Episode 12

full
Published on:

28th Oct 2025

Interrupting the Spiral: Anxiety, Depression & Taking Back Control with Zulma Williams

In this second part of my conversation with Zulma Williams — The Swearing Therapist — we dig into what anxiety and depression really look like in daily life, and what it takes to stop the spiral before it takes over.

Zulma breaks down simple grounding techniques, explains why therapy is an act of strength, and shares why we need to stop glorifying “doing it alone.”

We talk about becoming the CEO of your own life, the difference between managing vs. healing emotions, and why discipline—not motivation—creates real change.

Expect laughter, honesty, and plenty of four-letter words that somehow make it all feel a little lighter.

✨ Content Note: This episode includes adult language and candid discussion of topics such as abuse, depression, cancer, and suicidal thoughts. Listener discretion is advised, and please take care of yourself while listening.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone. In the U.S., you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.

Key Takeaways

  • 🧠 Grounding breaks the anxiety spiral by anchoring the brain in the present.
  • 💬 Therapy isn’t weakness — it’s a form of emotional intelligence.
  • ⚖️ Healing means doing the deeper work, not just managing symptoms.
  • 🙌 You are the CEO of your own life. Start acting like it.
  • 💪 Discipline outlasts motivation every single time.

Connect:

Where to find Zulma:

✨ Connect with The High-Functioning Disaster:

Keywords

Zulma Williams, The Swearing Therapist, anxiety, depression, therapy stigma, grounding techniques, mental health, emotional healing, resilience, motivation vs discipline, trauma recovery, authentic therapy

🎧 Next Episode: In Part 3, Zulma shares how a setback at work became the push to build her own practice — and why she refuses to apologize for living on her own terms.

We’ll also dive into how to reframe failure, set boundaries, and stop believing every thought you think.

👉 Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for The High-Functioning Disaster

About the Podcast

The High-Functioning Disaster
High-functioning on the outside. Hot mess on the inside.
You’ve got the color-coded calendar, the competent job persona, the “I’m fine!” mask down to an art—and a mental load heavy enough to throw out your back. Meanwhile, life? That's a hot mess express—total chaos with zero chill and a full tank of emotional baggage. And what makes it even worse? Nearly no one’s talking about it.

Welcome to The High-Functioning Disaster, a podcast for people who are doing their best to hold it together while navigating burnout, grief, trauma, anxiety, caretaking duties, family drama, body image issues, and a to-do list that never quits.

Host Sacha Holder isn’t the disaster (neither are you!)—life is. And this show is about making space for that truth and giving ourselves permission to say it out loud. Every week, Sacha explores what it means to be deeply human in a world that keeps demanding more. Sometimes she’s flying solo, sometimes she brings along guests and friends—but the vibe is always real, raw, unfiltered, and grounded in radical self-acceptance and permission to be human.

We talk boundaries. Body image. Mental health. Emotional labor. The moments where everything feels like too much—and the ones where we catch our breath and keep going.

This isn’t a self-help podcast. It’s a self-permission podcast.
Permission to be exhausted.
To not have it together.
To be honest about what’s hard—without needing to package it as a “lesson.”

Because you don’t need fixing.
You need space to fall apart—and still be seen.
Because some of us are just trying to make it through the day.
And here? That’s more than enough.
New episodes every Monday. Come as you are. Seriously.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder is a project manager, podcast host, and bariatric patient who’s not here to pretend it’s all perfect. With over a decade of professional experience and a whole lot of lived experience, she creates podcasts that tell the truth about what it means to live, heal, and grow — through chaos, and curveballs, while keeping it together (mostly).

She’s the voice behind Life in the Bari Lane, a bite-sized bariatric podcast for real people navigating post-op life, and The High-Functioning Disaster, a show about showing up even when everything feels like too much. Through humor, honesty, and zero judgment, Sacha builds community through conversation — because no one should have to figure it out alone.