131. Why High Achievers Struggle to Feel Happy: Pathological Productivity & High-Functioning Depression with Dr. Judith Joseph

About this episode

In today's episode, Elizabeth sits down with Dr. Judith Joseph, a board certified psychiatrist and researcher who led the first ever peer reviewed study on high functioning depression. They talk about her upbringing as a Caribbean immigrant, the pressure to be constantly high achieving, and how she ended up depressed while giving a talk on how to help others get through crisis. Dr. Judith breaks down the difference between burnout and high functioning depression, explains why so many high achievers become pathologically productive as a way to outrun unprocessed pain, and shares her five Vs framework for reclaiming joy: validation, venting, values, vital signs, and vision. They also get into phone addiction, the link between hormones and depression, and why planning joy is not as unromantic as it sounds. If you want to go DEEPER with me, my Substack is where I share even more behind-the-scenes, personal reflections, and wellness experiments, with new posts dropping every Thursday: https://substack.com/@thewellnessprocess Follow Dr. Judith Joseph: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjudithjoseph Website: https://www.drjudithjoseph.com Book: https://www.highfunctioningbo