Session 456: The Realities of High Functioning Depression
Therapy for Black Girls
iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.
4.8 • 5.8K Ratings
🗓️ 25 March 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When we think about depression, there’s a common image that comes to mind–sleeping all day or not enough, withdrawing from responsibilities, and feeling an overall inability to function. And while that image is accurate, it doesn’t tell the whole story of what depression can look like. For many people, especially Black women, depression can show on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of withdrawing, we give too much, thrusting ourselves into our jobs, family responsibilities, and overcommitting to whatever keeps us constantly in motion.
This is what’s referred to as high-functioning depression and here to unpack what that really looks like is a guest you may have heard on the show before, Dr. Judith Joseph. In her book, ‘High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy’, she explores how depression can hide behind competence and accomplishment, particularly for people who have been conditioned to cling to resilience in their most challenging moments.
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
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Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. |
| 0:23.7 | I'm your host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| 0:30.0 | For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls.com. While I hope you love listening to |
| 0:40.4 | and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship with a licensed |
| 0:47.1 | mental health professional. Hey, y'all. Thanks so much for joining me for session 456 of the Therapy for Black |
| 1:00.3 | Girls podcast. We'll get right into our conversation after a word from our sponsors. |
| 1:18.2 | When we think about depression, there's a common image that comes to mind, |
| 1:25.3 | sleeping all day or not enough, withdrawing from responsibilities, and feeling an overall inability to function. |
| 1:28.9 | And while that image is accurate, it doesn't tell the whole story of what depression can look like. For many people, especially black women, depression |
| 1:35.0 | can show up on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of withdrawing, we give too much, |
| 1:40.9 | thrusting ourselves into our jobs, family responsibilities, and overcommitting to |
| 1:45.5 | whatever keeps us constantly in motion. And in trying to overcome racial oppression and gender |
| 1:50.5 | discrimination, we mass that pain under layers of hyperactivity and perfectionism. This is what's |
| 1:56.9 | referred to as high functioning depression, showing up, getting things done, and even |
| 2:02.0 | excelling while feeling completely disconnected from what makes you feel grounded. |
| 2:06.6 | Here to unpack what that really looks like is a guest you may have heard on the show before, |
| 2:11.5 | Dr. Judith Joseph. In her book, High Functioning, Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy, |
| 2:18.6 | she explores how depression can hide behind competence and accomplishment, |
| 2:22.8 | particularly for people who have been conditioned to cling to resilience in their most challenging |
| 2:26.9 | moments. If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, |
| 2:31.4 | please share with us on social media using the hashtag TBG in session or join us over in our |
| 2:37.0 | Patreon to talk more about the episode. You can join us at community.therapyfor blackgirls.com. |
... |
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