"What if I want to have a mental illness for ATTENTION?" | AKA 144

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 linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices