Overfunctioning to the point of exhaustion is a very effective way to guarantee we won't be able to protect ourselves when we need to.
Trauma Brain's insistence that overfunctioning somehow keeps us "safe" is a lie. It never did keep us safe-- not really.
Trauma Brain's insistence that overfunctioning somehow keeps us "safe" is a lie. It never did keep us safe-- not really.
November 16, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Overfunctioning to the point of exhaustion is a very effective way to guarantee we won't be able to protect ourselves when we need to.
Trauma Brain's insistence that overfunctioning somehow keeps us "safe" is a lie. It never did keep us safe-- not really.
Trauma Brain's insistence that overfunctioning somehow keeps us "safe" is a lie. It never did keep us safe-- not really.
And overfunctioning just increases others' dependence on you
May 24, 2026 at 11:05 PM
And overfunctioning just increases others' dependence on you
Part 1 of a much longer video on the Democratic Party’s reliance on overfunctioning by educators, activists, content creators & ultimately voters. 🧵
November 12, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Part 1 of a much longer video on the Democratic Party’s reliance on overfunctioning by educators, activists, content creators & ultimately voters. 🧵
All the talk of women's overfunctioning papers over the real issue: straight men are underfunctioning on a grand scale and their wives pay the price katemanne.substack.com/p/when-husba...
When Husbands Underfunction
Women’s heavy load equals men’s lightness
katemanne.substack.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:43 PM
All the talk of women's overfunctioning papers over the real issue: straight men are underfunctioning on a grand scale and their wives pay the price katemanne.substack.com/p/when-husba...
I’m trying to stop overfunctioning this year, because longterm overfunctioning has demolished my health more than once, but it turns out it’s really hard to exorcise this particular intergenerational puritan curse.
October 13, 2023 at 4:07 PM
I’m trying to stop overfunctioning this year, because longterm overfunctioning has demolished my health more than once, but it turns out it’s really hard to exorcise this particular intergenerational puritan curse.
Maybe healing is allowing ourselves to undissociate and stop overfunctioning to the point where we can see our problems clearly for the first time
October 8, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Maybe healing is allowing ourselves to undissociate and stop overfunctioning to the point where we can see our problems clearly for the first time
That "part" of us that gets so insistent that we do EVERYTHING, please EVERYONE, that EVERYTHING is our fault & EVERYTHING is our responsibility?
It's scared.
It needs reassurance & presence-- not for us to placate & enable it by chronically overfunctioning.
It's scared.
It needs reassurance & presence-- not for us to placate & enable it by chronically overfunctioning.
March 16, 2026 at 3:58 AM
That "part" of us that gets so insistent that we do EVERYTHING, please EVERYONE, that EVERYTHING is our fault & EVERYTHING is our responsibility?
It's scared.
It needs reassurance & presence-- not for us to placate & enable it by chronically overfunctioning.
It's scared.
It needs reassurance & presence-- not for us to placate & enable it by chronically overfunctioning.
A whole-ass day of overfunctioning reaches its end. It’s time to sleep and do it all over again tomorrow. 🥱
April 27, 2025 at 5:36 AM
A whole-ass day of overfunctioning reaches its end. It’s time to sleep and do it all over again tomorrow. 🥱
Shout out to the "part" of you that's been overfunctioning for years because it truly believes everything will fall apart if it takes a day off.
Part of this whole "recovery" thing is making it realistically possible for it to not have to carry that load in that way anymore.
Part of this whole "recovery" thing is making it realistically possible for it to not have to carry that load in that way anymore.
February 12, 2026 at 5:52 AM
Shout out to the "part" of you that's been overfunctioning for years because it truly believes everything will fall apart if it takes a day off.
Part of this whole "recovery" thing is making it realistically possible for it to not have to carry that load in that way anymore.
Part of this whole "recovery" thing is making it realistically possible for it to not have to carry that load in that way anymore.
trans people are already having a hard enough time with our actual and real dysphoria we dont transphobes codependently overfunctioning it back on us as THEIR feeling
August 22, 2026 at 1:32 AM
trans people are already having a hard enough time with our actual and real dysphoria we dont transphobes codependently overfunctioning it back on us as THEIR feeling
All of this rings true. www.carinocounseling.com/blog/from-pa...
From Parentified Child to Overfunctioning Adult: How to Break the Cycle — Carino Counseling
www.carinocounseling.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:29 PM
All of this rings true. www.carinocounseling.com/blog/from-pa...
What about the extreme burnout following years of overfunctioning?
Me: how did this happen?
Tiny neuroaffirming orange vest clearing the ableism from my brain: boss, we went through this back in your 20's, remember?
Me: how did this happen?
Tiny neuroaffirming orange vest clearing the ableism from my brain: boss, we went through this back in your 20's, remember?
July 20, 2026 at 4:04 PM
What about the extreme burnout following years of overfunctioning?
Me: how did this happen?
Tiny neuroaffirming orange vest clearing the ableism from my brain: boss, we went through this back in your 20's, remember?
Me: how did this happen?
Tiny neuroaffirming orange vest clearing the ableism from my brain: boss, we went through this back in your 20's, remember?
I would also LOVE to know what he considers "overfunctioning". Lol.
June 30, 2026 at 9:36 PM
I would also LOVE to know what he considers "overfunctioning". Lol.
the existence of useless lesbians implies the existence of overfunctioning bi women. in this essay…
April 23, 2026 at 5:24 AM
the existence of useless lesbians implies the existence of overfunctioning bi women. in this essay…
Patterns of long-term overfunctioning are frequently noted in late-identified autistic adults.
February 10, 2026 at 1:45 AM
Patterns of long-term overfunctioning are frequently noted in late-identified autistic adults.
“Overfunctioning” led me to Internal Family Systems. Instead of seeing myself as broken, I learned I had parts trying to protect me. IFS replaced self-judgment with self-compassion—total game-changer. #ifssky
March 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
“Overfunctioning” led me to Internal Family Systems. Instead of seeing myself as broken, I learned I had parts trying to protect me. IFS replaced self-judgment with self-compassion—total game-changer. #ifssky
Free couples therapy advice: if you do a nice thing for your household that partner doesn’t notice? It’s because partner is stressed or overfunctioning and it’s precisely the opposite of when you need to take offense. Or they’re just ADHD and that’s why you love them anyway.
June 8, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Free couples therapy advice: if you do a nice thing for your household that partner doesn’t notice? It’s because partner is stressed or overfunctioning and it’s precisely the opposite of when you need to take offense. Or they’re just ADHD and that’s why you love them anyway.
we’re agitating to be seen and recognized for who we are inside of a dynamic that was never about us in the first place, we’re not gonna make much headway if we keep overfunctioning for what is first and foremost cis people problems
we’re being treated as a weaponized shibboleth in a broader sex war happening at the street level
November 10, 2025 at 11:28 AM
we’re agitating to be seen and recognized for who we are inside of a dynamic that was never about us in the first place, we’re not gonna make much headway if we keep overfunctioning for what is first and foremost cis people problems
The theory is that if you stop overfunctioning, they will stop underfunctioning. It's worth a shot.
July 28, 2024 at 11:26 PM
The theory is that if you stop overfunctioning, they will stop underfunctioning. It's worth a shot.
My bestie of twenty-five years is driving to visit me today.
I am about to spend five days severely overfunctioning—and it'll be glorious.
I am about to spend five days severely overfunctioning—and it'll be glorious.
July 8, 2026 at 11:38 AM
My bestie of twenty-five years is driving to visit me today.
I am about to spend five days severely overfunctioning—and it'll be glorious.
I am about to spend five days severely overfunctioning—and it'll be glorious.
If you’re constantly taking care of everyone else, you may be neglecting yourself in ways you don’t even notice.
#MESHwithDrPamelaBrewer #Overfunctioning #Underfunctioning #PeoplePleasing #SelfNeglect #EmotionalExhaustion #CaregiverBurnout
#MESHwithDrPamelaBrewer #Overfunctioning #Underfunctioning #PeoplePleasing #SelfNeglect #EmotionalExhaustion #CaregiverBurnout
September 25, 2026 at 2:06 PM
If you’re constantly taking care of everyone else, you may be neglecting yourself in ways you don’t even notice.
#MESHwithDrPamelaBrewer #Overfunctioning #Underfunctioning #PeoplePleasing #SelfNeglect #EmotionalExhaustion #CaregiverBurnout
#MESHwithDrPamelaBrewer #Overfunctioning #Underfunctioning #PeoplePleasing #SelfNeglect #EmotionalExhaustion #CaregiverBurnout
She has a few days to find where she'll land. I've been compulsively overfunctioning to take care of someone that wasn't taking care of or being responsible as they needed to be for themselves hoping they would better themselves with it and wasn't getting better or good to continue down that way.
June 30, 2024 at 4:38 PM
She has a few days to find where she'll land. I've been compulsively overfunctioning to take care of someone that wasn't taking care of or being responsible as they needed to be for themselves hoping they would better themselves with it and wasn't getting better or good to continue down that way.
what about overfunctioning? oof
May 29, 2024 at 4:27 AM
what about overfunctioning? oof
Why high-capacity neurodivergent adults can see the overfunctioning loop clearly—and still get pulled back into it.
You Can Handle It. That’s Why You’re Burned Out.
Why high-capacity neurodivergent adults can see the overfunctioning loop clearly—and still get pulled back into it.
lindseymackereth.substack.com
August 9, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Why high-capacity neurodivergent adults can see the overfunctioning loop clearly—and still get pulled back into it.
An excerpt from my latest Substack exploring perfectionism and the numbness created by overfunctioning. Check it out at open.substack.com/pub/ambersay...
#DearPerfectionist #TraumaRecovery
#DearPerfectionist #TraumaRecovery
August 21, 2025 at 4:34 AM
An excerpt from my latest Substack exploring perfectionism and the numbness created by overfunctioning. Check it out at open.substack.com/pub/ambersay...
#DearPerfectionist #TraumaRecovery
#DearPerfectionist #TraumaRecovery