What is High-Functioning Depression?

You may have seen commercials about depression where the person isn’t able to participate in their daily life. Maybe you know someone struggling to get out of bed or find joy in anything. 

This is the common perception of depression. But what if that’s not exactly how you feel? 

You know something isn’t quite right, but you don’t fit the stereotypical mold of depression. It’s possible that you have something called high-functioning depression. 

What Causes High-Functioning Depression?

It may come as no surprise that family genetics can play a role in developing high-functioning depression. If there’s any family history of mental health disorders, especially depression, it increases your likelihood of developing high-functioning depression. A similar effect can happen if you’re living in a household where someone presently has depression. 

Having suffered any trauma can also lead to the development of high-functioning depression. If you’ve already been living with depression at the time of the trauma, it can make symptoms worse.

If you’re exposed to high stress or are chronically stressed, this can also become a risk factor. Certain personality traits, like perfectionism and over-achieving, can also become root causes. 

Symptoms of High-Functioning Depression

Symptoms of depression are similar, whether it’s clinical depression or high-functioning. You may experience negative emotions like helplessness, hopelessness, emptiness, or sadness. Cognitive symptoms may include brain fog or difficulty concentrating. 

You may notice different aches or pains, such as back aches and headaches, muscle tension, or fatigue. Changes to your routine, including sleep disturbances or appetite changes, are also common. 

The difference is with high-functioning depression, your symptom presentation may be a bit easier to manage. They’re less intense and intrusive. If you’ve been dealing with them for a while, you may even notice that they become second nature. You learn to adapt around them to accommodate them in your life.

What Does a Typical Day Look Like?

Symptoms of high-functioning depression are lower in intensity, thus making them easier to mask or function through. You’re more likely to be able to complete your day-to-day activities with relatively little interruption. 

Getting up in the morning and going to school or work is still manageable. Doing your routine things around the house are doable, but may require a little more effort than usual. Partaking in social hours or hobby activities isn’t uncommon. 

Since you’re still managing symptoms while completing your normal activities, as mentioned, they might take a little more energy and motivation compared to a normal day. You’re spending the bulk of your energy bank keeping those symptoms at bay, so less is left for the activity itself. 

Also, since you’re still able to complete activities, your symptoms are less likely to be noticed by others around you. On the outside, you may seem to be functioning as usual and not drawing any red flag attention to yourself. On the inside, you might feel like a ball of scribbles. 

Concerns with High-Functioning Depression

When you deal with high-functioning depression, there are a few concerns that are worth noting. Not that there aren’t concerns with other mental health issues, but this type of depression is less noticeable to others, so bad habits can form and go unnoticed.

Self-medicating is a common practice of sufferers because it can offer temporary relief. Symptoms aren’t “bad enough” so a quick fix is an easy route. This can include alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, or recreational drugs. The problem is that all of these will only serve to make the depression symptoms worse in the long run. 

Do you feel like you may be dealing with high-functioning depression? You don’t need to trudge through your days with little enjoyment. Contact us for a consultation, and let’s work through what’s going on.

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