practices today, Whitaker shakes up many commonly held assumptions about treating mental illness and suggests ways of treatment that are more selective in regards to prescribing drugs and that have also proven to be more effective. His talk is available on streaming video from the Forum Network through YouTube.

7. Sherwin B. Nuland on Electroshock Therapy

In this TED talk American surgeon, author, and Yale professor Sherwin B. Nuland talks about the history of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treatment of severe major depression and other mental illnesses. He then proceeds to tell about his own recovery from major depression through electroshock therapy back in the 1970s. After his first marriage failed he fell into a deep depression until he could no longer function. When no other treatments worked the doctors attempted electroshock therapy which led to a remarkable recovery.