The Anxious Achiever Self Compassion For Overachievers with Attorney Mark Goldstein & Dr. Kristin Neff
11 snips
Oct 30, 2025 
Mark Goldstein, a labor attorney candidly shares his journey through OCD, depression, and panic attacks, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion in overcoming perfectionism. Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading expert on self-compassion, offers practical tips for anxious achievers, including how to shift from self-criticism to authentic self-talk and cultivating a 'compassionate mess' mindset. They discuss the balance between fierce and tender compassion, strategies to combat rumination, and how to reframe mental health struggles as sources of strength.
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Relentless Checking Spiral
- Mark Goldstein described obsessive checking for malpractice across emails and documents for weeks in 2017.
- He lied about it, lost sleep, and could not control the compulsions despite knowing they were irrational.
Leave, Treatment, And Return
- Mark took an 11-week leave of absence starting October 17, 2017, fearing he might never practice law again.
- He engaged psychiatry, CBT, medication, mindfulness coaching, and returned to work in January 2018 feeling better.
Combine Therapy, Medication, And Mindfulness
- Try combining medication, CBT homework, and mindfulness to treat severe OCD and depression.
- Small graded exposures like watching 30 minutes of TV daily can reduce triggers and rebuild tolerance.
