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High Functioning

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

A tried-and-tested handbook for understanding why you are experiencing High-Functioning Depression and how you can find the way back to hope and your true self.

With foreword written and read by Mel Robbins.

Do you feel you’re simply going through the motions? Succeeding at work, pulling your weight at home, living an active social life . . . yet deep down, you feel drained? If so, you may be experiencing High-Functioning Depression.

In the first book to uncover this new form of depression, Columbia University psychiatrist Dr Judith Joseph draws on her personal struggles with the illness, revealing brand-new research and client cases to demystify this common yet poorly understood condition.

Discover her empowering plan for managing depressive episodes, called the Five V’s:
Validation: processing past traumas and present pain
Venting: releasing frustrations and anxieties
Values: identifying our key purpose and priorities
Vitals: slowing down to hear our needs
Vision: celebrating successes, milestones and everyday joy

By following the Five V’s, we can put an end to self-sacrifice and self-sabotage, calm our inner turmoil, and go from merely functioning to truly living.

'If you've ever found yourself feeling 'off' without being able to put a finger on why, or if you're constantly busy but don't find yourself fulfilled, you're in the right place...This isn't just a book. It's a roadmap back to yourself.' Mel Robbins, Sunday Times bestselling author of 'The Let Them Theory'

‘Opens us to a different way of thinking’ Dr Ramani Durvasula

‘Her compassionate approach, rigorous research, and insightful analysis make this book a must-read' Paul Brunson

© Judith Joseph 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

If you've ever found yourself feeling 'off' without being able to put your finger on why, or if you're constantly busy but don't find yourself fulfilled, you're in the right place...This isn't just a book. It's a roadmap back to yourself.
Sunday Times bestselling author of 'The Let Them Theory'
Both timely and a much needed topic that needs a wider spotlight. As the first to deeply study this often-overlooked facet of mental health, Dr Joseph sheds light on a condition that affects countless individuals... Her compassionate approach, rigorous research, and insightful analysis make this book a must-read for professionals, loved ones, and anyone seeking to better understand the hidden struggles of those around them.
author of Keep Love
Author Dr. Judith Joseph
Narrator Judith Joseph, Mel Robbins
Duration 6 hours and 56 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529941173
Format Audiobook
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Genre Abnormal psychology, Assertiveness, motivation, self-esteem and positive mental attitude, Coping with depression and other mood disorders
Availability AU, GB, IE

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