High-functioning depression is often a silent struggle, going unnoticed by loved ones. Manifesting through less visible symptoms, if you can typically maintain your daily responsibilities but below the surface you’re dealing with fatigue, hopelessness, or even physical concerns, this could be depression.
Recognizing these less visible forms of depression, whether in yourself or a loved one, is crucial, as it enables early intervention, support, and understanding, preventing symptoms from getting worse.
What Is High-Functioning Depression?
High-functioning depression is a mental health condition where people face chronic depressive symptoms. While not totally debilitating, these symptoms still significantly affect daily life. Unlike major depressive disorder (MDD), which can severely impair someone’s ability to function, people with high-functioning depression can often manage their personal and professional responsibilities.
Many people ignore these symptoms since they’re still able to perform their work and home duties. However, the earlier you seek help for symptoms of depression, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to maintain function, feel better, and bring joy and energy back to your life.
Signs & Symptoms of High-Functioning Depression
People experiencing high-functioning depression exhibit signs and symptoms that, although hidden or masked, significantly impact their quality of life. Each of these symptoms on its own might not suggest depression, but a combination of them points to a deeper issue that requires attention.
The signs and symptoms of high-functioning depression might include:
- Persistent sadness or low mood: A consistent feeling of sadness or emotional numbness that doesn’t seem to lift, even during happy occasions.
- Decreased interest in activities once enjoyed: Losing interest in hobbies, socializing, or other activities that were once sources of pleasure.
- Fatigue and sleep disturbances: Feeling tired all the time, regardless of sleep quantity, or experiencing problems with falling or staying asleep.
- Changes in appetite and weight: Weight gain or loss not attributed to dieting or changes in eating habits.
- Difficulty concentrating: Struggling to focus on tasks at work or making decisions that used to be straightforward.
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt: Negative self-talk and disproportionate feelings of guilt.
- Irritability or excessive anger: Minor annoyances causing significant, excessive irritation or anger.
- Social withdrawal: Decreasing social interaction, preferring isolation over engaging with friends or family.
- Unexplained physical ailments: Experiencing physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches without a clear medical cause.
Coping With Functional Depression
If you’re dealing with depressive symptoms under the surface, the first step to take is to simply acknowledge that you’re feeling this way. From there, you can start making some changes to feel better and seek the support you need. If you’re still able to maintain regular self-care activities and you’re not totally sure what would move the needle on how you feel under the surface, talking to a therapist or another mental health professional could make a significant difference.
Here are some ways to cope if you’re dealing with high functioning depression:
- Talk to a therapist: You don’t have to be totally dysfunctional before you talk to a professional. A therapist can validate your experiences and help you find healthy ways to cope with how you’re feeling.
- Reach out to a loved one: Many people with high-functioning depression mask how they’re feeling, but telling someone how you feel can start to remove some of the shame from your experience and help you feel less alone.
- Build self-care into your routine: Being mindful about incorporating regular physical movement, nourishing meals, and sleep patterns can do wonders for mood.
- Schedule regular fun activities: If you’ve been getting through life by putting off fun or joyful activities because they feel like “too much work,” you might be surprised at how purposefully incorporating these into your schedule can boost your mood.
- Limit alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a depressant, so consistent use can worsen depression symptoms.
- Incorporate mindful moments: Depression often has you thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness brings you back to the present moment and can reconnect you to your body, boosting long-term wellbeing.
When to Seek Support
You don’t have to wait until you’re no longer functioning to get help. In fact, finding mental healthcare while you still have enough energy to function can keep you from reaching a breaking point. If you’re feeling hopeless, fatigued without reason, dealing with sleep issues, or are having a hard time finding meaning in your life, it’s likely time to reach out for help.
Treatment for High Functioning Depression
Treating depression often starts with therapy. A therapist can help you untangle your negative feelings, build new coping skills, and find meaning in your current circumstances. Beyond that, medication and other interventions could help quell symptoms to get you back on track.
Treatment for depression can include:
- Therapy: Therapists are trained to help people with depression recover their joy and develop new coping skills.
- Medication: A psychiatric provider can review your symptoms and determine if medication is appropriate. Depression is often treated with SSRIs or SNRIs, which increase the brain’s ability to produce and process the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): For people who don’t respond well to medication, TMS is a non-invasive, low-side-effect procedure stimulating areas of the brain that may have been dulled by depression.
- Spravato®: Spravato® is the first FDA approved esketamine nasal spray for hard-to-treat depression, which increases glutamate production in the brain, boosting mood and energy levels.
Reach Out to New Directions Mental Health for Depression Treatment in Pennsylvania
Depression is a complex condition that needs individualized treatment and support. At New Directions Mental Health, we offer depression services that can address the unique needs of each person with high-functioning depression or another depressive disorder. Our experienced professionals in clinics across Pennsylvania provide evidence-based treatments, medication management, and therapy to help people manage their symptoms and improve their overall well-being.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, reach out to us at 724.374.7414 or schedule your first appointment. For existing clients, please find your office location to contact your office directly.
