Do you have walking depression?

Over the years, my children have both had pneumonia.

And I missed it. Totally and completely no idea.

My kids were moving about the world, working and going to school…with walking pneumonia.

Until they hit the wall.

I knew they were not feeling well! In truth, their parents are “rub some dirt on it” people when it comes to physical uncomfortableness. Are you injured or is this just some soreness your team needs you to push through? Do you NEED to stay home from school, or can you power through?

Is parenting the most humbling role in a life ever, or what?! We were trying to teach psychological resilience, perspective, the willingness and capacity to behave forward. I think we got the outcome we were striving for, but the unintended consequence might be a bit of denial of their own physician pain!

(Both my kids got antibiotics and were fine within 2 days, by the way 😉)

I got me thinking about when and how people “fake good” in other ways.

I am in the business of elite performing, high functioning, successful human beings that “fake good”. Like, academy award winning fake gooders. Folks that have psychological uncomfortableness, but have learned to “power through”.

Walking depression can look like “powering through”….until you hit a wall.

Take a look at this list and self-assess:

• ACTS OF SUPPRESSION. Fake Gooders tend to store their emotions in their bodies. GI track. Back Pain. Migraines. These are my top three physical manifestations of emotions that are squashed.
• ACTS OF ACQUISITION. Fake Gooders tend to smother and cover whatever it is they do not want to feel with “stuff”. Food. Objects. Affirmations. These are my top three. Binge eating. Shopping compulsions. Chasing likes on social media or public accolades/fame.
• ACTS OF SACRIFICE. Fake Gooders really want to prove to someone, somewhere, that they are worthy. I tease these folks by giving them the codename= The Great Accommodator. Huge letter A across their chest, Hester Prynne has nothin’ on them! They give and martyr (and then marinate in resentment) chasing relief from the inner critic.
• ACTS OF AVOIDANCE. These Fake Gooders will do anything to avoid being still. In fact, they loath having just a few minutes of unscheduled time in a calendar, they are no fun on beach vacations, they drink (and drink, and drink….). They can exercise excessively, “join” compulsively, offer to volunteer and serve-without a purpose per see, but chasing productivity and distraction.
• ACTS OF ACHIEVEMENT. Fake Gooders with this tendency are determined to outrun and out work everyone. Ah, yes. Competitive strivers. Not a flaw! But dang…this WILL become a liability for almost all people over the arc of a life. This lack of a proportional approach to a life has a consequence. More than one human being with excessive wealth has sat across from me and said “I am going to die alone. I wish I could do it all over again.”

Recognize yourself?

I have spent tens of thousands of hours with human beings co-creating “new rules” and watching folks behave forward with health, healed spirits and a newly cultivated set of psychological flexibility skills to face life.

Much like the antibiotics that vanquished the walking pneumonia for my kids, psychotherapy can do the same for walking depression.

I love my job!

But what I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT?!?! With the addition of a ketamine infusion series for my clients:

• The volume and intensity of the incessant pull to suppress/acquire/sacrifice/avoid/achieve is remarkably reduced.
• The volume of the Inner Critic has been significantly reduced-sometimes to nothing.
• The distracting, exhausting, seemingly uncontrollable “chatter” of fear-based thoughts has all but abated.

Talk about exponential gain! I have been teary more than once this last month. The PACE at which people are “doing the work” is profoundly inspiring.

Peace is possible.

We look forward to helping you see the world beyond the given.

Dr M