Symptoms and Treatment of High-Functioning Depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, around 9.5% of American adults who are eighteen or over will suffer from a depressive illness such as major depression or dysthymia each year, including high-functioning depression.

Thus, depression is a common mental health condition that affects many people, though it can affect them in different ways. This includes what may be termed high-functioning depression, which may look different from other forms of depression.

What is high-functioning depression?

The term “high-functioning depression” doesn’t appear in the American Psychological Association’s diagnostic tool that clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

It does describe how some people may appear fine and are productive while masking the typical symptoms of depression. Often, high-functioning depression is confused with persistent depressive disorder, which may look like major depression but is less severe.

The term is somewhat problematic because it can make depression seem less serious than it is, and it can pressure those experiencing depression to conform to a particular level of functioning they may not be able to sustain.

Because the symptoms of depression are often hidden in individuals with high-functioning depression, they may not look like they need help, which isolates them from the intervention of loved ones and may endanger them further.

How depression affects a person.

Depression may be caused by any number of factors that include experiencing trauma, serious medical conditions such as cancer or diabetes that often cooccur with depression, one’s brain chemistry, genetic factors, one’s personality, or life events such as loss that can trigger depression.

There are several signs of depression that one ought to look out for. However, with high-functioning depression, while a loved one may see these symptoms, the individual often hides what’s going on. Unless they expressly tell their loved ones what’s happening, the situation may be misread and the seriousness of it misjudged.

Depression affects a person mentally, emotionally, and physically. Some of the common signs of depression include the following:

• Withdrawing from loved ones, social activities, or family gatherings.
• Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness.
• Low self-esteem and experiencing feelings of hopelessness or feeling guilty and worthless.
• Feelings of anger, and being irritable or anxious.
• Loss of interest in activities that used to bring enjoyment, such as hobbies, time with friends, or sex.
• Headaches, cramps, aches and pains, and gastrointestinal distress without a clear cause and no effective treatment.
• Feeling a lack of energy and fatigued.
• Feeling sluggish in your thoughts and speech.
• Struggling with your concentration, memory, or decision making .
• Struggling with falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much.
• Changes in appetite, whether eating too much or too little, leading to drastic changes in weight.
• Suicidal ideation, thinking about death and self-harm, attempts of suicide, and practicing self-harm.

High-functioning depression is not a specified diagnosis in the DSM-5, so it’s important that you see a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist to receive a diagnosis.

There are several types of depressive disorders, including postpartum depression, persistent depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, and seasonal affective disorder, to name a few. Your doctor can diagnose you by looking at your circumstances as well as your symptoms, their duration, and intensity to make a proper diagnosis.

Treatment options for high-functioning depression.

There are several reasons why someone might hide their symptoms of depression, including:

• Fear of stigma around mental health issues.
• Hope that the symptoms are temporary and will lift by themselves.
• Fear of the impact a diagnosis will have on one’s work or other relationships.
• The misplaced conviction that it’s possible to power through and simply get over it.
• An unwillingness to be vulnerable and admit what’s going on.

If you experience any of the symptoms of depression, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of, and the sooner you are diagnosed and receive treatment, the sooner you can return to good mental health.

The treatment options available for depression include therapy, which can make use of therapeutic techniques such as dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness techniques, and cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy can happen one-on-one with your therapist, or in a group setting.

Depending on your symptoms and their severity, antidepressant medication may also be prescribed and is effective for improving your symptoms and redressing any imbalance in your brain chemistry.

Mental health matters immensely for one’s overall sense of well-being. If you or a loved one struggle with depression, it may be masked because of the ability to continue functioning and remain productive.

It’s important to seek help as soon as possible, starting with a proper diagnosis and then with treatment. Your therapist will guide you in identifying the harmful thoughts, beliefs, and habits that may contribute to feeling depressed. They can help you build healthy thought and behavior patterns so you can experience freedom from depression.

Contact our office for help today.