What Is High-Functioning Depression and How Can You Manage It?
Noticing the signs and symptoms of depression can be difficult. It can be even more difficult if someone has high-functioning depression and can mask their symptoms.
Here's what high-functioning depression is, including the different types, and how someone who is diagnosed can manage it.
What Is High-Functioning Depression?
This non-clinical label is used for those with depression that isn’t severe enough to be diagnosed as clinical. Someone living with high-functioning depression can still complete daily obligations and tasks. These tasks can be completed while still having a low mood and lacking motivation.
In many cases, someone with high-functioning depression can still maintain their home and relationship and also attend school and work.
Causes of High-Functioning Depression
A cause of high-functioning depression can be high levels of stress stemming from work, school, or family obligations. It can also be caused by emotional abuse, financial worries, or loss of a loved one. In some cases, someone can have a predisposition to become depressed based on family traits.
Signs and Symptoms
Someone with high-functioning depression might appear “normal” and have a smile on their face or seem like they’re in a good mood. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean their mental health is in a good state. They can sometimes feel irritable, have a poor appetite and feel hopeless.
Signs of high-functioning depression include:
Having lower productivity levels
Actively talking about feeling or being hopeless and helpless (e.g. they “can’t do anything right” or they “can’t win”)
Not having much energy despite adequate amounts of sleep, even oversleeping
Others may ruminate at night or not be able to sleep
Anger or irritability
Increased appetites and weight gain
Others can have a poor appetite and rapid weight loss
Being less active
How to Manage High-Functioning Depression
Outside of speaking to a healthcare professional or trying medications, there are things you can do to help cope and manage high-functioning depression in the moment. Various lifestyle changes can be made that are often found to be helpful for many forms of depression.
Set Daily and Attainable Goals
Sometimes setting goals can feel daunting. It’s important to try to set goals that can be easily reached to help boost a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. One goal to work towards is establishing healthy sleep habits. This will not only help you physically, but it will also help you mentally by improving your mood and overall health.
Make Changes to Your Diet and Exercise Routine
Try to make active changes to your diet by eating in a more well-balanced way. This can help improve focus, give you more energy, and help you feel less sluggish. It’s also important to try to limit or to stop using alcohol and drugs. While many use them to mask depression, it can end up making symptoms worse.
If you’re physically able to exercise, try to begin some sort of exercise routine or increase your current routine. Taking a walk every day, practicing yoga, or joining an online exercise class can all be great ways to help improve not only mental health but also physical health.
Stay Connected with Friends and Family
Reach out to family and friends. It’s important to stay in contact and let your family and friends know how you’re doing.
While having high-functioning depression can feel lonely and scary, try to remember that you’re not alone. There are resources and help available to get you through this. If you or someone around you is wrestling with depressive thoughts, it is necessary to seek the help of a medical professional to get the proper medical diagnosis.
Please reach out today to learn more about depression therapy.