269 SelfWork: The Dangerous Twin Towers of Burnout and Perfectionism
The SelfWork Podcast
Margaret Robinson Rutherford PhD
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 11 February 2022
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Perhaps the most poignant messages I receive are the ones from people who love someone who's becoming less and less “like’ themselves – and are frightened about what’s going on. This week I heard from a wife whose husband..."has always had an excuse for his extremely busy schedule. Over the past several months he has been acting very differently and has been more open about his unhappiness, and will admit to being depressed. He is also very confused. I came upon your podcast and book as I was searching... We started couples therapy... but he'll say things like" I don't think this is what's really wrong", or "She's focusing on why I'm smiling during the session, when really the problem is that I'm unhappy".
So in today's SelfWork, sponsored by Athletic Greens, we'll focus on burnout and its relationship with perfectionism - and how both can lead to true classic depression.
The listener email today is also someone asking about PHD – but this time, about her own potential for it as someone with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). She'd worked through her pandemic anxiety with therapy and medications, but now, off medications, this listener is experiencing new feelings of anger and irritability. What could be happening?
Important Links:
Here's the link once again to my new interactive podcast on Fireside Chat! Click here!
Click Here for the fabulous offer from Athletic Greens - now AG1 - with bonus product with your subscription!
SelfWork Podcast on Self-Compassion
What is generalized anxiety disorder: The article by The Mayo Clinic
You can hear more of many other topics by listening to my podcast, SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. Subscribe to my website and receive one weekly newsletter including my weekly blog post and podcast! If you’d like to join my FaceBook closed group, then clickhere and answer the membership questions! Welcome!
My book entitled Perfectly Hidden Depression is available and you can order here! Its message is specifically for those with a struggle with strong perfectionism which acts to mask underlying emotional pain. But the many self-help techniques described can be used by everyone who chooses to begin to address emotions long hidden away that are clouding and sabotaging your current life.
And here's another way to send me a message! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!
Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is Selfwork, and I'm Dr. Margaret Rutherford. |
| 0:14.1 | At Selfwork, we'll discuss psychological and emotional issues common in today's world |
| 0:19.0 | and what to do about them. |
| 0:20.4 | I'm Dr. Margaret, and Selfwork is a podcast dedicated to you taking just a few minutes today |
| 0:26.2 | for your own Selfwork. |
| 0:29.8 | Hello, and I'm so glad you're here at Selfwork. |
| 0:32.3 | I'm Dr. Margaret Rutherford. |
| 0:33.8 | I'm a clinical psychologist who's lived and worked in Fable, Arkansas for 30 years, and |
| 0:38.7 | I know you have a lot of choices of what you listen to, so I really am so glad you're |
| 0:43.7 | here at Selfwork. |
| 0:45.2 | I started about five years ago to extend the walls of my practice. |
| 0:48.9 | What I really wanted to do with Selfwork was give a very diverse kind of roadmap to what |
| 0:54.5 | therapy can do, what mental health treatment can do of any kind, and that of course includes |
| 0:59.4 | things like tapping, which I'm going to talk about pretty soon, somatic exercises, mindfulness, |
| 1:05.9 | meditation, not just talk therapy, all kinds of things we talk about that are going on |
| 1:11.4 | in the mental health field, currently, internationally, really. |
| 1:15.9 | Before we start today's episode, I want to thank C. Mayhew, who left me a review for |
| 1:21.4 | perfectly hidden depression on Amazon, and it's from the United Kingdom, which is just |
| 1:26.4 | thrilling to think that my book, which has been actually translated into several different |
| 1:30.9 | languages, is being read internationally. |
| 1:35.0 | So here she says, I started reading the book and it resonated so quickly. |
| 1:39.7 | I also watched the podcast, fascinating and poignant. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Margaret Robinson Rutherford PhD, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Margaret Robinson Rutherford PhD and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.