Loving Yet Toxic: Navigating Family Relationships - AKA 147

Ask Kati Anything

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 [e-mail]

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