People-Pleasing, Masochism, and Trauma

High-functioning depression is a silent struggle for many. Are you walking through life, feeling overwhelmed, but still managing to keep it all together? Dr. Joseph shares insights from her groundbreaking, peer-reviewed study, the first of its kind on high-functioning depression. She explains why many people with depression symptoms continue to function, showing up to work and managing their responsibilities, often while wearing a mask to hide their pain. They may not experience joy or pleasure, a symptom known as anhedonia, which can be a key indicator of this condition.

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My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. Our conversation challenges the traditional medical approach to mental health, which often requires a person to reach a point of crisis before they can receive a diagnosis or treatment. We explore why this "wait until you're at stage four" mentality is so flawed and how we can instead adopt a preventative mindset, similar to what we see in cardiology. We also dive into the fascinating link between past trauma and the need to be constantly busy. Dr. Joseph’s research shows that high-functioning individuals often avoid dealing with their pain by taking on more work and distracting themselves. In this episode: 00:46 - What is High-Functioning Depression? 02:47 - The connection between trauma, being busy, and high-functioning depression 04:21 - The medical field's narrow definition of trauma 07:12 - The idea of "white knuckling" life 08:32 - The difference between happiness and joy 11:23 - The importance of small moments of joy 14:16 - Using the Bio-Psychosocial Model to find joy 25:50 - The significance of body and emotional awareness 27:50 - The impact of social media and technology 31:53 - The importance of in-person connection 37:48 - The future of AI in therapy 40:39 - The connection between people-pleasing, perfectionism, and trauma 45:54 - Why people return to abusive relationships 48:38 - A 5-step model for finding joy 53:40 - The joy of writing and creative work Order Dr. Judith Joseph's book, High-Functioning: https://amzn.to/3Iotjvx Kati's Main Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton#podcast #psychology #drjudithjoseph KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://www.betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co

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