What's the difference between numbing out and dissociation? ep.160

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] --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/askkatianything/support