Gay Men Going Deeper

Joy Killers: How and Why We Sabotage Joy

Gay Men Going Deeper

Show Notes

Why does joy feel so hard to hold onto? In this episode of Gay Men Going Deeper, we’re revealing the joy killers: those sneaky ways we sabotage happiness even when life is going well.

We explore:

The difference between chasing pleasure and cultivating joy

Foreboding joy (a.k.a. waiting for the other shoe to drop) and how it robs us of the present.

How trauma and disappointment condition us to expect loss

The role of protector parts and self-sabotage in keeping joy at arm’s length.

What we’re really trying to protect ourselves from when we don’t let joy all the way in.

By the end, you’ll see how internalized shame, fear, and control kill our joy- and how practicing gratitude, presence, and vulnerability can help us reclaim it.

Today's Hosts:

Michael DiIorio

Matt Landsiedel

Support the Show - viewer and listener support helps us to continue making episodes

- CONNECT WITH US -

Watch podcast episodes on YouTube

Join the Gay Men's Brotherhood Facebook community

Get on our email list to get access to our monthly Zoom calls

Follow us on Instagram | TikTok

Learn more about our community at GayMenGoingDeeper.com

- LEARN WITH US -

Building Better Relationships online course: Learn how to nurture more meaningful and authentic connections with yourself and others.

Healing Your Shame online course: Begin the journey toward greater confidence and self-worth by learning how to recognize and deal with toxic shame.

Gay Men Going Deeper Coaching Collection: Lifetime access to BOTH courses + 45 coaching videos and 2 workshop series.

Take the Attachment Style Quiz to determine your attachment style and get a free report.

More from Gay Men Going Deeper

Oct 15, 2026

Growing up gay shapes you. Even if you had a relatively good experience, many of us learned to hide parts of ourselves, seek approval, stay guarded, or adapt in order to feel safe, accepted, or lovable. Over time, those survival strategies can quietly shape our relationships, confidence, intimacy, and sense of self.

Oct 1, 2026

Growing up different can leave a lasting impact on how we see ourselves, our relationships, and our sense of belonging. Even years later, many gay men still carry the feeling of being on the outside looking in—surrounded by people, yet not truly known.

Sep 17, 2026

Apps are a huge part of modern gay life. We delete them, reinstall them, swear them off, go back on, and keep trying to figure out whether they’re helping us connect or quietly getting in the way.

Sep 3, 2026

Why do the guys who are a little distant, a little edgy, and a little hard to get feel so magnetic? Is it actually attraction…or is a deeper pattern being activated? In this episode, we unpack what’s going on underneath the pull toward “bad boys” and why it can feel so intense, compelling, and hard to walk away from. We talk about:

Aug 20, 2026

Intimacy sounds like something we all want, but being truly seen can feel terrifying.

See all episodes →