Psychology Today: Understanding High-Functioning Depression
"On the surface, some depressed people appear to lead bustling, fulfilling lives; check out their social media, and you’ll see their smiling faces and beautiful homes. They’re functioning so well that even the thought that they could be depressed seems outrageous.
High-functioning depression, also referred to as dysthymia, can be hard to spot. It doesn’t look like stereotypical depression. Unlike major depressive episodes, which are intense, debilitating, and time-limited, high-functioning depression is low-level, chronic, and doesn’t have a clear trigger.
Sadness vs. Depression
Sadness is a pure feeling that frequently springs from a clear precipitating event. We grieve a loss, miss a friend, or feel rejected by others. We cry or mourn because sadness feels appropriate; we allow it to flow through us.
Unlike sadness, depression is often a defense against unwanted feelings. The root of the word “depression” is “to depress,”; to push down, deny or suppress. Unwanted feelings are frequently the cause of many depressive symptoms.
High-Functioning Depression
Though not a clinical term, high functioning, isn’t prompted by a tragic event or change of fortune. Often you feel clueless about its source or cause.
If you struggle with high-functioning depression, you still go to work, see friends, and attend events. But the heaviness rarely leaves you; you carry a feeling of exhaustion wherever you go. You feel weighed down by burdens. You think you have nothing to look forward to when you think of the future.
Causes of High-Functioning Depression
The three most common causes are high functioning depression are:
- Trauma: unfortunately, many childhood traumas are left un-processed. People with high-functioning depression rarely had time to consider their past. They press forward, aggressively avoiding memories or incidents that may draw attention to unhealed emotional scars.
- Inter-generational Depression: sometimes, depression is a part of the DNA of a family. When researching families' social/emotional history, one often discovers generations of depression; relatives that either self-medicated with substances or endured unstable moods their entire lives.
- Unresolved Frustration: Frequently, people with high functioning depression lead frustrating lives. They avoid dealing directly with emotional problems and prefer to remain task-focused. They store frustration, grudges, and disappointments that linger and zap their energy.
Three ways to resolve high-functioning depression
- Self-care: People with high functioning depression usually live in a state of self-neglect. Even if they remain in good physical shape, they neglect their emotional lives. Group therapy effectively breaks their emotional isolation, as group members learn to put their needs into words and heals emotional wounds.
- Creative Expression: art, music, and dance are some of the most potent tools in dismantling high-functioning depression. Choose an activity that is pure joy, something you love. Chances are that you'll unleash energy and passion trapped by mundane, repetitive routines.
- Medication: if you’ve exhausted nature cures such as changes in diet, exercise, routines, career, etc, and high-functioning depression still plagues you, it’s time to consider medication. Some depressions are purely chemical and require chemical intervention.
Read the full article here!
Reflection:
High-functioning depression is chronic and difficult to spot in individuals. Unlike sadness, depression is a defense for unwanted feelings. Depression can be caused due to trauma, genetic inheritance and due to unresolved frustration. Self-care, creative expression and medication helps in coping with depression.
What do you do for self-care?
#Depression #Trauma #Coping #MentalHealth
@comfortableNight4463
I think many people would relate with experiencing a high functioning depression, it certainly isn't easy to spot depression when everything else looks "fine".
All the more important to be kind to everyone, we meet, for we never know, how someone is really doing. ❤
I enjoy all these articles and reflections, thanks for finding them and sharing with us, Night, so appreciated. ❤
I like to spend time doing things I enjoy for self care, to mention some: listening to music, watching vlogs, movies etc, going for a walk, taking a nap (lol)
How about you, Night, what do you enjoy for self care?
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou Thank you! Really appreciate your comments! Those are great self-care habits. I also love walking. The fresh air and physical activity helps me 'clear' my mind and just take everything in.
@comfortableNight4463 I really love that you shared the difference between sadness and depression. I really hate when people go "I'm depressed" but are just sad for a few days. It's very frustrating because I don't think they really understand depression.
For self-care, I like to go out with my friends, get my nails done, eat yummy food, listen to good music, and take naps! Thank you for sharing!
@fruityPond7887 Thank you for sharing how you feel and your amazing self-care habits! I agree, I feel like many people tend to confuse sadness with depression due to not knowing how to distinguish between the two. This difference is important in figuring out how to properly cope with it.
@comfortableNight4463 I agree! I don't want to dismiss how others are feeling, but I think it's important to be able to truly understand the root of how you're feeling before diagnosing yourself! I think others sometimes put too much stock into WebMD and "Google University"😂
@comfortableNight4463
What do you do for self-care?
High-functioning depression (and in the past, just straight-up depression) is something that I can identify with due to trauma. But thankfully, prioritizing my self-care (through therapy, meditation, and medication) has helped me put a huge positive dent in the impact that dysthymia has had on me.
On a daily basis, I am mindful of my thoughts and I try to be make sure that none of them negatively affect my mental health. I also make time for meditation, which in turn, enhances my mindfulness in itself. :)
@sereneSunset26 Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm incredibly proud of you for getting the help you needed! Sending love.
@comfortableNight4463
I'm wondering how masking is related to people being seen as high-functioning. When people learn to never make their feelings someone else's problem.
is it how it's viewed from the outside, or do high-functioning depressives hide it from themselves as well?
@affableStrings4654 Hi! Thank you for reading! I guess that would depend on the particular individual. Not all people with high-functioning depression mask it. I think every individual deals with their depression differently. Some might be very good at hiding it from others and once they're alone, they completely unmask it. Or they might be hiding it from others and would hide it from themselves by convincing themselves that nothing is wrong. In the end, individuals will have varying experiences which might be the reason why it could be difficult to identify people who suffer from it.
@affableStrings4654 In my experience i've seen a lot of people close to me exhibit signs of high functioning depression but they just don't think they have any problem despite always complaining about feeling hopeless and everything else that comes with it
So i think it is possible that they mask not just from others but also themselves \
However each case is different this is just anecdotal
@zealousGrace5023 I completely agree! Every individual experience with depression varies.
@comfortableNight4463 absolutely
@comfortableNight4463
Very useful article! I practice self-care by taking time off from work, watching a movie, or reading a book.
@globalBraid3744 These are great self-care habits! Thanks for sharing!
