Ask Kati Anything

EPISODE FOCUS: Trauma, PTSD, and recovery. Ask Kati Anything - Kati Morton's mental health podcast  Episode 110 audience questions:     Why do I feel so much shame and guilt about my trauma? It’s not just a necessary shame that it happened. It’s also guilt for upsetting others with it, and worrying that they’ll think less of me. Fear that they are judging. I almost want to downplay it to show that I’m still “normal” and it’s “no...    My question is can sexual abuse happen through people on the Internet. I’ve never heard anyone with a degree talk about it. But I’ve heard other people had the same experience as me through them talking about it on tik tok. My generation was the first generation who could have talked...    Is it possible to heal from trauma (child sexual abuse, incest) while still seeing your family? The abuse was disclosed and denied by the abuser and not believed by other family members. They go on like nothing has ever happened- the thing is, I don’t want to completely separate from them as I risk...    I would love for you to talk about growing up with parents who are hoarders. While they were loving parents, the home environment was traumatic. My parents struggle to see the damage that their behavior has on their children. Would love your thoughts on this and how to heal as an adult!     Sorry I know this isn’t really on psychology, but How to talk/support someone who has been through sexual abuse? I know you did a video on: how to talk to/ support someone who is struggling with suicide, a while ago...    I was wondering if you can say something about the family dynamics when it comes to past abuse and trauma. I was abused by my parents and a sibling in my childhood. The abuse stopped and the relationship changed. I have spent much time in therapy to deal with the trauma it caused...    Can childhood trauma make adult working life too much for some people? I really struggle with being needed and having responsibilities such as working certain days a week. I struggle with nightmares and some days I don't leave my bed when it's too bad which makes holding down a job just...    If you experience sexual abuse before you get to the age when you start to experience sexual attraction to others, how is it possible to know if the abuse has altered your sexuality or not? I was abused at the age of 14, and at the time I hadn't started to feel sexual attraction yet, only romantic attraction...    How can I know if I’m really an introvert or if I just avoid and distance myself from people because I’m afraid they could hurt me/let me down? And, if I find being around people draining - is it because I’m an introvert or because I’m managing anxiety and triggers? ------ Kati's Books Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Online Therapy  While I do not currently offer online therapy, my sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. VISIT https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.patreon.com/katimorton Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Business Contact  Linnea Toney   linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything, your mental health podcast - Episode 109 Your Questions:  Is it normal to have constant thoughts of suicide? Whenever anything goes mildly wrong, or even when nothing is wrong but I feel overwhelmed, self-harm and suicide are always where my mind goes to, even though I've never attempted it. How can I cope with this? Also, does it indicate that...   Can you talk a little bit about the effect of depression on the ability to concentrate? How does the lack of concentration in depression feel, and is it different from the lack of concentration in (for example) ADHD? (COMMENT: As a follow up question, could you talk about mental fog and how it might be...    Do you have any input on dealing with a single parent that has depression as a teenager that still lives at home? I feel like no one talks about this and it is really hard to live day by day because I am just worried all of the time, not about their physical safety but just the thought of them never being happy again...    How can I finally defeat depression once and for all? I´ve been struggling with depression for almost as long as I can remember. I´ve had my lowest lows and I can say I'm lucky enough right now not to be completely surrounded by that dark fog that feels like it's taking every part of myself...    I know suicidal thoughts and depression are different, and that you can have depression without suicidal thoughts, but is it possible to have suicidal thoughts but not depression? I have almost constant thoughts of suicide, and am very anxious but I don’t think I’m depressed and I don’t understand...    Could you talk about chronic depression and SI? I have struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts for as long as I can remember and even when things are a little better, those thoughts are still there. Will they ever go away or is this something I just have to learn to manage? I have been in therapy...   How do you validate yourself when you have high functioning depression? Being able to do things makes me feel as though I'm crazy, I feel bad internally but externally I am still able to do things and do them well even. I'm in counseling and I find it difficult to portray my depressive symptoms...    I am glad to see you are trying new things for the podcast. This time seems like it would work better for me. I know you strongly discourage it but is it possible to work through mild suicidal thoughts on your own? If you do not feel comfortable telling anyone or your therapist about it?    I went to a mental health training and we learned what to do if someone is suicidal. We ask 3 questions. 1. Do you have a specific way of doing it? 2. Do you have a specific date? 3. Do you have the means prepared to do it? This hit me hard because I can answer yes to... ------ Kati's Books Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Online Therapy  While I do not currently offer online therapy, my sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. VISIT https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.patreon.com/katimorton Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Business Contact  Linnea Toney   linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything, your mental health podcast - Episode 108    Your Questions:  Hope you are doing well. I know that a lot of therapists see a therapist themselves. What I talk about with my therapist is supposed to be between us. Would the therapist be allowed to discuss any of our...    What's the most challenging thing for you about being a therapist? (COMMENT: As an addon. What do you think of patients that ask many questions? I’m a naturally curious person. For as long as I can remember, I...   I find it difficult to go back to therapy after my old therapist left giving a 2 week notice. The thought of going back to therapy gets me feeling angry and I'm worried I might get a bit passive aggressive and push my...   My question involves sexuality. Is there a way to differentiate between being asexual and having experiences/trauma in your past that have negatively impacted your sexual outlook and behavior?    This is a follow up question on an ep where you talked about using masturbation as a way to cope. I was wondering, does it have to be born out of sexual abuse? And what if it's a very young child? I teach a...   Why does it feel like I’m always walking on eggshells? When I was growing up in my house I always felt like I was walking on eggshells because my parents were always mentally abusive, but now that I’ve moved...   When dealing with past trauma you have mentioned that talk therapy isn’t always enough, especially if someone finds it hard to talk about. With other therapies like emdr or somatic therapy when you remove the trauma from the body does that...   Is there an opposite of dissociation? Can you be too self-aware? Dissociation comes up quite frequently in AKA questions and after listening to your videos and reading about it I’m not sure that I ever experienced it...   ----- Kati's Books Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy | While I do not currently offer online therapy, my sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon | Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact | Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.107  audience questions  1. Can you please explain the difference between when it is important to "feel your feelings"/sit with your feelings versus when you should use distraction based coping skills? I feel like I get stuck doing too...   2. I am wondering what you would constitute an “emergency” that would be acceptable for your client to reach out to you between sessions. I am constantly worried about crossing boundaries and not bothering my therapist, especially...   3. Could you go deeper into what a flashback actually is? What is the difference between a flashback and an emotional flashback, or body memories. How do triggers come into play also? You have mentioned that with a flashback you go back to another time, a place, do you physically...   4.  Can you talk a bit about the importance and healing power of the therapeutic relationship (specifically for trauma) and corrective emotional experiences with a therapist? I’ve been seeing my therapist for almost 2...    5. Do you know what causes such a hollow, empty feeling inside, and how to fix it? I have C-PTSD, depression and anxiety from childhood emotional neglect and am in therapy working on self-worth. I've made a lot...    6. As a therapist, what would you think if a client told you that masturbation is often accompanied by self-injurious behavior? What is meant by this is that the body performs certain autodestructive actions...   7. I keep hearing that therapy is supposed to be hard work and people have "therapy hangovers" and all this stuff but I don't and I feel like I must be doing something wrong. Is it cause for concern that it hasn’t been...   8. I'd like to hear Kati's thoughts on what to do about passive suicidal thoughts. I feel like because I don't have active thoughts of suicide then I shouldn't make a big deal out of it in therapy, even though it's a big deal to...   9. How do YouTubers set healthy boundaries with their viewers and listeners who often emotionally depend on them? I read a lot of comments about YouTube videos helping with anxiety and depression, but does it ever feel like a responsibility to keep up the work? ----- Kati's Books Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy | While I do not currently offer online therapy, my sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon | Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact | Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"How do I convince myself that my assault wasn’t my fault?"  | AKA ep. 106   AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 1/ How do you know if a patient is ready to move on from stabilization to processing traumas? Is there a certain amount of time that needs to go by with abstinence from target behaviors? Does frequency of dissociation play into the decision? I know it will be different...   2/ Lots of people ask questions about not being able to identify their feelings, and you always mention feelings charts, and describe how you think certain emotions should feel like, which is great advice! But as someone who was emotionally numb for years, what really helped me was...   3/ My therapist died this week. It was not completely unexpected because she had terminal cancer. I had an inkling things were progressing for the worse as she had canceled several sessions. I’m heartbroken that we will never have the last session I imagined in my mind and that I...   4/ How do I convince myself fully that my assault wasn’t AT ALL my fault? Technically speaking, I absolutely could have just stayed home, but I didn’t. And I can’t let that go. I also could have done more afterwards but again, didn’t. How do I let this go so I can move on with my life?? I've done lots of therapy, but I can’t get past the “technicalities” of it....   5/ Hi Kati, please can you explain when it’s ok for therapists to break confidentiality regarding adult patients being a threat to themselves? I thought this only referred to active suicidal thoughts/plans, but my therapist told me last session she might have to think about breaking...   6/ Can therapists read minds? 😂😂 but for real though. My last session I walked in the room and before I even sat down on the chair, or said a word my therapist said “your anxiety is way too high” which she was right of course. The last couple months my anxiety is so high where I’m throwing...   7/ an you talk about the use of EMDR for anxiety disorders or other disorders other than PTSD? (COMMENT: can it be useful for overcoming alcohol addiction as well? // Just an add on, is it possible that EMDR can make your PTSD symptoms more intense before getting better? My...   8/ I have a question about obsessive compulsive behaviors… idk if i actually have it - I’m trying to decide what is going on in my head here… I feel as though things have to go, feel, and be “right” or else I cannot feel calm. I have a lot of anxiety, and I use this sort of scale to calm myself. For... ----- Kati's Books Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy | I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon | Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact | Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything podcast episode #105  Licensed therapist, Kati Morton is answering your questions Audience questions: 1. Do you ever find yourself anxious or nervous around certain patients, particularly when they’re being self-destructive or suicidal? My therapist seemed legitimately nervous our last few sessions...    2. Why do I almost always feel fine on the day of therapy? It's like the week can be really horrible and then as soon as I step into the room with my therapist I am completely fine. It's like my brain is back to normal and I don't have any mental illness at all. I then also don't see any of my problems or thoughts I had in the week as "that" bad and tend to look at them very differently then I am when...   3. What is high functioning depression and how is it different from major depression or persistent depression? How do you overcome high functioning depression? And when do you know it’s over? Also is it harder to heal from high functioning depression because you’re going to work/school...   4. How do you help a partner to more fully/better understand where you are at in your mental health journey when it feels like they just don’t get it? I’ve been in therapy working through anxiety/phobias/depression that I have been keeping bottled up and hidden basically since I was a teen...   5. Have you ever had a patient or person in general tell you a trauma and you couldn't help but think that it shouldn't really have traumatized them? Especially if you yourself had a similar experience. I know therapists don't judge but there must be some traumas you hear about where...   6. How do we go about ending relationships with narcissistic parents? I’m due to be moving away for university in September and I have absolutely no intention of coming back or seeing her ever again. But how do you even begin to have that conversation? I don’t just want to move away, block...  7. I have a therapist, but I feel more drawn to ask you questions instead of going to her with my questions. I love the community and knowing I’m not alone in my struggles. And I love the way you answer these questions and make us feel so seen and validated. You’re so passionate and...   8. You recently became a dog owner and it makes me happy for you because it's so rewarding to have a dog in our lives to love and to take care of. I also enjoyed that connection of being a dog owner until recently. Last year, within 8 months, I lost my 3 dogs due to old age and disease. 2 lived to be...   9. If someone doesn't experience something as traumatic, is it still trauma. So if someone experiences something that's terrible (for example, sexual assault) and they are not traumatized by it, is it still considered trauma? ----- Kati's Books  Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy   Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton  Online Therapy | I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati  Patreon | Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/  Business Contact | Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I wasn't traumatized, why do I have PTSD symptoms?" | Ask Kati Anything 104 Books Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  - 0rder Yours Today Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy  - In Stores Now Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy - I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Opinions That Don't Matter! (my afterhours podcast) https://opionstdm.buzzsprout.com Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com   Mail 1779 Wells Branch Pkwy #110B  Box #353 Austin, TX 78728 If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything! Your mental health podcast with Kati Morton, LMFT episode 1031. What advice do you have for those of us who can’t tolerate intimacy? Too much eye contact, love, and attention often seems to overwhelm me. I find it so much easier to connect with people I barely know, but when people get too familiar and close I panic...2. When working with trauma how do you build that window of tolerance? I feel at times like I’m stuck and can’t stop myself from dissociating. We have built several safety measures, worked on body awareness but yet the second the past comes into play I can feel my anxiety climb...3. I’ve been seeing a lot of people on TikTok talking about how they sort of habitualized a certain food (like the same bedtime snack every night or same breakfast every morning), not out of an eating disorder...4. If someone has had an ED for a long time (say 5/10+ years) how likely are they to recover in your experience?  If it is a 'stuck' ED, at what point would you suspect something underlying (another mental health condition for example) hasn't been addressed...5. I hope you are well. I was seeing a psychotherapist for help to address my childhood emotional neglect and also other traumatic things that happened. I saw him  for about 2 years and unfortunately I wasn't able to continue to see him because it was provided by the NHS. I felt ...6. How do you know if you have truly forgiven someone? I had my trust broken in my marriage recently and trying to find the balance between giving permission to feel hurt, but also not holding a grudge. But I feel like this could apply to plenty of other...7. I'm just wondering how to deal with being highly empathic, while struggling myself. Emotionally abusive father (sometimes questioned if narcissistic) and I can tell how he is by how he coughs, breathes, or walks. He is prone to very low moods, to the point where it’s scary but won’t get help. He will never...8. How does one differ between urges that are biologically driven and aren’t really choices and ones that are self induced habits? I’m in recovery from a restrictive ED and am honoring mental hunger. However, sometimes I get confused if it’s mental hunger or my binging...9. My depression keeps going up and down. Sometimes I just feel like crying, and I have been having more bad days than good, manageable days. I’ve been stuck at home for weeks, unable to go anywhere, or even walk around my house properly because of...BooksTraumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  -  0rder Yours TodayAre u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy  - In Stores NowAmazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimortonOnline TherapyI do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit https://betterhelp.com/katiPatreonDo you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/Opinions That Don't Matter! (my afterhours podcast)https://opionstdm.buzzsprout.com/Business Contact  Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Mail1779 Wells Branch Pkwy #110B Box #353 Austin, TX 78728If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency roomSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/katimorton) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything! Your mental health podcast with Kati Morton, LMFT Episode 101 Audience Questions1. Hi Kati, what happens in the brain when you dissociate? Does it reduce blood flow to certain areas of the brain? What happens in the brain when you do coping techniques? I am really interested to hear what happens with neurotransmitters and blood flow and brain activation when dissociating and when trying to get out of this state. Also is there any research on the long term effects of regular dissociation for the brain? Thanks for creating these podcasts, they are interesting and eye-opening. (COMMENT: Also, does derealisation and depersonalisation impact the brain differently? Lastly, what does it look like in an MRI scan? Is it diagnosable just by looking at brain waves?)2. Epilepsy patient dissociation aura. posteromedial cortex PMC 3Hz firing (PMC part of DMN, involved in internally focused cognition like autobiographical memory). Ketamine causes dissociation - when they gave it to mice, the mice wouldnt withdraw paw from hot plate (dissociation). When they stimulated PMC 3 Hz it recapitulated this effect without ketamine 3. Hello Kati and Dr. Ben Rein, I’m curious to know more about neuroplasticity and what someone with C-PTSD can do to strengthen memory and learning skills? I’m a survivor of CSA and I find it’s difficult for me to memorize and retain what I’m studying in school. Any advice? 4. How does developing a mental illness in childhood affect your brain long term? I had severe OCD when I was around 10 years old and I still deal with it as an adult. I know you can be symptom-free from certain disorders like OCD that may develop at any time in your life, but I...+++++Ben Rein, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist & postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Ben is currently studying how psychedelic drugs alter the way the brain processes social information. Ben ultimately intends to supervise his own research lab and serve as a professor at an academic institution.​Outside of the lab, Ben shares educational science videos on social media to a collective audience of more than 800,000 subscribers. In his videos, Ben shares breaking scientific discoveries, debunks "viral" videos containing misinformation, teaches fundamental neuroscience principles, and educates on the importance of scientific research. He also provides guidance to students through a video series called "Scientips"You can find more from Ben onTikTok @ dr.breinInstagram @ doctor.breinTwitter @ dr_brein+++++BooksTraumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  -  0rder Yours TodayAre u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy  - In Stores NowAmazon Suggestionshttps://www.amazon.com/shop/katimortonOnline TherapyI do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/katiPatreonDo you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/Opinions That Don't Matter! (my afterhours podcast)audio: https://opionstdm.buzzsprout.com/Business Contact  Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Mail1779 Wells Branch Pkwy #110B Box #353 Austin, TX 78728If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency roomSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/katimorton) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything! Your mental health podcast with Kati Morton, LMFT episode 1021. Can you talk about the fear of abandonment vs fear of rejection and how they differ? As a kid, I was left out a lot, felt excluded, and like I didn’t belong. I still feel the effects of those social rejections to the point that...2. My friend and I both were suicidal in the past, but we were suicidal in completely opposite ways. I thought it was interesting. For her, suicide was a last resort, an escape from painful feelings. Feeling hopeless, like...3. Why do I feel so empty when sharing traumatic stories with my therapist? I just can’t access those emotions and it makes me wonder if they are even there. It also makes me question the validity of the stories...4. Are therapists supposed to hide their emotions in response to a story shared? As in, remain calm, soothing or neutral. Recently, I shared with my sister how my therapist shows her anger in session as a response to...5. How do you deal with a traumatic sexual experience that wasn't rape or abuse? Years ago my last relationship ended after my at the time boyfriend sleeping with me and breaking up right afterwards...6. What changes do you think could be made to adult psych wards for treatment to be more effective, and for a better experience? I know that sometimes I need the extra support but my times at the psych ward in the...7. I recently expressed suicidal ideation in therapy and my therapist said to me she isn’t worried about me because i haven’t tried to kill myself to date. I am feeling so hurt and invalidated by this. also, since i am very attached...8. Thanks for all that you do for us all! My question is: Do some therapists/psychiatrists use proper medical words and lingos? My therapist has told her a few times that I don't know the logical definitions...9. Can you please talk a little about bpd. I have suffered for many years. I think it is the most misunderstood mental illness. I have therapy weekly and work hard, I have also been in and out of hospital over the years. I’m 53, is there an optimistic future ahead or...+++++BooksTraumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  -  0rder Yours TodayAre u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy  - In Stores NowAmazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimortonOnline TherapyI do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit https://betterhelp.com/katiPatreonDo you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/Opinions That Don't Matter! (my afterhours podcast)https://opionstdm.buzzsprout.com/Business Contact  Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Mail1779 Wells Branch Pkwy #110B Box #353 Austin, TX 78728If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency roomSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/katimorton) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices