Kondwera: “High Functioning” and masking with overachieving. Thieves of joy.

Could your overachieving be an attempt to mask something you’re not quite ready to face?

That was the confronting question I asked myself the first time I saw one of Dr. Judith Joseph MD MBA's informative videos on Instagram. A double board-certified psychiatrist with incredible accolades and reach, Dr. Judith has a gift for translating complex mental health concepts and making them both accessible and engaging.

As an example, I had heard of high-functioning depression before, but not the way she framed it. It’s usually described as “you’re impacted but still able to get out of bed and go about your day” (which certainly makes it difficult to self-acknowledge and try to get support for that). But it’s more than that. It’s an exhausting of the soul, body, and mind that often goes unnoticed, especially in people who look like they have it all together. People who are go-getters.

People like you and me.

Dr. Judith didn’t just name high-functioning mental health challenges; she offered clear, actionable steps. Which makes sense! This is her area of expertise, and she leads groundbreaking research at The Happiness Lab on high-functioning mental conditions.

That’s why I’m excited about her new book, High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy, launching this week.

✨ The bonus? It features a foreword by none other than Mel Robbins!!! I mean…
Earlier this year, she and Dr. Judith had a great conversation on why checking off goals does not always fulfill us.

Based on Dr. Judith’s research and content, the book is bound to be filled with the kind of guidance so many of us need. Yes, as adults, we often have to keep going, but there’s a difference between pushing through in a way that slowly drains you and healing through.

📚 If you’re in New York, check out Reclaim Your Joy: A Reading Party on April 17 at Somethin’ Else in Kings County.

📍 And DC friends, I’ve been texting you about her event the following week. We need this conversation right now.

Check out Dr. Judith Joseph’s profile here on LinkedIn and grab her book when it drops on the 8th (see comments).

Lastly, does LinkedIn have its own version of BookTok? Because I might just start sharing more of the books, like this one, that move me.