Ask Kati Anything

This week we're discussing emotion regulation, feeling anxious and depressed at the same time, and why that can be so uncomfortable and dangerous! Kati also explains why we can feel angry at our abusers, but struggle with this anger because they were abused themselves. Next, we discuss attachment to our therapists and why we can miss them after our sessions have ended. We also talk about trauma, nightmares, and how to heal. Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. My question is about emotion regulation…I think. I have learned to tolerate and move through fairly bad anxiety, and I’m getting better at noticing and stopping depression spirals too, but I still have a big problem: sometimes the depression and anxiety mash together and create this whirlwind of grief, sadness, fear and shame, and I feel like I’m literally exploding inside... 2. I have a history of childhood trauma, and at the moment I feel really torn between feeling angry towards my parents and feeling like I have no right to be angry with them because I am aware that they didn't intentionally hurt me. But... 3. Would it be normal or acceptable to ask my therapist if I can just check in with her every now and then (like maybe every 3 months or so)? Do people do that? I don't have a big need to... 4. My question is also regarding how trauma, in particular childhood trauma, manifests in our bodies. I have a condition called interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and pelvic floor disorder. After years and years and thousands of dollars seeking medical attention... 5. I want to know why it is so difficult to ask for help? I am so overwhelmed with things to do but won't ask for help. How do I get the courage to ask for... 6. I’m wondering what to do about my intense fear of failure and the need to be perfect. For context, I have a lot of trauma and was emotionally abused/neglected in childhood. Because of this, I have an anxious attachment, OCD, and I spent some time in a mental hospital when I was in college. I also have a history of disordered eating, self harm, generalized anxiety, and ADHD. I am now 23, and... 7. Was just wondering - how to cope with CPTSD nightmares? I've been having them every single night, seeing my triggers everywhere in the dreams and being confronted with my abusers face to face. It's an awful experience... 8. I have a question about trauma and disgust and I am really scared that I might be the only one feeling like that. I recently talked to my best friend about feeling turned on by movie scenes, etc. and I told her that for me that belly tingling... KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about trauma healing, if we can do it without talking through the specifics, and how to untangle our identity from what happened to us. She also discusses attachment in therapy, with our abusers, and its connection to OCD. She explains why we may not have memories of traumatic times, and why we might not be able to recognize ourselves in photos. She also talks about medical trauma, revisiting the places where trauma took place, and whether or not a narcissistic parent can get better as they get older. This and so much more in this trauma pack episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 162 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. When it comes to trauma therapy, do you actually have to talk about the specific event(s) to be successful with it? Or can you still heal from trauma by working on... 2. I get super easily attached to people and the attachments can be all consuming. I want to find a therapist (not specifically to talk about that but I’m sure it’ll come up) and I’m not sure what... 3. Hi Kati, I'm 25 and I have a chronic illness which is life limiting. In the past year it has become very serious and about 5 months ago, during a long stay in hospital, my doctors told my family and me that we should prepare for the worst. 4. I was wondering where an attachment to a therapist might come from even if I grew up with parents who met my needs? I am almost obsessed with the idea of my therapist, she is someone I... 5. My question has to do with still processing and dealing with trauma you sustained as a child. I grew up with an alcoholic father who eventually passed away due to his addiction to alcohol. But even now, I... 6. I recognize myself when I look at my childhood photos, but still, I don't feel any emotional connection or remember the situation when the photo was taken or the person who took it. Why is that? And how can I help myself remember my childhood? 7. Is there any benefit to revisiting places where you experienced trauma? I'm going to start processing past trauma with my therapist soon, but I don't have a lot of clear memories from that time in my life... 8. Can a narcissistic parent, who has no desire to improve themselves, tone down their narcissistic tendencies simply due to old age? 9. How long does it take for a person to work through trauma? As soon as I started discussing this with my therapist, my sleep and physical health has gone for a toss. My stress levels have... Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about recording therapy sessions and if that’s a good idea or even allowed. She also explains why we would be looking for a deeper meaning when our therapist tells us things, and what connection that can have to our attachment style. She also discusses the effects of growing up with an addict in our home, and why being around verbal abuse can be traumatic. This and much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 161 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. What are your thoughts on voice recording therapy sessions? I have the past 3 sessions and my therapist doesn’t know. I tend to listen to them multiple times a week and I don’t know why. I also found my therapist on social media and like learning more about her... 2. I tend to ruminate on what my therapist says following our sessions. While doing so I’ll try to look for deeper meaning because I have a hard time taking... 3. I’ve started to be able to open up a bit more in therapy and talk about more difficult things. I don’t want to accept it but I know part of it was sexual abuse... 4. My question is about what affects growing up with parents who argued and did verbal abuse to each other has on a child who had to watch it and live with it? My dad was verbally abusive to my mom and he was... 5. I am 30 years old and still carry my teddy with me everywhere I go. I have an intense fear that if I leave him home alone, my house might burn down, or I will for some reason not be able to... 6. I have a question regarding addictions and addictive behaviors. I have noticed that I have a problem with addictions and addictive behaviors. However, the problem I have is that I... 7. How do you know how you feel for real? I constantly doubt my feelings, and I find it so hard to trust that my feelings are not made-up (particularly sad feelings; I never really doubt happy feelings). There are times that I... 8. I am curious if people could be traumatized by movies? I was really scared once when I watched a movie when I was 13 or 14 and that wasn’t even a scary movie. However, I started to have those imaginations that if I open a door I’ll see a corpse... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton dives into the differences between numbing out and dissociation, and why one can lead to the other sometimes. She also explains why we can get caught up in a cycle of not reaching out because we don’t want to be too much, and then not being able to get help when we are struggling. She also talks about why we can feel like we don’t belong anywhere, and why we can use humor to deal with tough situations. She really challenges us to look into our old familial patterns this week, and see where these sabotaging behaviors are coming from. This and much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 160 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I would love to hear your opinions on the difference between numbing out and dissociation. I have been talking a lot with my therapist about not wanting to be present in my body, but struggling to determine when I am numbing out (phone, sleeping) or truly dissociated... 2. Hope you’re okay. How do you get out of the cycle of not reaching out for help because you think it’ll be too much for people and not feeling safe reaching out? I find myself picking and choosing the exact thing to say rather than letting it... 3. I feel like I don't belong anywhere (family, work/ uni, my flat…). I feel quite lost and lonely and I'm wondering: What can I do to feel a sense of belonging in this world? I’m autistic and have depression, anxiety as well as anorexia... 4. Do you see any issues with using humor to talk about certain things with your therapist? In general I usually try to make people laugh almost as a self defense mechanism and find it sometimes helps when introducing a topic or situation... 5. I was wondering whether it’s better to distract from something like a flashback or panic attack or just let it play out? I sometimes feel the build up to something... 6. My husband and I are both in therapy and seeing different therapists at the same practice. We are both dealing with the same marital issue in our individual therapy sessions. My therapist offered to talk to my husband's therapist... 7. How do you know if you're even doing therapy right? I’ve been in therapy for 9 months and took a couple months break. She knows I was sexually abused and that I used self harm to deal with it. But I don’t know if I’m sharing what I need... 8. Is NPD like a spectrum? I watched your video about 8 signs of narcissistic mom and recognised mostly my father. Not all of these fit with him... Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about emotional neglect during our teen years, what it means to have a healthy emotional relationship, and what we can do to be better parents. She also discusses whether or not we can date while still working on our trauma, and why sex can be such a hangup for those of us with abuse in our past. She explains dissociation, DID, and whether or not we can dissociate throughout our entire childhood. This and so much more in this week’s episode of Ask Kati Anything - Your mental health podcast. Audience questions: 1. Can you talk about emotional neglect during the teenage years? This is a time when teens and parents are often at odds and don't necessarily... 2. When is the right time to enter the dating game as opposed to waiting to heal your childhood trauma? It seems to be a popular advice not to date until you healed - to some extent - your trauma and are ready to... 3. So this question is very embarrassing for me. I'm recently divorced and I know sex was a main contributor. I like the idea of sex but the physical act of it makes me cringe and become very uncomfortable. After a long stretch of absolutely no sexual desire... 4. I'm currently working on childhood trauma with my therapist and he's letting me kind of "take the lead" (so I decide the tempo) but I'm just so unsure if what I'm doing is... 5. Last week my therapist said that I have reached a plateau in therapy and that I need to look for another therapist to help me because she has done all that she... 6. Could I have dissociated most of my childhood but still remember some details? I have got childhood trauma and have struggled most of my life now with it. I'm 16. For context, I had a psychology assignment where I had to create a timeline of my childhood and... 7. I was watching my favorite show "Station 19" and I realized that I relate so much with one of the characters: Maya. Maya is someone who has a lot of childhood trauma and the only outlet she knows is... 8. How do you deal with the loss of therapy because you made a horribly wrong decision so the fault is on you? I just got kicked out of an inpatient program because they think I tried to kms. They were wrong and some of them believed me, so I am allowed to come back in... Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Kati talks about shame, embarrassment and why those feelings can come up when we try to express ourselves. She also digs into dissociation, what it can feel like, look like, and ways that you can be brought back. She talks about procrastination and its link to trauma, how we can better open up and trust our therapists, and how to get over our fear of not being believed. She also discusses medical trauma, why hospitalizations can be traumatizing, and how to date when you have a mental illness. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 158 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions 1. Would you be able to talk about the feelings of shame and embarrassment that come with talking about how I feel? For about 3 years, I've been struggling with eating disorder behaviors and what might be depression. I'm constantly thinking about food, my body, comparing myself to others, feeling lonely but isolating myself. I find... 2. I'm wondering how dissociation can present itself visually. When I start to become distressed with trauma memories I recently have begun to 'zone out'. I can still technically hear, see and understand where I am, but it's like I can't connect to anything in the room or to any emotions or memories... 3. Can procrastination be related to trauma? I find myself procrastinating a lot, especially when it comes to things that are important for me personally and actually mean a lot to me. It seems as if I am sabotaging myself. Can my ptsd be the root for my procrastination or... 4. How do I open up to my therapist and show emotion? To give a little context, I have been seeing my therapist for two months and she's amazing, she validates my feelings and makes me feel seen. I just can't seem let her in and myself be completely transparent with her, I don't tell her the complete truth or answer her questions with complete honesty... 5. Do you have any advice on how to deal with the fear of not being believed in therapy? I‘m scared to talk about my past/ symptoms etc. because I fear they‘ll think I‘m just making stuff up for attention or making a big deal out of nothing. I have had negative experiences such as being accused of making up my symptoms... 6. I have a question about trauma from psychiatric hospitalizations. when I was 13, I struggled with suicidal thoughts/attempts, self injury, disordered eating, etc. I (unwillingly) went in and out of multiple mental hospitals for months, then went away to a residential treatment center for 3 months. I don’t have super clear memories of this time, but... 7. I'm 37 and due to my CPTSD, ED and OCD I've never been in a relationship. I know you can't tell me if I'll ever have one but maybe you can tell me how to approach this topic when I'm on a date. The last times I went out on a date the guys asked about my last relationship, my job etc. I was... 8. Can you talk about the occurrence of symptoms generally found in OCD versus in other anxiety disorders? 9. I am wondering if you can talk about CPTSD. Trauma is often discussed in the context of childhood trauma. Can you get CPTSD from multiple different types of trauma but not really stemming from childhood? Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Licensed therapist Kati Morton discusses childhood trauma, dissociation, and why that can be a helpful coping skill growing up. She also explains the difference between feeling nothing versus having a sense of emptiness. She dives into why those of us with a history of trauma can get overwhelmed more easily than others, and how to push through that weirdness of inner child work. She also gives her thoughts on intermittent fasting, and how we can instill self confidence in teens. Ask Kati Anything ep. 157 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: Due to childhood trauma I've known I dissociated from my problems. What I don't know is, apparently, when I'm triggered. For example with this podcast on occasion a tough topic will come up and... I always hear people talk about the symptoms of depression. And one of them that they always talk about is a feeling of emptiness. What I'm wondering is feeling nothing is the same as feeling empty? Is it common for those of us who experienced trauma to get overwhelmed easily? Why does it happen and how can we deal with it? I'm just wondering how you push through the weirdness, uncomfortableness, and vulnerability of doing inner child work. My therapist has asked me to close my eyes to picture myself at... What is the best way to instill self confidence in tweens so they don’t feel like they have to measure up to what they see on social media and are able to be confident... I'm a manager at my job and one of my employees is dealing with newly worsening panic attacks. She's on medication that doesn't really... I have B.E.D, Diabetes and I live in a bigger body. The meds I'm on cause weight loss and a feeling of not being hungry. My endocrinologist told me that if I'm not hungry, not to eat or intermittent fasting... What are 'affirmations', in the context of therapy? I keep coming across this word and it seems like just saying things to yourself in the mirror? Or is there more to it? Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about dealing with nightmares, how to know if we have processed our trauma completely, and whether or not we have to tell our therapist about our self injury. She also gives us tips for pushing through mental blocks, ways we can tell our therapist what we need, and she explains confidentiality in therapy. This and so much more in this week’s episode of AKA. xoxo Ask Kati Anything ep. 156 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I recently read a book called The Choice by Dr Edith Eva Eger. In it she discussed how she often thought she was done processing her trauma only to realize she was wrong later. My question is, how would you know you were no longer being affected by your trauma/had finished processing it? 2. Do u have any coping tips when it comes to struggling with nightmares? A few months ago my therapist retired and I'm in the process of finding someone new... 3. Is it critical to share that you are self-harming with your therapist? If so, why? It is only very minor injuries but I have watched your other videos and you said to always share this information. 4. How can I get from partly better to actually thriving? I was drowning in symptoms of treatment resistant depression for so many years until last autumn, when I started ketamine treatment. I feel like I‘m coming back to life and actually able to start doing... 5. Is it okay to tell my therapist I want her to be more compassionate and empathetic? I fear that I will be asking her to change or be adding unnecessary pressure on her. For context I am doing dbt... 6. Are there any helpful tools to push through mental blocks? I've had an abusive relationship which turned into daily harassment for years, after I broke up. I went to the authorities before and I'm now... 7. Could you talk a little bit about insurance and therapy? I am planning to start therapy soon and I have to go through my insurance otherwise I cannot afford it, however, I am worried about having the diagnosis on my permanent medical record and... 8. Where do I start if I'm so disconnected from myself that I don't even notice when I'm triggered?? Hello, I thought I'd try a new format because my question tends to get lost when I try to ramble for context. I've suffered CSA, as well as emotional neglect and some regular childhood abuse... Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 155 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about why we can bring up a past trauma once and then not be able to speak about it again. She also digs into why we can become angry with our therapist when they haven’t done anything wrong, and why we can find ourselves with a crush on them. She also explains why we need coping skills that require little to no energy, and what those look like. This and so much more in this week’s episode! xox Audience questions: 1. Recently I admitted to my therapist that I was sexually abused as a child, I didn't talk about any details, and since then, I am avoiding this topic with her. She gave me some space and, after some time, tried to bring it back into our session, but the minute she started talking, I wanted to run out of her office.... 2. I have found myself becoming angry with my therapist the last few sessions. She didn’t even do anything. I keep thinking back to the sessions wondering what she had said, but it wasn’t a particular thing that she said. She was just annoying me... 3. I recently realized that I have sexual feelings about my therapist. I have read about transference, the thing is that we are both women. Does this mean that I am not straight? Addressing this to her feels extremely uncomfortable, so I would appreciate some hints on what this... 4. I was wondering if therapists do work for their clients in between sessions? I always assumed that they do, and that that was part of why the fee was so high, because they need to take some time to look things up between sessions... 5. I have a question about coping skills. I have a list of coping skills that can work if I can physically make myself do them. But recently I have been struggling to do them. My therapist never told me what to do when... 6. My mom is a narcissist and last year I went no contact with her for almost 6 months at my therapist’s suggestion... 7. There are these videos about how you now realized that some of the things in your childhood were associated with a person turning out to be gay in adulthood. Nothing in my childhood or being a teenager points to that... 8. You've talked a lot about eating disorders changing the way they show up over time, and I was wondering if trauma can do the same thing. For context, my trauma caused panic attacks and extreme distress for years, but recently those panic attacks stopped... Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, licensed therapist Kati Morton delves into the importance of setting boundaries in therapy and what to do if our therapist doesn't respect them. She also tackles the controversial topic of repressed memories and whether we could have fabricated our trauma or simply forgotten about it. Kati explains how physical contact with our therapist could be triggering and why it's important to acknowledge and validate our feelings without necessarily acting on them. She even provides helpful tips on how to respond when someone asks to see our self-harm cuts and we're not ready to talk about it yet. Join Kati Morton as she provides valuable insights and advice on how to navigate through the complex and often challenging terrain of therapy. Don't miss this thought-provoking episode! Audience questions: 1. I have been seeing my therapist for a year and a half now and she is amazing. I’ve made so much progress and she’s been so supportive. However, sometimes her boundaries with me are not very strict... 2. I have a question about repressed memories, flashbacks and body memories. Why would you only begin to have flashbacks and other kinds of reactions once something has been revealed to you (such as a repressed memory). Or something that’s never bothered you until you start to... 3. How common is it to "forget" trauma? I know my brother was sa by my dad. I have no clear memories from 0 - 12. I can give you a detailed description of my elementary school and my high school. But I can't remember what my bedroom looked like when I was... 4. The thought of my therapist having any physical contact with me terrifies me. If she stands too close to me or the chairs are too close together I feel very threatened and panic. I've been with her for almost 2 yrs. She's very kind and patient and I feel I've connected with... 5. Are feelings really always valid? People often say one's feelings shouldn't be judged. I find that weird because if I always took my feelings as valid and acted accordingly, I'd not function in life. My first reaction to quite some things is to avoid them because the first feeling is fear/worry... 6. Why is it so important to me that I am believed??? I recently started again with a new trauma therapist. Going over my story again is harder than I expected it to be. I find myself leaving certain... 7. Today my sister asked me about the self-harm cuts on my legs, and I told her I wasn't sure what happened, and that I've been really clumsy lately. She didn't seem to buy it though. What should I say if people ask about my cuts and I'm not ready to share? Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, licensed therapist Kati Morton delves into crucial topics that can transform our mental health. Discover the significance of coping skills and resources to manage the waiting period between therapy appointments. Gain insight into avoidant personality disorder and attachment styles, and learn why therapists might not disclose a BPD diagnosis. Explore the importance of emotional intelligence and the benefits of openly discussing our feelings for personal growth and healthy parenting. Plus, Kati shares her experiences with emotional attachments to patients and the boundaries she maintains in her practice. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion! QUESTIONS: How do you deal with "content" in-between therapy appointments please? I know some techniques, but this time the therapy has opened a can of worms tightly closed for years, and it's all coming out randomly, in between sessions. Flashbacks, hypervigilance, insomnia. If someone has trust issues and shame issues originating from an avoidant personality type, do you have any suggestions on how they can get into psychotherapy to overcome these... I grew up in what I always considered to be a perfectly normal home. We were all well behaved and never complained about anything because basically we had our needs... Would a therapist not tell you if you have BPD? I really connect with the BPD research I see and I recently had the courage to ask my therapist if... Within the past year I've been dealing with eating disorder behaviors. I don't know if it would "count" as an eating disorder as what happens is that I'll spend a few months heavily restricting, and then when external things calm... I was wondering if you’ve ever told a client you loved them? I recently said it somewhat impulsively before leaving a session and she said she cared very much about me but didn’t want to cross her boundaries... How much of a plan is your therapist supposed to have for you? Something I find frustrating lately about therapy is that after several months it doesn't seem to be... Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you wondering if you should increase or decrease your therapy sessions? Join licensed therapist Kati Morton as she delves into this topic and explores what could be causing your therapist to space out your sessions. In this video, Kati also addresses bullying, trauma, and the challenges of healing. You'll learn about the similarities and differences between C-PTSD & ASD, the various types of depression, and how to identify what you're experiencing. Kati even explains why some therapists remain neutral and don't show preference or emotion with their patients. This week's episode is packed with valuable insights and information! Don't miss out! Ask Kati Anything ep. 152 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 1. I just started to trust and open up to my therapist, and I recently shared my deepest traumas. I am still not able to speak about them, but I’ve finally “told” someone... 2. Why am I still angry and resentful at the world after being bullied? I'm 21 now and was severely bullied between 11 and 18 and still struggle with anger/trust issues with everybody I... 3. From childhood on, I've been playing fake scenarios in my head before I fall asleep. I can't remember at which age I started this and I'm curious where this behavior could... 4. I’ve been working with my therapist for a few years now (on and off since covid) and I’ve got a topic I need to talk about and work through but I just can’t say what I’m feeling or thinking about... 5. I hope you’re doing well. Is there a name for when someone experiences symptoms of depression for 10-14 days? Occasionally, I will feel unmotivated, exhausted, withdrawn and struggle to enjoy my... 6. Could you possibly talk about the symptom overlap between C-ptsd and ASD? As someone with both diagnoses I wish I could understand the roots of my struggles. Are my... 7. Happy thursday! How do I deal with feeling like I have to start over again and again due to my mental illness? I'm 26 now and still working on getting my bachelors degree. I had to... 8. How can I cope with my therapist being neutral? You know how you sometimes say “I want to punch them [abusers] in the face”? I really wish my therapist was... 9. How important would you say that a feeling of hope is in therapy? What role does it play for recovery and for the therapeutic process in general and in my case in particular? I've been in therapy for C-PTSD since... Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, licensed therapist Kati Morton talks all about anxiety in between therapy sessions. Why it happens, what could trigger it, and what we can do to better manage it. She also explains why it can be easy for us to tell strangers really personal or upsetting things but impossible for us to share it with those closest to us. Kati then jumps into repressed memories and whether or not we can trust them, and how to be more optimistic in light of all that’s going on in our world. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Xoxo Ask Kati Anything ep. 151 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 1. How do you deal with anxiety between therapy sessions? I ruminate about my therapy sessions every week on what we talked about, what I said and shouldn't have... 2. Why do I find it so easy to be open about everything, even the darkest parts of myself in front of strangers, even in public spaces but around my parents I can’t seem to say... 3. I was wondering how trustworthy repressed memories are? I recently had a clear memory pop up that I was sexually abused by a female relative. It all sort of clicked into other realizations and suspicions about 4. Since the pandemic I feel like I’ve turned from an optimist to a pessimist, and just don’t know if I’ll ever be able to be generally optimistic. Especially injustices around the world, be it right wing... 5. How do I stop obsessing over the people I care about getting older? There's just this massive fear of running out of time... 6. hat if therapy just makes you go home and cry too much, and NOT because you were talking about something sad or heavy but because of how the appointment went? 7. Last episode you answered a question about intrusive thoughts, and asked if they were ego dystonic or ego syntonic. The curious part is (I think) they are syntonic. I get excited at the possibilities. I am sometimes attracted to women as well as men. Some emotionally, some physically... 8. Hi Kati! I’ve listened to a few therapist’s podcasts and always come back to you. I’ve never been to therapy before and now I’m certain no one in my rural area will measure up what I’ve taken away from just listening to you. Could this just be another avoidant tactic for me? Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on licensed therapist Kati Morton's podcast, Kati dives into the reasons why we want others to understand our true emotions, even when they may not match our exterior. She also shares her thoughts on ending therapy, when it's the right time, and how to continue healing even when finances may be an issue. Kati also sheds light on the effects of emotional abuse and neglect on an individual's mental health, including PTSD and difficulties with intimacy. Additionally, she discusses dependent personality disorder and the challenges of speaking about traumatic experiences, as well as the ethical considerations for therapists working with both individuals and their families. Join Kati for this informative and compassionate discussion on mental health and self-care. Ask Kati Anything | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT ep. 150 audience questions: 1. Why do I so badly want people to understand what I'm "really" feeling, on the inside? To the outside world I appear confident, successful and organized. But on the inside I actually have super low self esteem, have severe anxiety... 2. My current therapist means a lot to me, and we've been working together for more than a year. Our last session is coming up, and we're leaving on okay terms. I'm wondering what I can do to show her how I feel. Is it too corny to... 3. Could complex ptsd from emotional abuse and neglect result in an absolute fear and aversion of sexual intimacy? The few times I’ve been in a relationship, I’ve felt so excruciatingly uncomfortable when guys... 4. I notice myself “speaking in code” in therapy. I’m currently in trauma therapy dealing with CSA and SA and I think I tend to do this so I don’t have to say certain words out loud... 5. I've been seeing my current therapist for a little over a year now, and things are going great and I feel like she "gets me" a lot more than my previous therapist. The problem is that I constantly feel like I'm lying to... 6. Can you talk about Dependent Personality Disorder? I had never heard of this until my doctor (mental health and eating disorder specialist) diagnosed me with this. From what she told me, it sounds exactly... 7. I've been following you for a while now and I found you very helpful! Before I start I wanted to tell you that I'm not English so I’m sorry for possible grammar mistakes. I wanted to ask you if it’s “normal” for a therapist... 8. I have a question about how you would handle a situation as a therapist. If a spouse of some of your clients emailed you and told you about abuse that was to the point of getting a restraining order would you... Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about overcoming a severe depressive episode and suicide attempt. She discusses OCD and fears of being a parent, and even dives into whether or not it’s sometimes helpful to just ignore symptoms of PTSD and abuse. She also explains why we can want to recover from an eating disorder and still struggle with it. This and so many other topics in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 149 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I am recovering from a severe depressive episode where I attempted to commit suicide many times. My question is: What happens next? 2. I have OCD and I am terrified of becoming a parent. I imagine that I will be super hard on myself trying to parent “the right way,” and the fact that there are no clear-cut answers to everything will drive me crazy. There are so many disagreements out there about parenting and so much judgment... 3. Something at work regarding sexual abuse brought up memories that I’d always known were there but never thought they’d had an impact on me. I’m now realizing it’s probably had more of an impact that I thought and... 4. My question revolves around sexuality. I strongly resonate with the term "asexual", yet for some reason also long for a relationship. My therapist said that I might not be asexual, but simply feel this way due to fear coming from my past and c-ptsd… 5. I feel like 2023 should or could be the year I finish being in therapy. I will miss my therapist and especially miss having someone like her to talk to. I realize that everyone needs someone in their life that they can talk things... 6. Why can’t I recover from anorexia, even though I want to. I have almost always struggled with food restriction. From as young as I can remember, I’ve put self imposed “limits” on food intake amounts, food groups etc regardless of... 7. I'm in the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD, I'm 35. I've spent a lifetime struggling with depression and social anxiety and I'm hoping that maybe getting help for ADHD will help me with those two as well. I've read that ADHD can make it more difficult to do... 8. As a therapist, if you are seeing a client for a while and could recognise that they had been abused, would you tell the client? Let's say this client is oblivious and doesn't realize that the other person's behavior was abusive towards... Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 148 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks extensively about body memories, and how they can be from abuse or assaults we don’t remember. She also explains the connection between self injury and sexual abuse, and how we can later use masterbation as a way to retraumatize or harm ourselves. She also discusses how we can build up trust with our therapist, how to keep motivated when looking for a job, and what to do when you love your parents, but the relationship is toxic. Then she talks us through why it can be hard to make any decisions for ourselves, and offers ways we can mitigate our self injury urges. This and so much more in this week’s episode of AKA! Audience questions 1. Hi Kati, this is a hard and weird question for me to write, but thank you for allowing us to ask these types of questions. Sometimes I experience what might be body memories that suggest a sexual assault (though I have no memory of anything). 2. I’ve been seeing my therapist for almost a year now and I still find it really difficult to fully trust her. I am aware that she has done nothing but show me reasons that I can and should trust her. She has the patience of a saint 3. How do you stay motivated when applying for jobs and get rejection after rejection? 4. How do you find the emotional balance when you truly love your parents, are thankful for everything they've done for you, but at the same time you have to deal with the consequences of their emotional neglect and abuse. 5. Why do I find it so difficult to make decisions? I can support others to make decisions or make simple decisions on behalf of others with no issue, but as soon as it's for myself, I have this internal battle. 6. My question is on ways to mitigate sh. I use sh to cope with panic attacks related to trauma (I have ptsd), and my therapist is aware of it. Both me and my therapist agree that working on the trauma that causes the self harm is better than working on the behavior... Kati's Books (in stores now) 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 https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton discusses whether or not we should continue talking about things our therapist thinks are important, even if we don’t. She also gives honest advice on what to do if our family is toxic, but we also love them and don’t want to cut them off. She also explains what OCD, and intrusive thoughts are, and how it differs from generalized anxiety disorder. She explains why a therapist can’t be our only source of support, and how to get that from other people in our life. She also talks about what is and is not an eating disorder. Finally, she digs into what a trauma bond is and how love bombing and gaslighting can cause us to form one. Ask Kati Anything ep. 147 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I was wondering about your thoughts on whether it's important to continue to discuss things in therapy that our therapist thinks have meaning but we may think are completely... 2. How do you navigate a loving but toxic relationship with a family member? As a way of dealing with a toxic family member, you said it’s okay to cut them off. But what if you don’t want to... 3. How can I work through my feelings about being unsupported when I needed help? When I think about it, I feel a mixture of hurt/sadness and can become misanthropic, but I want to heal that... 4. (Note: I’m not diagnosed with OCD, but will be seeking help) How important can it be to tell a therapist the content of your intrusive thoughts? I’ll be getting help soon for mine, but I do fear their reaction... 5. My therapist seems to have a similar system to yours regarding contact between sessions when feeling worse. But because I have no other support network, he has said I can't contact him either. My depression has gotten worse lately, and I struggle with ST... 6. I have an eating disorder related question, kind of following up on something I asked a while back where you told me it definitely sounds like I have an eating disorder (being extremely picky, restricting, beginning to calorie count, and struggling with body image a bit)... 7. I have a question about how to get out of what I think is a trauma bond with my adoptive father. He sexually abused me as a preteen/teen. He has done so many things... 8. At what point is alcohol a concern with patients with addictive tendencies. People with addictive tendencies or people who are prone to it, what other areas are you cautious of. Can they become addicted to anything easily? HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WORKSHOP | https://katimorton.com/the-shop/p/healthy-boundaries Kati's Books (in stores now) 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 | https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact | Linnea Toney [email protected] 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

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton explains why it can be hard for us to communicate our needs in therapy, and how we can heal from sexual abuse when we can’t cut our abusers off. She also talks about passive self injury, what to do when we have trouble accepting a new diagnosis, and dodging eye contact in therapy. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 146 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. Why is it when my therapist asks me what I need during moments in session, it is as if every option, idea or logic leaves my brain and all I can say is ‘I don’t know’. I’m starting to annoy myself with that answer... 2. This isn’t really a question, but I wanted to ask, if it’s possible, for you to maybe try and do some more videos on sexual abuse( siblings/family members) the trauma, and how to move forward when you don’t really have an option for them to not be... 3. Every time i feel stressed/angry/ embarrassed the first thing i do is that i dig my nails into my hand (my skin) to the point that my hand would turn to red and the marks would stay from the morning till the night.. I don't... 4. How do you accept the fact of when you get told/diagnosed something, such as having trauma or anxiety. I have such an issue playing it off like it hasn't really happened... 5. Have you ever played "dodge eye contact" with a client before? Whenever I have in person sessions with my therapist I've noticed that it isn't just me. She seemingly has her own awkward moments with eye contact. I'll look at her and... 6. I’m very embarrassed about what I'm doing. I was raped by my brother years ago (had a freeze response) and sexually abused by an extended family member when i was 6/7..I HATE everything about any sexual interaction 7. Please can you talk about recovery from narcissistic abuse, including PTSD symptoms, cognitive dissonance, gaslighting, guilting etc? Specifically talking about steps to recovery would... 8. Hi Kati, during this past week I’ve found myself getting unreasonably annoyed when others (especially family and extended family members) have been sick and it’s definitely not the first time this happens… It wouldn’t be the same if it would... 9. I’ve always had a hard time being vulnerable although for others I’m very soft and understand their deep emotions…since being in therapy I’ve thankfully learnt to be more emotional for myself and express my vulnerability. My question is about going into the real world. I’m sometimes afraid that I’m over-sharing now... KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati discusses if we can ever have a relationship with our therapist outside of therapy, and what that can look like. She also talks about the different treatment styles from EMDR to schema, CBT and DBT, etc. She explains the connection between chronic illness and our mental health, why crying in therapy can be hard but important, and how much we should remember about our childhoods. This and so much more in this week’s episode. Ask Kati Anything ep. 145 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. Does having a relationship with your therapist after therapy ends ever work out? My former therapist (of 3 years) and I found out we were blood relatives through another family member... 2. You’ve been a therapist for a while now, so I just wonder, in what ways have you changed your mind about certain things? What therapeutic methods or different therapies do you look at... 3. Have you ever considered doing a completely random podcast where you randomly pick all your questions instead of going by the most likes? 4. Could you talk a little bit about dealing with a physical chronic illness and how it affects our mental health? I have multiple chronic illnesses and it feels like I'm just constantly getting bad news... 5. When is it ok to take a break from life (in particular, work)? I’ve been in therapy for one year, working through my PTSD/CPTSD symptoms and quite frankly it’s becoming almost impossible to do my job properly. I mostly WFH which has been a blessing, but I work full time in a high stress job and I’m constantly afraid of... 6. I'm relatively new to therapy having only just started about 7 months ago. Due to the pandemic I've only ever been able to do tele-therapy with my therapist so I've never actually met her in person... 7. Is it strange to have only cried a couple of times in therapy over several years? It's been nearly 4 years of twice a week and I just can't cry. Before I started therapy I could cry easily... 8. How much about our childhoods are we supposed to remember? I remember different events that took place growing up, but when I try to think about how things were for me emotionally or... 9. I have a restrictive ED and I am in IOP (3 hrs/day, 3 days/week) and I see my dietitian, ED therapist, and regular therapist weekly. I’ve been doing better overall since starting treatment, but sometimes I want a higher level of care, like PHP (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week) or residential... 10. My therapist allows me to text her when I’m struggling with my ED and need some extra accountability. For example, sending her photos of my meals when I’m having a hard day. My question is, is that something you would allow your clients to do? KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about expressing anger in a healthy way, what childhood emotional neglect is, and our fight / flight / freeze response. She also walks listeners through healing from childhood sexual abuse and going on to have a happy healthy sex life. We also dig into our need for attention, what to do when we miss an old therapist, and the difference between depression with anxiety and bipolar disorder. This and so much more in this week’s episode. Ask Kati Anything ep. 144 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. A few videos back, someone asked a question about anger and how they struggle to express that emotion. Your response to them was something like, 'instead of trying to feel the emotion head on, first try to understand why you have a hard time expressing it, get to the root of it'... 2. I am a little confused about emotional neglect. I am intrigued by what you said that some individuals don't get their emotional needs met and as a result they can become emotionally neglected by parents or caregivers. But how about if we try our best and we think we are still doing... 3. This is a follow up to a questioned asked a while back about sex and dealing with csa. You had said something about discovering what feels right and what maybe feels off. After you had said that I noticed that foreplay seems to be easier to stay present... 4. I’m a CSA survivor and Sa survivor from college. Also, I’ve been sober for 9 years. However, since I got sober I really haven’t been able to be physically intimate with my husband. It’s not that I don’t want to at times, but... 5. I hope you’re well! (I asked that question before, but I think you didn’t answer it so I ask it again). Is there a way to get better if you want to be mentally ill for attention? I don’t think I can stop wanting to be mentally I’ll for attention.... 6. Is it possible to go into the fight/ flight/ freeze response in therapy? Is it possible to be all 3 at once? In my last therapy session I got so angry because I felt my therapist really invalidated me. When I get this angry I... 7. Can you talk about missing a therapist while seeing a new one? I miss my old therapist quite frequently. I'll remember something that we talked about in session and just think man I still wish I saw her... 8. Could I have made up my thoughts and feelings? I'm sure my feelings are real every time I feel sad, but then when I feel okay again I'm convinced that I just made those moments up and they never actually happened... 9. I was wondering if you could talk about the differences between depression with anxious distress and bipolar disorder. I have struggled with depression for several years. The anxiety portion comes in waves but is almost always in response to something very stressful... KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we discuss how therapists deal with a patient not being able to answer their questions, if they get annoyed, and how they can sit with someone who is crying and hurting. We also talk about wanting to cancel therapy and isolate when struggling, and why we can act childlike in therapy and life. Kati also talks about being traumatized by a mental illness, signing a no harm / no suicide contract, and how we can find the balance between honoring our past and not being overwhelmed by it. Ask Kati Anything ep.143 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. Hi Kati, What is it like as a therapist to sit with someone while they're crying and hurting so much? Do you want to comfort them? Do you feel uneasy? Do you become desensitized to it? I think... 2. Are therapist’s annoyed when clients have a hard time answering their questions? I’m worried that I respond with “I don’t know” too often, and I’m concerned about the possibility of this hindering my progress or making my therapist think... 3. My question is about canceling therapy sessions when I am feeling the worst or get bad news. For example, I got bad news about my husband and his back injury and him not getting back to work anytime soon. I felt so... 4. Why do I behave so child-like when we talk about trauma in session? I don't feel like I have control over it, wasting my time as I cease to function & speak. My therapist said that I'm resistant - but I can't help it! I do struggle with dissociation too and right now it feels like trauma therapy is going... 5. How can you respect/honor your past without being completely engulfed or invalidating? It seems no matter how I look at it, my past was traumatic and at the same time. I don’t know how to admit it was traumatic... 