What do you do when your relationship is hard but you can't tell if it's worth saving, or when your trauma history makes your instincts feel unreliable? This week on Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton, LMFT, answers seven listener questions about the moments when everything feels overwhelming and you can't tell what's the relationship, what's the depression, and what's the trauma talking.

Topics in this episode include: when to stay in a relationship versus when to leave, BPD and people pleasing, complex PTSD and attachment wounds, fear of abandonment, codependency, starting therapy when you have bulimia, non-suicidal self-injury, and dissociation, grounding techniques for flashbacks, what healthy love actually looks like, why depression breakthrough symptoms make you feel empty after good experiences, shame spirals and how vulnerability snuffs shame out (Brené Brown's research), rumination, behavioral activation, recovering motivation after emotional burnout, finding yourself again after trauma, inner child work and writing letters to your younger self, and how to respond to unsolicited advice without building resentment.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:56 When to stay vs leave a relationship, attachment, BPD, complex PTSD

12:00 Starting therapy with bulimia, BPD, self-harm, and dissociation

19:00 What healthy love really looks like

25:11 Feeling empty after going out, depression breakthrough symptoms

28:39 Shame spirals, rumination, and Brené Brown on vulnerability

34:25 Lack of motivation after burnout, becoming yourself after trauma

40:56 Inner child work, writing letters to your younger self

45:21 Unsolicited advice and how to respond

Submit your question: https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton/community

Follow Kati on Instagram: @katimorton

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