6. My therapist wants me to sign a no suicide/no self harm contract because of how I have been feeling lately. I understand from her perspective why she feels she might need this. But for me since she suggested doing this, it feels like I’m failing... 7. Is it possible to be traumatized by being mentally ill? I've had depression for 4 years before I was diagnosed but shortly before I went to the therapist, I completely hit rock bottom. I couldn't write important emails anymore, I couldn't even read a full sentence and on top of that, I... 8 . My therapist told me that “therapy is not a weight loss program.” What does this mean? I am overweight and I am trying to get help with my habits of overeating/binging and I want to lose weight. Is she saying that therapy can’t help me... 9. I feel like I have so many questions to ask that it’s difficult to pinpoint which one to take the plunge with! Since you’re a marriage and family therapist, I’ll go in the direction of my husband & I’s relationship. We’ve always struggled in the bedroom... KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Licensed Therapist, Kati Morton, LMFT explains why we can want to do things in life, but struggle to find the motivation. She talks about depression’s role in this behavior, and what we can do to get ourselves back on track. Next, she talks about healing from emotional neglect, why grieving is part of trauma healing, and how we can be diagnosed with PTSD. She also discusses why us being traumatized has more to do with what we experienced, not just what happened. All that and much more in this week’s episode of Ask Kati Anything! Ep.142 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. In my head I always want to do all of these things (like workout, study, clean, etc.) but I can’t get myself to actually do anything. I don’t feel like I’m depressed because I really want to accomplish these things. I just can’t get myself to physically... 2. I grew up with emotionally immature parents who couldn’t tolerate, let alone help me handle, any of my emotions, and instead responded with anger, silent treatment and isolation. I was also groomed as a young teen by a much older, married man. Now, as an adult, I’m finally doing all the “right” things: therapy, journaling, not judging my feelings, daily exercise, meditation, healthy eating, vitamins, so many self-help books... 3. Could you talk more about grief in relation to trauma? I’ve heard that people still essentially go through the stages of grieving when healing from trauma. How important is it to grieve what could have been? 4. I was wondering if it’s possible to be traumatized by something that isn’t actually traumatic? I never had any big T traumas but growing up I struggled with terrible anxiety mostly separation anxiety and social anxiety... 5. How can one be diagnosed with PTSD (noting that C-PTSD isn’t a recognised diagnosis in the DSM5) if they “only” experienced emotional neglect growing up? 6. As a therapist yourself, how do you manage to trust other therapists? And what do you do if you feel like you "know better" / would handle things differently? I'm currently in training, but I'm also in therapy myself... 7. I’ve had the same therapist for about 6 years, but recently I’ve started to consider looking for a new therapist. Not because of anything that went wrong- I just think that it’s time for a change and having a new therapist might help me grow... 8. What is the role of a loved one, parent, spouse, sibling, or child, in the treatment of their mental health? Sometimes I feel the therapists of loved ones are missing a major issue... 9. How did you balance having a relationship now with a parent who was abusive growing up? I believe my dad's intentions were never bad, but he was still very harmful and contributed... KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about the therapy process, relapses, and wanting therapy but also wanting to quit at the same time! She also talks about hospitalization, and the difference between voluntary and involuntary inpatient. Kati also explains alexithymia, feeling our emotions, and how to deal when our therapist is on leave. This and much more in this week’s episode! Questions: 1. I usually have therapy on Wednesdays. My therapist is a great fit for me, she has just the right balance of pushing me but not too hard and she's picked up on my anxiety... 2. My therapist recently pointed out to me that I always seem very tense during our sessions. I've been going for a year but I still feel my heart pounding and as if I'm about to give a presentation or be tested whenever... 3. I wanted to preface this with saying that I'm not in immediate danger. My wife and I have a safety plan in place right now so I'm not really ever alone. I would rather not disclose the specifics of my illness online, but I... ***BOUNDARIES WORKSHOP*** On January 6 and 13, 2023 I'll be doing a live healthy relationships workshop with downloadable worksheets and time for Q&A. https://katimorton.com/the-shop/p/healthy-boundaries The goal of this workshop is to empower you to set the boundaries you need to take back control of your life. 4. I have cptsd & I’ve been seeing my therapist for over a year. A few months ago we started spreading my sessions out from every other week to once a month. We’ve recently started doing every week again because I... 5. Does the concept of letting ourselves feel emotions instead of avoiding them also indicate that we deserve to experience them? Particularly for negative emotions, such as shame and guilt - say we confront whatever... 6. I have a question about alexithymia (not being able to recognize your own emotions). I can only recognize basic emotions like happiness, sadness, and anger, but only if they are very strong... 7. How does one deal without their therapist for a few months while they are on maternity leave? I’ve been in therapy for about 8 months now and am finally starting to be open with her.... 8. I don't know how much this is a question or if it's just ranting but; why do the bullies get so much space when talking about bullying? I am thinking of various educational materials and information on the internet... 9. I am overweight and I think I might have binge eating disorder, but I’m nervous to talk to my therapist about it. I’m scared that anytime someone walks into a therapist’s office saying “I want to lose weight..." Ask Kati Anything ep.141 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about healing from trauma and why we can feel childlike afterward. She also discusses why we can struggle to know who we are, offer ourselves compassion and self-worth in the wake of childhood trauma. Kati also explains what a challenging client is and why that’s not a bad thing. She then dives into how we can figure out what help we need from our loved ones, and whether or not trauma therapy can ruin our bodies. This and so much more in this week’s episode. Ask Kati Anything ep. 140 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT - Help! I'm 36 and STILL don't feel like an adult Audience questions: 1. When someone has spent almost their whole life being their “trauma self” (e.g. by masking, numbing, isolating etc) how does one cope with... 2. Why do I still feel like a child? I'm 36 but I don't feel like an adult. I do adult stuff like pay my rent, pay my bills, cook, go grocery shopping...and... 3. Can you explain why self compassion seems to be so important in healing from trauma? I've been with my therapist for 18 months and she regularly talks about having compassion for myself. I can't feel sorry for... 4. I’ve finally managed to pluck up the courage and start asking for support when I’m struggling, but the problem is I never know what to say... 5. Some clients are challenging and I've learned that therapists have coping skills for that ("maybe you should talk to someone", random ig posts). How do you hold unconditional positive regard for these clients? 6. How do I build inner self-worth? I don't mean confidence, because I have confidence in some things I do (and working on others). I mean that I'm worthy regardless... 7. Did trauma therapy ruin my body??? How do I pick up the pieces of my broken life? When do you keep pursuing therapy- and when is it time to just accept a struggle as life long??? (Background: I went... 8. Is it possible for fatigue or other physical symptoms accompanying mental illness to become permanent if the mental illness lasts too long? Can it permanently "wear out" your body? I have complex ptsd... 9. How important do you think a diagnosis is? For the past year I have been struggling with low mood, self harm and disordered eating, and I have been seeing a therapist to help with that, but having been diagnosed with anything... ---- KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 139 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati talks all about attachment, transference, childhood emotional neglect, and how that can affect our relationship with our therapist. She also discusses bipolar disorder, the importance of feeling validated and understood by our therapist, and why certain emotions are harder to feel and express. This and so much more on this week’s episode! AUDIENCE QUESTIONS I’ve noticed a pattern in my life since early childhood where I become emotionally attached in a non-romantic way to certain people and I subconsciously place them in a parental role. I feel dependent on them emotionally and want to feel validated by... I have a question about bipolar disorder, and therapy in general. I take lamictal daily. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder last year, and I go to therapy every two weeks. Whenever I go to see my therapist, I feel as though she exaggerates my experiences and labels them as episodes... How do you know if its attachment to your therapist is something more? I have noticed that I fear the day that I won’t be in therapy but I don’t know that it is so much that I’m attached to my therapist and don’t want to leave her... I wanted to follow up on a question I asked recently because I don’t think you quite covered what I meant and there has been a lot of discussion in the comments about it. My question was about the phrase “you can’t make someone feel something”. What are some creative ways we can celebrate our mental health wins? I think this may be an overlooked part of our healing journey. I feel silly expressing them because they aren’t always as big as a new job or a degree, etc. and... I find it difficult to express my feelings in other ways than through words alone. I don't want to bother anyone by showing that I feel something or acting irrationally and emotionally. I've always been this way, but after trying DBT it's even harder to feel my... What's your take on "gifted kid burnout" that's talked about pretty often on social media? What do children experience when they don't get supported enough to reach their potential or what does it do to them to be told that they have potential but they don't fully use it? My question is around what feels like extremely intense maternal transference with my therapist. I find it very difficult and extremely humiliating (although I have been able to let her know and she has been excellent about it). I’ve been seeing her for... How do I know the difference between a therapist being too harsh, or just doing her job? ---- KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 138 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Today’s Kati talks about coming to terms with repressed memories and the fact that they may never be complete. She also explains how she works with people who feel like they are behind in life, the importance of eye contact in therapy, and why we can crave negative attention. She also discusses what she does when a client self injures in session, how we can know if it’s safe to start exercising again in ED recovery, and why we can sometimes feel full and sick when we haven’t eaten very much. Finally, she talks about weight gain in ED recovery and how to mentally manage it. Audience questions I have been in therapy for three years now to help me work through CSA and my insane workload from university (I’ll be graduating in a month thankfully). I didn’t know anything like that had happened to me until... I was just wondering as a therapist what approaches you would use when working with clients who feel like they are behind in life due to societal pressures? I ask this as I sometimes feel like I'm somewhat behind compared to people of my age in relation to relationships... Why do I crave negative attention? I have always had a fascination with / get excited about the idea of punishment or “getting into trouble.” I also tend to do things to draw negative attention in therapy. For example, the most recent round of therapy sessions I... Hi Kati and community, How important do you think is eye contact in therapy? Are you 'getting the most out of therapy' even if you never establish eye contact (over a longer period like one or two years)? The sensitive nature of the therapy setting makes me feel rather vulnerable and... My question is, what would you do if a client was self-injuring in session? I have really bad eczema on my hands and if I clench my fists, all the wounds split open. I have found myself doing this in session when we are talking about hard... About ED recovery: when do I know that it's time to exercise again? Are there "signs" I can look out for? Like having a regular period I have an eating disorder, anorexia. The problem is that despite my lack of intake I keep gaining weight. I’m 46 years old and am wondering if that’s why. I have a registered dietitian and an eating disorder therapist and even though I’m trying to work on recovery, this constant weight gain is really distressing for me... Kati, I’m trying to recover from an eating disorder, but it’s really difficult because whenever I eat, I just feel sick and overly full even though there’s no way I could be full because I’m not eating enough to warrant that. Will I ever stop feeling overly full and sick and exhausted after eating? It triggers me to purge not to lose weight, but just because I feel... ---- KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 137 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati talks about all things OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). She explains what it is, what Pure O OCD is, and how it links to PTSD, perfectionism, and eating disorders. She also explains how the treatment may differ depending on where our OCD comes from, and why mentally rehearsing things over and over again isn’t healthy for us. She discusses the fact that OCD is an anxiety disorder, and what that means for its symptoms. Finally, she talks about the best ways we can support those in our life with OCD, and why it’s up to them to tell us what’s best for them. This and so much more in this week’s episode. AUDIENCE QUESTIONS Can you talk about how OCD may present itself alongside PTSD? For example, most of my obsessions and compulsions are checking and also trauma-related, ex. "Is the door locked?" "Did somebody text me?" "Is my grandmother breathing?", etc.. I have a tendency to mentally rehearse my day over and over again in my head as if I have a running checklist in my head of everything I need to get done that day until I have accomplished everything. In a way this calms me as I feel... Could intrusive harm thoughts be a sign of OCD? Most of my harmful thoughts are around sharp objects. I experienced these thoughts during a tough time in my life for 3 months and then they went away. They come back every... How best to support someone with OCD? My friend recently told me she has OCD, she’s not yet felt comfortable enough to tell me what her OCD looks like for her which I totally understand, but just wondered how... (How) are OCD and perfectionism intertwined? Could the addictive behavior in eating disorders be a part of OCD? Is OCD all about controlling? And why is it so satisfactory to control? How can you tell the difference between pure O OCD and just anxious thoughts? (COMMENT: And if it is pure O OCD, where do you draw the line between an obsession and a compulsion?) What’s up with needing everything to be right? I am in constant search for the right answers in everything I do. If I feel I didn’t do something right, then I get really down on myself and become very frustrated... My ocd is very much linked to health anxiety (that i started developing around covid). How can we stop our ocd behavior when it actually is something that also helps us feel like we are fighting the risks to catch a disease... How do you know when it’s time to stop ERP (Exposure and response prevention therapy)? When is it time to see if you can just focus on other things for a while? Isn’t the ultimate goal of treatment to get to... ---- KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 136 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati talks a lot about building up resilience, emotionally, physically, and in our relationships. She addresses how we can’t MAKE people feel or do anything, but they are still responsible for their actions. She also discusses suicidal ideation and why it can feel like it pops out of nowhere, and how someone with BPD can manage attachment in therapeutic settings. Kati explains the link between childhood trauma or CPTSD and being sensitive to stress as an adult, and why being a parentified child can make us immature in other ways. Finally, she offers advice on how to be more emotionally mature, and whether or not she thinks everyone can change. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Audience questions: I hear a lot about how people are not responsible for the feelings of others, or that you can’t “make” someone feel a certain way. As someone who has grown up in a home with domestic violence and has been emotionally abused and neglected my... As someone with bpd; could you give us some advice on how to find balance in opening up to a therapist/psychiatrist without becoming too attached? Also, is there such a thing as becoming too attached that it'll delay your process... A week or so ago, I experienced SI. No plan or intent, but it scared the shit out of me. Now, I can’t stop thinking about it. I spend most days constantly thinking “what if it happens again? What if next time it’s so bad that I... Can sensitivity to stress in adulthood be affected by repeated childhood trauma? In CPTSD, hypervigilance is part of the diagnosis, but can sensitivity to stress count as part of... How does one become an adult? Or grow up? I've been called mature my whole life, only to be told that I need to "grow up" as an adult. I feel like... How do I improve my resilience? Specifically physical resilience. When I am at my parent’s house I work very hard to use coping skills and step away from triggering situations, so that I can make it through emotionally... I was hoping you could talk about emotional maturity and suggestions for someone who feels emotionally immature. I grew up in a very neglectful house and have been working toward getting better at expressing... Do you think people can truly change? For good or bad? I’ve been with a partner for 5 years and they have changed (in a bad way- towards me and themselves) ... ---- KATI'S BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 135 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati talks about dissociation from memories, emotions, and what structural dissociation is. She also discusses isolation as a result of trauma, why people with mental illness compete with one another, and how to figure out what traits are important to us. Kati also explains the difference between enjoying being busy and running from our problems, and why concentration is affected by mental illness. She talks about the different ways we talk to ourselves, why we can’t cry, and the reasons our body can be aroused when we aren’t actually aroused. This and much more in this week’s episode! Audience questions: 1. Can you talk more about dissociation from memories vs dissociation from emotions? Is that really a thing? I find I use a coping skill to put my trauma memories into these other... 2. My maladaptive response to developmental trauma (abandonment, emotional abuse and neglect) has been to completely isolate myself from everyone to the point where I only feel known by my therapist... 3. Why do people with mental illness sometimes compare their struggles to each other like a competition? I've had conversations in inpatient... 4. I am in counseling and something we have covered is getting a better handle on who I actually am, rather than being defined by my mental illness... 5. Can you elaborate on how one might understand if they are filling their schedule to run from what’s going on in their life vs keeping the calendar full as... 6. I have a question about negative self-talk. I have noticed that most people talk to themselves in the second person.. 7. Why does mental illness make concentration so hard? I’ve been working with a trauma therapist and attempting to be more present only makes me realize how hard it is to pay attention... 8. I'm afraid that I might be the weirdest person ever, I´ve tried to google this but I can't find anyone else experiencing the same thing and this is so shameful. 9. Why can’t I cry? I often tear up about things not closely related to me, like world events or historical events, but when it comes to the things... 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 Contact YouTube https://www.youtube.com/katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/OpinionsThatDontMatter TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katimorton Twitter https://twitter.com/KatiMorton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katimorton1 Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati shares the best way to manage the anxiety that comes around before we begin a new week, why we can have bursts of emotions sometimes, and she also explains why some traumas are easier to acknowledge than others. She talks about the different types of therapy and why we have to find one that works, why it can be hard to focus on what our therapist is saying, and the stigma associated with bulimia nervosa. Finally, she explains why those with BPD can hate boundaries, and what the difference is between hypomania and just plain joy. That and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 134 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. How does someone actually deal with the “Sunday Scaries”? Every Sunday I get so overwhelmed with anxiety for the upcoming week I just freeze. Even though I have things I need to accomplish (i.e. meal prepping, laundry, etc.) I end up not being able to do any... 2. Why does it seem harder to acknowledge certain traumas versus others? I went to therapy to deal past csa but in doing so learned about emotional neglect. My family life seemed so normal and standard and to believe otherwise is hard to wrap my head around... 3. My question is about bursts of emotions. When something happens that seems to emotionally affect me, I only seem to feel that feeling for a very short time. For example, when I feel sad I cry for ten seconds max, after... 4. Do you think therapy works for everyone? I have alexithymia and I struggle so much with expressing emotions and knowing what I am feeling, I can tell my psychology gets frustrated with me and she said "therapy doesn't work for everyone" Which took... 5. I often lose focus on what my therapist is saying during my therapy sessions. Most often it is because of different thoughts about things that cause me a lot of anxiety. An example: during a session my therapist talked and explained that emotions can be evoked by thoughts... 6. I was wondering if you could talk a bit about bulimia & whether, in your experience, patients are more reluctant to share that they are struggling with it. I find there's a big stigma attached to it & people are disgusted by it - the recovery content online is largely people who struggled.... 7. I'm wondering if you can talk about why, as a borderline, I hate boundaries. I also tend to get overly attached to anyone who I open up to about my personal struggles and then end up obsessing about that person and violating the boundaries of that relationship. Obsessive / intrusive thoughts... 8. Can you tell me the difference between hypomania and plain old joy? I had a week or so where I didn’t sleep much and I had a ton of energy, but I’m 31 and I’ve never been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I had just... ---- KATI'S BOOKS • Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j • Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ---- ONLINE THERAPY While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati PATREON: this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES: Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 133 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati discusses why we may want to stay in therapy forever, and how to know if that’s unhealthy or not. She also explains some of the reasons we may be repulsed by ourselves, why we might hate hugs, and the effects diet culture has on those with EDs. She explains sandtray therapy, how DBT works, and how to grieve things lost in our lives. Finally, she describes the effects of medical trauma, what leads to CPTSD, how much support is okay to ask for, and how she decides what level of care her ED patients need. This and so much more on today’s episode! Audience questions: 1. I can't imagine ever feeling ready to leave my therapist. I like him so much, even though at times it's painful. The thought of never seeing him again is hugely upsetting and I know I'd be... 2. Could you talk a bit more about reasons why we might be repulsed by our own being? You mentioned in episode 128 that we can be so disgusted with ourselves and this can be a trauma response... 3. I've heard people talk about diet culture - specifically, how it's harmful and can lead to disordered eating/EDs - but I've also heard news about the increasing obesity crisis in the U.S. I'm curious... 4. Does there have to be a reason for hating hugs or can it just be related to who we are as a person? Ever since I can remember even as a young child I've hated hugs, this has continued into adulthood... 5. Can you talk more about sandtray therapy? Like when does a therapist decide to use it for adults? Is it suitable as a form of trauma therapy on its own, or is it... 6. My question is about DBT therapy for CPTSD due to sexual abuse. I am only about 6 weeks into therapy with my new therapist, so I know we are early on in the process. I had told her that I have not done well with therapy in... 7. I was wondering if you could talk about grief. You have mentioned that you don't have to have someone pass away to experience grief and I was wondering about if you can grieve the loss of an opportunity, or a future you thought... 8. I am wondering if you could have CPTSD due to multiple occurrences with Cancer throughout childhood. I have only heard of cptsd coming out of abuse or sexual trauma, but a lot of the symptoms are true for me. I’ve also had other things happen to me that could be considered trauma... 9. I know that mental illness can warp your perception into wrongly believing that you’re a burden if you reach out for support. But it can also legitimately cause strain for the people being reached out to. How do I tell which one is happening? How much support is... Kati's Books • Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j • Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy Online Therapy While Kati does not currently offer online therapy, her sponsor Betterhelp will connect you with a licensed, online counselor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon - this podcast is made possible through the generous support of patrons like you. https://www.patreon.com/katimorton BUSINESS INQUIRIES - Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.132 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati address' the effects of trauma on our self esteem, and how that can lead to us hating ourselves. She also talks about how trauma can change the brain, and how we can get better at opening up and accepting help. Kati explains how a trauma timeline works and shows us what one looks like, and offers other ways to get ourselves out of our freeze response. Finally, Kati differentiates between anxiety disorders and PTSD, explains how to deal with therapist abandonment, and how to cope when an abusive parent is sick or dying. This and much more in this week's episode. Audience questions: 1. Why do I think that I am a bad person, and how do I stop hating myself? Whenever anything remotely bad happens or I "inconvenience" someone the slightest bit (ex. "taking" a doctor's time during my appointment, telling my boss I can't come into work because I am sick, someone giving me a gift, someone holding a door open for me) my brain starts the mantra of... 2. Hi Kati, could you talk about how childhood trauma and ptsd can affect brain structure/function? (COMMENT: Can trauma also result in other mental health disorders like anxiety disorders or eating disorders instead of PTSD? // To add to this, can you talk about how childhood trauma can affect the parents of... 3. I have a really hard time opening up to other people and accepting help. I have worked through old memories and realized I didn't get proper emotional care as a child. I was mostly ignored and left alone with all emotional struggles i faced growing up. As a result I now don't feel worthy to be considered with my emotions. Today i am in a way better spot in life. I have two... 4. I was at your inner child workshop and it was very helpful. I want to create a trauma timeline like you suggested, but I am wondering if you happen to have any visuals for what a trauma timeline could look like? I’m a visual learner and I’m having trouble figuring out how to... 5. How to get out of a freeze response if grounding techniques don’t work? I’ve been sexually abused as a child & S. assaulted once as a teenager and that's when it started. I want to process what I’ve been through but it’s hard since I’m still stuck in that freeze response and don’t... 6. How can you tell the difference between an anxiety disorder, and something like CPTSD? What symptoms would you look out for to differentiate the two? I definitely have social anxiety and have had this since childhood, but I’ve also experienced childhood trauma... 7. I was abandoned by my therapist back in November. Everything had seemed good, I had been with her for a year and a half. I went into crisis and hospitalized myself, at which point she completely cut off contact. I have struggled ever since, I have tried working with 7 different therapists in the past 9 months or so... 8. How do you deal with a sick or dying abusive parent? I started grieving a few years ago when I realized my father won’t change, he said “he was always like this and he is too old to change”, but seeing him sick now make me sad and at the same time I feel relief... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.131 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This week Kati talks about how we can move forward if we were abusive to our siblings when we were younger. She also explains why we can fantasize about going missing or wanting to run away from our lives, and why it’s common to have pretend conversations with ourselves and feel like they are real. Kati also shares the best time to journal, how to deal with a push pull urge in therapy, and how to move past denial. She also explains why we can feel the urge to invalidate our little t traumas, how to finally get to the root of our issues, and finally what we can do if it feels like nothing is helping. Audience questions: 1. There are a lot of questions asked by people who were abused by their siblings when they were younger, but what if I was the abuser? It’s been over 15 years since but I was put in charge of watching my special needs little sister (only 16 months apart) a lot of the time and I used violence... 2. For years I’ve had this fantasy of “going missing,” or disappearing intentionally – just getting in my car, driving a thousand miles, leaving it in some parking lot and then just walking away. Over time I learned that this is not actually illegal, as long as you’re an adult and you’re not evading the... 3. This is kind of embarrassing to ask, but surely I’m not the only one who does this. Why do I pretend I’m having conversations with people who aren’t really there? It’s as if I’m actually having a back and forth conversation with another person, but in reality I guess I’m just talking to myself? 4. Why do I have such a strong push pull relationship with therapy? I have seen seven different therapists in the past two years and couldn’t connect with any of them. It’s like the first couple of sessions I want to tell them everything and then on the third and fourth sessions I don’t want to... 5. Regarding journaling, is it more used to just write things down in the moment or is there value in going back and re-reading it at some point? I’ve been journaling pretty regularly for the past year and want to go back through and read it but I’m finding that I’m very hesitant to do so… 6. Is it possible to know you're in denial and yet you still don't want to believe the truth? I am trying to come to terms with being emotionally neglected by my parents but the part I'm struggling with is the acceptance that it happened. I know it sounds like a contradiction because I can name the... 7. How do I stop invalidating my little T traumas as you call them? I had a lot of things happen to me over my lifetime that I would consider smaller traumas if anything. For example, my father was quite abusive, but he left when I was still very young and we didn't see him often. My mother was/is an addict, but she still took care of us quite well... 8. How do I get to the root of my issues? I feel like I'm so caught up in running away by using maladaptive coping strategies (anorexia, over-exercise, suicidality etc) that I don't even know what I'm trying to cope with. I do know that there‘s more emotional pain when I reduce my disordered behaviors... 9. One of your answers prompted me to ask a question. I'm struggling with feeling like I've tried everything and feeling like I have no choice left but to end things. I have been inpatient multiple times, have done multiple IOPs/partials. I have tried so many meds... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about binge eating disorder (BED). She discusses the link between BED and childhood trauma, why there’s a connection between a mother’s love and our relationship with food, and the difference between BED and appetite changes associated with other mental illnesses. She also explains why forgetting to eat is not the same as an eating disorder, how we can reduce cravings, and how to get over any guilt associated with a binge. She also shares why parentification can make it hard for us to want to be an adult, why binge eating, food addiction, and overeating are the same thing, and whether or not medications for BED are actually helpful. This and much more in this week’s podcast! Kati Morton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, each week she answers mental health questions from her audience. Ask Kati Anything ep. 130 | Your mental health podcast, with Licensed Therapist, Kati Morton Audience questions: 1. I would like to know more about the connection between (B)ED and childhood trauma, because it seems that that topic isn't talked about enough. Why do we choose to cope with food rather than anything else and is there really a connection between mother's love and our relationship with food throughout our lives? 2. Can you explain the difference(s) between a binge eating disorder and the appetite changes associated with anxiety and depression? Sometimes I skip meals due to my anxiety, either because I get stuck in my head and forget that I need food or I feel too nauseous to eat, but then it usually results in a binge eating session afterwards because I’ve essentially starved myself. I know... 3. I have a question about eating disorders, but not related to body image or calories or anything. It’s more just… disordered eating? I forget to eat a meal, and then my OCD says it’s too late for whatever meal, so then I have to wait for the next meal time. Except this happens every single day. I’m not sure if this counts as an eating disorder? It’s very confusing for me. I want to eat the right amounts per day, I just can’t for some reason... 4. How does one reduce cravings? Also, can one embark on their own treatment for binge eating, as opposed to seeking professional help? If so, where does one start? 5. What is the difference between binge eating and just over eating? I’m pretty sure I struggle with binge eating but my psychiatrist has asked me if I’m binging or just over eating and honestly I don't really know how to tell the difference. Thanks for everything you do. 6. This might not be related to this week's theme but I hope you consider answering it! I feel like I just woke up now and realized that I’ve wasted my childhood/ teenage years by not being a child or a teenager. Now, I’ve reached to the point where I don’t want to grow up and ‘time’ scares me... 7. Hi Kati, I struggle with binge eating. My psychiatrist has recommended a drug that is used for opioid addiction that should take away the pleasure I get from eating. What other options do I have? 8. What is the difference between a binge eating disorder and a food addiction? I feel like sugar is my kryptonite. Also I am picky, lactose intolerant and acidic foods aggravate an overactive bladder condition. So I feel like I can't easily avoid sugar. I suspect I have a binge eating disorder and that it... 9. How can I deal with the guilt that I experience after a binge? I used to purge, (I don’t anymore) and that was usually my unhealthy way of getting rid of the guilt I felt from eating too much. but now when I binge, I’m left feeling terrible and it makes me want to self-harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati offers tips on how we can take care of our mental health if we have to move back in with our parents. She also dives into narcissistic personality disorder, what it is, how it starts, what it means to have narcissistic tendencies, whether she believes NPD is treatable or not, and if those with NPD or sociopaths are worthy of love. Kati also discusses how to process or overcome cutting off an abusive or toxic family member, and the difference between NPD and other mental illnesses. Kati Morton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and each week she answers questions about all things mental health and life related. Ask Kati Anything ep. 129 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. What tips do you have for moving back in with your parents/family? I’m 21 and love living on my own. My therapist and I agree that my mental health (depression and anxiety) is a lot better when I am on my own, away from family. Now that my circumstances warrant me moving back in, what... 2. I just wanted to know how npd starts? Like does it start small as a child and build up or is it just who they are in general? Hope this makes sense just very curious, thank you for being so amazing... 3. Recently I've worried that I have narcissistic tendencies. This would be a nightmare for me because the last thing I want to do is hurt people the way I've been hurt. I talked to my therapist about it and she said narcissists don't worry that they're narcissists, so there's no way I have NPD. Is this true?? 4. I’m not sure if this is on topic but I often wonder if narcissists and sociopaths are worthy of love. And if they are, why? My therapist says EVERYONE is worthy of love regardless of how difficult they are. But if this is the case, then people who do terrible terrible things to others are also worthy... 5. What is the difference between someone with npd and someone with narcissistic traits? How can you differentiate between these two kinds of people? (COMMENT: I'm wondering this also. My parents have some traits but not sure it's actually NPD. I actually think it's... 6. I argue with a lot of people about if NPD is treatable or not. Since BPD was deemed untreatable for a long time I believe that every disorder is treatable to some degree at least and for the right people. What do you think about the treatment of NPD? Can it work or... 7. I was wondering how you suggest dealing with the pain of cutting off a close family member. About six months ago, I cut off my sister because since our dad died over 3 years ago, she's been increasingly abusive and controlling. The problem is she means the world to me. We went... 8. I’m hoping you can give us an overview of what NPD actually is. I notice that a lot of people say that someone in their life - usually a parent - is a narcissist. While I know the definition of the word, I don’t really understand NPD clinically. What’s the difference (if there is one) between being... 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about the ripple effects of being a parentified child, and how that can leave us wanting to not become an adult. She also addresses recovery after a suicide attempt, major life decisions and our mental health, and whether or not we can trust repressed trauma memories. She also explains dissociation, processing trauma when therapy was what traumatized us, and touch aversion in autism and relationships. Finally, Kati discusses whether or not attachment and intimacy issues can be self inflicted, how to get out of a marital rut, and whether or not mental illness is a choice. Hopefully some of her insights and thoughts on these issues are helpful in your own life journey! Ask Kati Anything ep. 128 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. How do adults who suffered childhood emotional neglect, abuse and parentification deal with being an adult, taking responsibility and being self-reliant, things that are potentially triggering and throw you back into childhood patterns? It feels like taking responsibility and being self-reliant was... 2. Could you talk about recovery after a suicide attempt please? Even if you are glad you survived, all the factors in your life that caused you to get to that point still exist so how is it possible to get better? Especially since it seems impossible to tell anyone about what happened... 3. I am wondering how do you make major life decisions that impact your future while you’re struggling to take care of your mental health in the present? For my specific example, how do I know if staying in university is worth my rapidly declining mental health? I have been taking my... 4. I hope your day is going great. My question is about repressed trauma memories. How can we tell if they are real or not? For context, I have a very strong imagination and tend to imagine myself in bad situations, or make up scenarios where bad things happened to me as a... 5. I want to ask about dissociation during sexual assault! I was sexually assaulted by my brother years ago. He was 1 year younger than me.. I was sleeping and had a freeze response (I was 15) and didn’t do anything about it. He doesn’t even know that I know:), he didn’t do it again, but he... 6. I am autistic and sometimes worry about how my sensitivity to touch could potentially affect future intimate relationships. I have never dated anyone and question if it’s okay to engage in intimate acts despite not really desiring sex just to please your partner. Are there any damaging... 7. Can attachment/intimacy issues be unintentionally self-inflicted? Why or why not, and what would the healing process be? My parents are great and I feel genuinely blessed to have them, but I get angry when they offer any kind affection, attention or show concern for me in any way. This... 8. I feel like I’m in such a rut with my husband. I’m by no means a short tempered person, but lately my fuse is nonexistent. We’ve been financially secure until recently when the prices of everything skyrocketed. We no longer have funds to do things or go places... 9. How do I begin to heal from a trauma when it was therapy itself that was traumatizing? In January, after an involuntarily hospitalization that shouldn't have happened (was never suicidal, homicidal, or psychotic) I was given a BPD diagnosis (despite having no history of active suicidality, self harm, or anger issues, due to CPTSD not being in the DSM) and "dumped" by... 10. Where is the line between mental illness and choice? We can't choose what happens to us, but we are reminded over and over that we can choose how we respond to what happens to us, that we can choose our attitude and choose our behaviors. If this is true, then isn't my "mental illness"... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about processing trauma in an unsafe environment, how she navigates therapy when a patient can’t talk or stay present in session, and how trauma can manifest in the body. She also discusses attachment issues, when a mental illness becomes a disability, and why some symptoms seem to lessen when others get worse. Finally, she talks about eating disorder development, relapses in ED recovery, who deserves therapy, and how to get over a breakup. Tangents and tools galore in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 127 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I know it's impossible to process trauma while still in an unsafe environment (i.e. still living at home, bullying at work, people dying just to name a few) and my therapist decided to put a pause on any processing type work. She said she wants to stabilize me for the next couple of years... 2. Do you have any therapist strategies on how you would navigate a patient that struggles to speak in sessions? I struggle making eye contact and speaking with my T on triggering topics - generally I shut-down/dissociate. I tend to write in session, which has been... 3. Is it possible that trauma manifests in the body? I was physically and sexually attacked by a guy while i was running and since then my legs go numb when I go for a run (which is very unfortunate, as running is my preferred coping mechanism for depression). I've been to several... 4. I tend to attach to older females in my life, including my therapist, but I have a mom who is very supportive and loving. We have a good relationship, but I never really open up to her about anything that I’m going through. not because she doesn’t want me to- I just don’t feel... 5. When is ptsd/mental illness considered disabling? Is there a set of qualifications that therapists use to determine that or is it very case specific? (COMMENT: As an add on: Are there some mental illnesses that are considered disabilities and others that aren't? I have been told that my ptsd is... 6. I have noticed that as soon as I get one symptom under control, other symptoms get stronger. For example, one of my symptoms is that I generally have trouble keeping my apartment tidy because my depression tells me that I don't deserve a nice apartment. In the last week... 7. Is it possible to knowingly develop a restrictive eating disorder in a week? I have had body image issues off/on my whole life (I’m 27), but always told myself that I “don’t have enough willpower” to develop an ED. I recently told my therapist that I unintentionally hadn’t eaten very much that... 8. How do I recover for myself, instead of for others? I thought that I had realized that I cannot recover for anyone except myself, but when my therapist went on vacation for two weeks (during a time when I have been going through immense transitions, including a new job, an apartment move, mom being in the hospital, etc.) I found that my ED (which had been sort of 'in remission') came back full force... 9. Hi Kati! I really enjoy your podcasts and your approach to explaining issues. I'm a (relatively) healthy 62 yo divorced man, with dead parents and grown children. I still work full time, but personally my friend pool has diminished considerably, and I spend a lot of time alone... 10. How can I move on and stop obsessing over someone who dumped me? While we were dating everything felt so nice and mutual till slowly he became distant and then ended things. I loved his personality and our connection felt... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.126 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Synopsis: In this week’s episode Kati discusses why we can feel emotions in our body but not recognize them in our mind. She also talks about how to be our real selves when in therapy, what unconditional positive regard is, and how much self-disclosure we should expect from our therapist. She digs into passive suicidality and how to tell our therapist about it, and whether or not she thinks it’s part of having an eating disorder. She explains why we may act childlike in therapy and why it may be hard to let ourselves be happy. Finally, she shares her biggest learning in her own therapy, and what we can do to stop our ED from turning into a different one. AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 1. Why is it that my body reacts in a way as if I am feeling a certain emotion, but my brain doesn’t necessarily “feel” the emotion? My body will physically react as if there is a certain emotion, but I don’t really “feel” the emotion... 2. How do I allow myself to “be real” in therapy? Whenever I walk in, I have a hard time sharing how I'm feeling and I immediately forget what has been on my mind / what has happened that week. I also constantly think I am making up my problems, am being too dramatic, or her other patients... 3. Just thought it would be a different experience to ask you a question about yourself as you always kindly offer so much help and advice to us. My question is I know you've mentioned before about you accessing therapy yourself in the past. I wondered what you have learnt most about yourself from therapy? 4. I have questions about passive suicidality. I believe that’s what this is called but not fully sure and what really do you do to deal with it? I was at a point a long time ago that I was done and ready to leave but ended up finding out I was pregnant and from that point forward it wasn’t an option... 5. Why can't I allow myself to be happy? I want to enjoy life, but enjoying it feels wrong? It's not necessarily that I feel like I don't deserve to be happy, but I just can't let myself live the life I want to live, and I constantly sabotage my happiness. 6. I hope you’re doing well and I hope that my question makes sense. I have been going to therapy for about 5 months now and have finally slowly managed to be able to get to a point where I can feel more relaxed and able to begin to process my traumas (CSA, emotional neglect, Physical abuse to name a few) without... 7. Is it normal to feel more child-like in therapy? And do therapists encourage this? I don't see my therapist as a caregiver (I'm still not 100% comfortable with my therapist yet) but each time I'm in therapy, I feel myself kind of "switch". And I stop functioning as an adult. Instead I watch myself do... 8. My question is how much self-disclosure from a therapist is normal? My therapist talks sometimes in detail sometimes not about her own life in just about every session, she's talked about her trauma's, abusive people in her life she cut out and about stuff that's stressing her out like... 9. How can one best ensure that while recovering from one ED, one doesn’t slip into another? (Example from Anorexia to BED or bulimia) (COMMENT: And could you talk about being at a higher normal weight or being overweight in the context of EDs? I feel like it is not often talked about and getting the diagnosis kind of triggered me because I thought that I was not ill enough to... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kati talks about addiction and why it’s a coping skill for past trauma, as well as how we can stop laughing off or minimizing our traumatic experiences. She also offers healthy coping skills we can use when we are dysregulated and exhausted, and explains the differences between emotional incest and being a parentified child. She discusses why it could be hard for us to disagree with our therapist, why our emotions are important, how to figure out our next steps in life, and why physical punishment from a parent is considered abuse. ***** My LIVE Inner Child Workshop: https://katimorton.com/the-shop/p/live-innerchild-workshop Join me for a 2-part, livestreaming event that includes worksheets and audience Q&A sessions. Aug 12th and 19th 2-4pm EST / 11-1pm PST See you there! ***** Audience questions: Could you talk about addiction as a coping skill for trauma please? I was abused as a kid and teenager and have struggled with addictions since I was 14 years old. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, social media, exercise and eating disorders (I know, they aren't addictions but for me they are similar coping skills).... I’m wondering what is the best thing to do when you are dysregulated but too tired to use healthy coping skills. I find that in order to use them I have to have a lot of mental energy and sometimes I’m just too worn out to do the “right” thing. Lots of love from Italy I hope you’re doing well. How do I teach myself to stop laughing off my traumas in therapy? I have a habit of smiling, laughing, and joking about difficult things I’ve experienced, and I feel like sometimes I don’t let my therapist know how much I’m really struggling and falling apart... I notice that it’s super hard for me to disagree with my therapist. Often when he says stuff I disagree with, I only notice it after the session. I always feel the need to agree to whatever he says, as he’s older and more experienced because of his age and profession. I don’t usually... Could you explain what the difference is between emotional incest and parentification? (there is a lot of overlap.. But emotional incest has to do with them sharing things with you about themselves or what they are going through. And parentification is when... I was wondering if you could talk about the reasons why emotions are important? I started therapy last year and my therapist talked about distress tolerance and we were working on building up coping skills but one thing we did was try and realize why the emotions we have... I was just wondering how you figure out what next step in your life is right for you? I find it difficult to decide where I want to go, what I should be doing, what is right for me alongside the guilt of what if I make the wrong decision. For context if it's relevant I'm currently ... Do you think physical punishment can be traumatic? I‘m wondering because it seems to affect me in my fear of men, hypervigilance and always walking on eggshells. The “punishment“ wasn't always related to what we had done, but rather to his stress/ anger levels. He‘d get out of control, scream, threaten, spank and sometimes kick us.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.124 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT In this week’s episode Kati discusses whether our eating disorder voice ever goes away completely, the different levels of ED treatment, and how intuitive eating works. She also addresses child on child sexual abuse and how to heal when the perpetrator was the same age as the victim, and talks about accepting a new diagnosis. Kati also explains how trauma treatment works if we can’t remember much (or any) of our trauma, and if you can do EMDR incorrectly, and what an appointment with a psychiatrist looks like. Hope it’s helpful! Audience questions: In your experience, do your clients’ “eating disorder voice” ever completely go away? For context, I used to have anorexia but am now weight restored. Although I consider myself much happier in a healthy body (more energy, better sleep, etc.), I still find myself occupied with disordered thoughts... Can you talk about child sexual abuse when both the victim and abuser are the same age? I just started therapy after being diagnosed with a number of issues - OCD (since early childhood), depression, chronic anxiety (that gets worse around people), fearful avoidant attachment and fear... My therapist diagnosed me with depression but I'm struggling to accept it. I know I probably have an anxiety disorder, and possibly a personality disorder or even something like ADHD, but when all she ever lands on is "depression" it offends me. My pain is valid; situations in my past led up to me... What are possible therapy options for those of us who can't remember our trauma? Are there ways to support the recovery of memories? I can't remember my first twenty years of life and to be honest and truthful I can't imagine being able to heal completely if I don't know what happened in... I am curious about the treatment and levels of care with EDs. What are the different levels of care, and at what point is each level necessary? What does treatment look like for each one? Thank you! I feel like I am doing EMDR wrong. I have been in therapy for over two years, ever since discovering that my husband was having a year-long affair with my best friend. (He’s now my ex-husband, by the way, and I realize that my friend was never actually a friend). I’ve been working on... You’ve talked about eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full. But how do you really know when you’re hungry and when you’re full? I’ve tried this, and I think when I’m in a restrictive mindset I’ll lie to myself and say I’m not hungry when I actually am, and when I’m in a binging mindset... I've been referred to a psychiatrist and I don't really know what to expect. I'm quite nervous as the assessor who referred me said they think maybe autism, which I just didn't see coming. Now I feel conscious about acting a certain way to confirm or reject this. I've been struggling more since... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.123 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions Does anyone else feel more comfortable talking about their mental health struggles in their non-native language? I’m relatively comfortable talking about my struggles with anxiety in English. However, in my native language (German) I’m so uncomfortable, I often shut down and just don’t... Can you please talk about how to treat anxiety when you are prone to making everything worse due to your anxiety? E.g. when you are worried about performing badly, but then your anxiety makes you so dizzy that you perform badly. Or when you are worried about not getting a point... Why do I miss my depressive and/or suicidal thoughts when I don't feel them for a bit? When I do feel these feelings, all I want is for them to pass, but when they do actually pass, I feel nostalgic and want them to come back.... I honestly don't understand why I could want to feel that way. What can we do when we have trauma symptoms but the living situation we are in doesn't actually feel safe and escaping it seems pretty much impossible? Among poverty, being part of a minority, and having health issues, life just doesn't feel safe. I constantly worry that I might need money for... I was wondering why isn’t there more info specifically on sibling sexual abuse. The little I find they even say that the info available is limited because it is such a taboo topic but yet more common than many know. I was abused by my older brother, we are only a few years apart, but it went on... My question is about the whys of self harm I suppose. I remember coming across self harm (in a book and then in an older school girls scars) and I can still feel the click into place that happened for me. It would be years before I ever used self harm. But what made it attractive before it was... Could you talk more about healthy boundaries? I’ve always struggled with establishing them and I’m working on it now. However, I feel like my new boundaries are too strict and I am now living by some set of rules that controls my life instead of me controlling the boundaries. I’ve heard that... How can I let go of my perfectionist attitude and still feel like who I am and what I do is enough? In today’s world this is even harder as there are so many opportunities for comparisons and expectations seem to just increase. I find myself constantly measuring myself against something... 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 Contact YouTube https://www.youtube.com/katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/OpinionsThatDontMatter TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katimorton Twitter https://twitter.com/KatiMorton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katimorton1 Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep.122 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions I'm so scared of being a bad patient that I overanalyze everything and anything about my therapy sessions and even things I do outside of therapy. I always think about what my therapist would say about what I'm doing... I was wondering if you had any advice on how to enter into intimacy as a sexual abuse survivor? I find myself terrified at the idea of ever having sex. However, I also find myself having a difficult time holding my partner's hand. I thought... Are some people just too damaged by trauma to heal? My therapist told me that might be the case for me, and that I need to learn to live with it. This was after telling her that I was having a rough patch and was feeling suicidal, and was quite frankly devastating to hear. I thought the problem was that I... How do you get yourself to a place where you are able to talk about certain topics in therapy? I have been in and out of therapy my whole life and I’m now seeing a therapist that I really like and trust. I’ve been able to open up about many difficult topics, but I can’t get myself to bring up my long history of medical trauma... How do you cope between therapists? My old therapist left, but because of wait lists it will be awhile before I can see someone new. I am struggling, including with suicidal ideation, and don't have much social support so I... I’m on a waiting list for a new therapist. I’m really struggling at the minute. I'm not sure how long I can keep waiting but I also don’t feel like it’s bad enough for crisis support. Do you have any advice for someone who’s in limbo waiting for treatment but isn’t able to cope whilst they’re... Can help explain the concept of nonverbal sexual consent. I always thought consent had to be explicit and verbal and that it had to be done in that way prior to progressing to the next step (and of course that the other person couldn't be coerced or otherwise unable to consent). While I still think this is the very best way to handle consent, I was... Is there such a thing as too many diagnoses? I deal with PTSD, DID, OCD, Bipolar 1, Body dysmorphia, and potentially even atypical anorexia, but I feel this sense of guilt with having been diagnosed with so many things as I feel as though it may make me less likely to be believed and... 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 Contact YouTube https://www.youtube.com/katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/OpinionsThatDontMatter TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katimorton Twitter https://twitter.com/KatiMorton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katimorton1 Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 121 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: How do you calm yourself down when you're anxious? I have done therapy in the past and was given some tools to try, but they never worked and often just made things worse. For example, I... I was wondering why my therapist never tries to find the root of my problems in therapy. I have anorexia, bpd traits (all of the criteria but I'm a teen), depression, anxiety, and severe dissociation that has impeded... Can you please talk about microaggressions and how to deal with them? Especially when you're already a quiet, shy or socially anxious person? How do you manage to be confident in social settings when. I have been going to therapy for about 3 months and it's been an emotional rollercoaster. I've been uncovering past trauma, physical and emotional abuse. Also, I've always been the parentified child who only cares for others and not for myself. I've been bottling my emotions... My question is how do you know what to work on in therapy when it seems like there are just too many big things you need to work through? I’ve been focusing on certain issues lately because they are more recent or time sensitive, but I also have a lifetime of trauma... How do you find the balance between pushing through the anxiety to do new things without getting too overwhelmed? I used to be the type of person who would let my anxiety get in the way of exciting things and... How do you take care of yourself when you're dissociated/depersonalized? When the body is separate from me and I don't feel hunger or pain, when it feels like a stranger and I can't bring myself to... Hi Kati! I love your channel and have been watching since the beginning. You’re a distant part of my healing journey, so thank you for all that you do. I was wondering what is a good reason for your therapist to terminate care? I had a therapist when I was in rehab who still saw me in between stays, as she also works outpatient. I was hospitalized and discharged from rehab due 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 Contact YouTube https://www.youtube.com/katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/OpinionsThatDontMatter TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katimorton Twitter https://twitter.com/KatiMorton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katimorton1 Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 120 | Your mental health podcast, with Licensed Therapist Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: Hey Kati, Thank you so much for everything you do. I have been watching your channel for years! I’ve been wondering why I can’t stand intimacy at all? Not even being touched in a non sexual way such as being hugged or even just lightly touched on the arm. It makes me feel super uncomfortable! I’ve never had... I have a question about conversations about sexual preference. I've never been in a relationship myself (I’m 26) because I’m scared if someone gets too close to me. I feel like I have to be more into “relationships'' and there's something wrong with me. When I get into a conversation, there have been a few times that someone was asking if I'm attracted to women... Can you talk about how building trust with your therapist is supposed to work? I struggle to trust my therapist, and to know whether not trusting them is warranted or not. In the past, I felt pressured to talk about my problems with my therapist (a different one), and I... What are some ways to find closure with your trauma after sexual assault if you decide not to press charges? I have decided that pressing charges would be harmful, but the fact that I haven't done it still weighs heavily on my heart, mind, body and spirit. I think I see pressing charges as a form of closure but in a lot of ways, I really think it would do more harm to... I would love your opinion on causes of dissociation during sex. I am a gay woman but dealt with a lot of shame growing up and used to sleep with men where i experienced dissociation . However now that i am actually being myself and being intimate with women which is more true to myself, i am still... Why is it so triggering when others show concern or try to be nurtured after childhood trauma and emotional neglect? If my therapist asks if I’m doing ok during a difficult week I freak out because she has picked up on it. I don’t like to share information or emotions and am terrified of being easy to read.... Could you talk about why it might be that I am repulsed by / uninterested in sex but my (older) sister isn't, even though she experienced sexual assault when we were children and I only experienced it indirectly through the effect it had on her? She... I am an adult child of two parents with narcissistic personality disorder. Due to massive emotional abuse, emotional neglect and a lot of gaslighting in childhood, I never learned to confide in other people and even less to talk about my problems... 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 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/OpinionsThatDontMatter TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katimorton Twitter https://twitter.com/KatiMorton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katimorton1 Business Contact Linnea Toney [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 119 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience Questions: 1. Do you have any advice for someone who doesn't have friends or a relationship, but both wants and doesn't want any/it? I have social anxiety, so making friends tends to be hard to begin with, but I often feel bored and lonely and want... 2. I'm curious about why we would imagine bad things happening to us. Often, I imagine I'm being hurt, not identical scenarios to past traumas but similar themes. I've been curious about this for a while and have noticed I tend to lean into it when my SH & ED aren't really helping enough, almost as a punishment... 3. I recently listened to an episode where you described looking into the past too long as a form of self harm by impeding healing. Is there ever a point where you can look back at a life forming event that was in some way traumatic without it impeding healing? If so, is it all about... 4. Ever since I was a child I used to 'go' to a fantasy world I created in my mind when I'm not feeling safe. Well, I'm still doing this at 25 and I feel very ashamed because of it. My therapist asked whether I could tell her what happens there... 5. My question pertains to inner child work and emotion regulation. I record my virtual therapy sessions to help myself remember and process what we work on each week (my therapist’s suggestion), but when I get stuck in a depressive spiral, I rewatch (and rewatch and rewatch) the portions of my sessions when... 6. How can we stay in the 'healthy eating habits' path? I feel like I have too emotional attachments to food. I love different cuisines, I love desserts, love eating out and I love trying out new flavors, so I adore eating overall! I try to recognize patterns, for example when I reward myself with food after a long and hard day.... 7. Why do some people gravitate towards healthy coping mechanisms and some people don’t? I’ve been struggling and I just keep trading one bad coping skill for another. First several Ed’s then SH then drinking. Once I realize what I’m doing is bad I’ll stop but then a new one pops up... 8. Happy Thursday! I think I may have experienced some religious trauma. My question is: How do I figure out what I believe in and what my own beliefs are and unlearn what I have been taught through church and my upbringing? I hope this makes sense. ------ 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 118 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT 1. I was wondering if you have any tips on telling the difference between an intrusive thought and a real memory? And, is it possible to create false memories from intrusive thoughts? (COMMENT: Also, can intrusive thoughts be a whole scene that plays out in your head? Like a horror movie on repeat that I have no control over. Does this make me a horrible person? // In addition, how can you tell the difference between having intrusive thoughts and something actually being wrong with you (like SI/antisocial stuff etc.) and does everyone have intrusive thoughts? (ego dystonic is intrusive - ego syntonic is antisocial) // Also is there a difference between automatic thoughts and intrusive thoughts? I feel like my therapist uses them interchangeably?) 2. My question is about therapy for my 7 year old daughter. I took her to a therapist (one that was recommended by my therapist) and prior to my daughter’s first appointment I had a phone conversation with the child therapist and asked permission to stay present in the room because of my own past trauma and to ensure her safety.... 3. Am I a horrible person to fantasize about being sexually assaulted/ raped and then fantasize about someone(a father figure) coming and saving me? I was sexually abused by a family friend for 6 years(nobody knows about this except a few friends) and I... 4. What can I do to get better at being comfortable when things are actually okay? I have struggled with anxiety as well as depression on and off throughout my... 5. i found your podcast a couple weeks ago during a maybe depressive episode, and your great advice has provided me with a lot of comfort! anyway, here's my question: why does it feel as though i've "gotten over" my eating disorder? 6. I hope you are well. I am wondering at what point it is considered an ED? I know you've mentioned in the past about spending most of your day thinking about food, but I don't think I really do that, I just avoid it. Part of the problem is... 7. What is your advice for highly sensitive people who would like to become a therapist? It seems like we might be more affected by hearing traumatic stories. How can we avoid this? 8. I have a question about attachment in the therapeutic relationship. Since I've had therapy, I've noticed that my mood becomes more and more dependent on how my therapist responds to... 9. How do we stay strong when we’re unsafe? While I’m not physically unsafe in my current situation, my boundaries are consistently violated and I have to listen to the verbal abuse my dad endures... 10. Why is it that I am so stressed out by uncertainty and new things? I get really stressed out when I meet new people. And I get really stressed out when I am asked questions I didn't expect. Or when someone unexpectedly... ------ 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 117 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT I'm wondering if it's important to go into the details of self injurious acts when discussing it with your therapist. My therapist always wants to know exactly how I self injured (what I used, where, etc) but it makes me super uncomfortable to go into such detail. I know I should probably ask her why, but that makes me uncomfortable as well.. Depression often robs us of all joy. Is there an effective way to combat anhedonia? How can we motivate ourselves to do things we used to enjoy, when our brain feels no pleasure from it whatsoever? Do we just force ourselves to do it and go through the motions in hopes that... Should your therapist be similar or have similar values to you? I know that usually patients don’t know much about their therapists and their personal beliefs, and I agree that they shouldn’t. On the other hand, I sometimes wonder if therapy is more beneficial if certain values are the... Sometimes I'm wondering what a 'normal' amount of stress or fear is. Everyone is experiencing stress sometimes. (Asking a colleague something, giving a presentation before a group of people, driving your car to a new location, walking in the dark...) At what point is stress or fear 'too much' for... How do you approach patients that don’t feel anything? My last therapist said I was her most difficult client as I never knew how I was feeling I just knew I didn’t like it. I’m worried about seeing someone new as after a year and a half in therapy we came to a place of no progress and... Can you explain how exposure therapy is supposed to work? I get nervous easily, but still manage to do the stuff that makes me nervous (when I can't avoid it or procrastinate). For example, I get sick to my stomach, heart starts beating faster and find it a little harder to breathe whenever... Why can’t I get myself to share things with my therapist? I am 6 sessions in and I want to start talking about things that matter and that I need help with but I can’t get myself to share. I do like her and trust her but I still can’t seem to do it. I find myself full of anxiety while there to the point where... Can you explain the differences between dissociation and a flashback? Also both happen at the same time? My recent experience was triggered through a topic and I felt really anxious. During this I shivered, my muscles were tense and I couldn't react to the words of another person but still hear her. ------ 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything ep. 116 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Why is it that I've always felt like there's something "wrong" with me? i've never sustained any big trauma, but from as young as twelve i've felt misunderstood and looked for a diagnosis that might fit my experiences (social anxiety, GAD, adhd, and autism to name some)— i've always been oversensitive, had a low tolerance for stress, a low self esteem and... Hi Kati, there have been questions in the past about things like wanting to be sicker for a therapist to not lose them and I think you’ve said it’s attachment based. I always relate to the action in these scenarios but not the reason.... Have you ever been subpoenaed to testify about a patient? If not, can you tell us what that experience might be like for a therapist? What could cause a therapist to be subpoenaed? Do the rules of confidentiality change in the courtroom (if the patient is over 18)? Are you allowed to still be working with the patient when this happens? How do you begin to get over anxiety and hypervigilance after living in an abusive home for pretty much your whole life? I am now living alone (in the same apartment I spent a large part of my life in) and don't know how to exist in the space after everyone moved out. I spent most of my life stuck alone in... I've been lying to my therapist and I don't know what to do. background info: i lied when i brought up the possibility of me having bpd, i said it was a new thought in my mind but in reality i've been self diagnosing for years and have always noticed these patterns. We decided that I have symptoms but I don't seem borderline enough... I have been diagnosed with CPTSD because of childhood sexual abuse by my Father that happened between 3 -9 years old. My question is I have little to no memory of the abuse. Sometimes I wonder if my brain is playing tricks on me and the abuse never happened and I am just making things up and blaming my dead father for... I know you talked about something similar already, but I am unsure why I am jealous of people who got raped. I feel like that would be the only way that I have the right to feel as bad as I do. Or I wish that my father broke a bone when he hit me, so that it is not just me being dramatic. I am super scared of him, and people don’t understand that... Do therapists only validate experiences when they think it's an issue or do they sometimes just validate to make you feel better about it? My therapist told me that I'd experienced trauma during a medical procedure (painful and felt I didn't have control, plus some issues with consent). I get flashbacks and now experience a lot of anxiety around... Can you choose radical acceptance, and yet, still be mad? I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I have a lot of mixed emotions after learning about my diagnosis.. ------ 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything - your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: What are some healthy things to do immediately after a traumatic event occurs (hours after, days after) to process the memory and prevent symptoms of PTSD? Do you have any advice on how to deal with anger and doubting your own emotions as a result of childhood abuse and gaslighting? I grew up walking on eggshells around my sister, who was very impulsive and mean and I also was emotionally abused by my grandmother. I held deep in myself all anger and hurt as my emotions were... Is it normal to feel very anxious about sexual intimacy if nothing bad happened to you? Ever since I was a child (5 years old) I was very sexual, my earliest memory of sexuality/masturbation is me being alone in my room and role-playing that someone would tie me down and hold me in place while 'tickling me down there'. I always had such weird fantasies/daydreams of someone 'torturing' me, even in a non-sexual way... Is it normal for me to hate my inner child who prevents me from doing inner child work? If yes, how can we proceed with the inner child work if that is the case? I have a trauma anniversary coming up soon, and I’m starting to feel myself slide into a dark place of PTSD. I feel like my stomach is constantly turning, and everything reminds me of what happened. It’s been ten years, and I’m frustrated with myself for still feeling... Is it possible to help yourself remember the details of a traumatic event that has been blocked from your memory? My dad died when I was 5, and I have spent my whole life trying to piece together my memories from that night. I grew up being told he died in a car accident, but recently learned that he actually killed... I have been diagnosed with cptsd and ptsd (alongside other mental health illnesses). When I have been in therapy it's like my mind goes blank and it's hard to connect to my emotions and even to memories. Is this considered dissociation? My question is can someone accidentally (or purposely I guess) fake PTSD? I have been consistently diagnosed with PTSD for over 10 years, despite constantly denying that I have trauma. I think people are assuming I just forget the “event” or something because I do have a terrible memory, but are there other things that can make it look like I have PTSD... How does one go about sorting through C-PTSD? I’ve tried talk therapy, but I struggle to, we’ll, talk. I just always say “I’m fine,” get super flooded with internal anxiety, and go completely blank. Not super helpful. I’ve looked at alternative therapies, but they make me even MORE nervous (EMDR, Sand Tray, etc). I don’t know where to start... ------ 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask Kati Anything - your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT This episode focuses on Attachment & BPD Audience questions: I hear you talk about reparenting in order to deal with attachment issues a lot. My therapist wants to try this with me but somehow I feel very repulsed and almost angry when I think about this idea. I know, it's childish, but I don't want to do this myself. I want so bad for some other person to fill this parenting-hole and just having to care for myself, which is pretty much what I had to do all my life, just seems so unsatisfying. Are there other ways to deal with attachment issues from childhood abuse/neglect? Is it possible to "fake" mental health problems and trauma responses? I was neglected as a child and now I find myself wanting to feel bad and making myself feel bad (or look bad) just so that my therapist sees it. I am also overly attached to him. Maybe I am just devalidating my traumas, but I sometimes feel like I am exaggerating my reactions to it because I don't think they were that... Can you talk more about quiet BPD? Most videos I see online are about the outward expressions of BPD rather than those who turn those actions inward towards themself. What are some examples of quiet BPD and how could someone share what they’re experiencing with their therapist when most characterize BPD by those stereotypical outward actions/responses? I was diagnosed with CPTSD a year and a half ago. I have been told by my primary and secondary therapist, along with 2 other MH professionals that it’s not BPD. I have been self diagnosing because I have fear of abandonment, which my therapists know. I experienced emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and have memories of physical abandonment. Is it possible to have fear of abandonment... When I was in therapy I would go through phases of feeling like pushing my therapist away and then feeling secure with her. I would tell her when I felt like pushing her away and she would reassure me that she would be there. I would then feel secure in the therapeutic relationship for a period of time... Would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the heard and Depp trial in relation to the bpd / personality disorder diagnosis (only that - everyone can sit with their own thoughts on the trial as it plays out in public opinion but no hate or blame here please, it has the potential to do damage). I am shocked a professional can diagnose like that, considering how long many spend trying to get a diagnosis, and saddened to see a professional run with 'bpd stigmas / stereotypes in such a public trial... Would a therapist or psychiatrist ever hide a bpd diagnosis from a client/ patient? What would be the reasoning if so? When I had a case manager she said I had bpd (it was in my records not her diagnosis), but my psychiatrist never told me about it. I was wondering if you had tips for a long distance relationship with someone with BPD. Thank you! (Others in the community, if you have tips too I’d love to hear them!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices