Brainy Dose Presents:
18 Signs You May Have High Functioning Depression
Depression doesn’t always look the way you think it should.
While some people may find it difficult to get out of bed, others with depression can
go about their normal daily routine - smiling, and taking care of responsibilities.
Sometimes called “smiling depression,” the condition occurs when you appear happy,
successful and accomplished on the outside - but inside you struggle with sadness, turmoil
and feelings of inadequacy.
High functioning depression is atypical, and some people may be surprised to find out that
they are actually experiencing symptoms of depression.
So here’s what you should know about this often hidden health condition, and the following
signs are something you should definitely pay attention to.
Number 18 - Feeing Sad, But Not Sure Why
Everyone deals with bouts of sadness occasionally - even for reasons beyond explanation.
But if you're generally feeling sad most of the time and aren't entirely sure why, it
could be a sign of high-functioning depression.
It may not be enough to keep you in bed or disrupt your daily functioning, but it can
make you feel heavy and really wear you down.
Number 17 - Inability To Relax
People with high functioning depression know that when they stop, even for a moment, the
sadness takes over.
This is why many of them are always on the go, or constantly doing something.
If you have high functioning depression, you’re uncomfortable with rest or calmness, and you
do whatever it takes to keep your mind occupied.
Number 16 - Stressing About Time
Those who suffer from high functioning depression are often over-achievers who constantly find
themselves stressing about time.
• the time it takes to get something done • time spent on something that may not be
worth it • and the time needed to complete an endless
list of other tasks
If you’re suffering from high-functioning depression, evaluating your time probably
doesn’t stop with task-oriented things either.
You even stress about the time spent on the more joyous things in life - like hobbies
or leisure activities.
Number 15 - Overthinking Everything
It doesn’t matter if the situation is big or small, people with high functioning depression
tend to overthink everything.
This is because of the constant self-doubt these individuals deal with on an everyday
basis.
If you have high functioning depression, you often find yourself questioning everything
you do.
It’s an absolutely exhausting cycle of over-analyzing which can even lead to mental and emotional
breakdowns.
Number 14 - Striving For Perfection
Much like with an inability to relax and de-stress, people with high functioning depression find
it very hard to settle for mediocre.
They set their expectations too high, and in an effort to achieve all of their goals,
they wear themselves thin and effectively beat themselves down through the process.
With high functioning depression, you often feel like you aren’t getting enough done,
and as a result, you criticize yourself and your productivity.
Number 13 - Changes In Sleeping Pattern
High functioning depression also effects sleep.
Some of the changes in sleep patterns include difficulty falling asleep and sleeping too
much.
If you know before hitting the light switch that you'll struggle to fall asleep, or you
get ten hours every night and still can't stay awake at work, something more serious
could be going on.
‘Depression naps’ are also very real, and are harmful in terms of productivity and
mental health.
Sleeping as an escape from reality can be an unhealthy way of dealing with feelings
- becoming a kind of defense mechanism.
Number 12 - Difficulty Fully Experiencing Happiness
Emotions are part of our everyday life, so it’s normal to experience sadness and grief
from time to time.
While people with high functioning depression do have moments in life when they feel happy,
they don’t allow themselves to fully experience joy to its fullest extent.
If there are hobbies, activities or goals that have brought you relief and happiness
in the past - but eventually, they became more of a burden to you than something you
find pleasure in - that’s a sign that something’s off.
Also, you may feel de-sensitized in situations that would typically stir emotion, or inexplicably
sad in situations that would otherwise be considered joyful.
Number 11 - Declining Social Invitations
While high-functioning depression may not leave a person devastated and hopeless, it
can seriously dent their quality of life - dampen their enthusiasm for work, school, family,
and even social activities.
A change in social activities can be one of the earliest warning signs.
If you have high functioning depression, you still go to work and interact with people,
but outside of work, you may stop hanging out with friends - and find yourself making
up excuses as to why.
You may become somewhat isolated, and this often leads to distance in relationships.
Number 10 - Being Extremely Impulsive
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of people with high functioning depression have a difficult
time fully experiencing joy.
To combat this, many will go to extremes to try and feel or experience any emotion at
all.
This can be something as simple as getting a tattoo or piercing to feel pain, or doing
something dangerous and illegal to feel the adrenaline.
If you find yourself seeking to sabotage your life with activities and events that are ‘extreme’
- it’s a warning sign of a bigger issue.
Number 9 - Overdoing Everything
When it comes to anything in life: eating, drinking, working, studying, etc. - those
with high functioning depression don’t know what a ‘middle ground’ is.
Instead, they do everything to the extreme, and overdo most things in their lives.
This however, can also be something that turns into an alarming bad habit, like gambling,
drinking, or drug use.
Number 8 - Sweating The Small Stuff
Those with high functioning depression often find that small things that only mildly irritated
them before, are now hard to deal with.
Things that didn’t feel so important in the past, suddenly become too much to handle
- such as not being able to find your keys, a grocery bag breaking, or missing the train.
If you’re struggling to cope with even the smallest of stressful situations, you may
be dealing with high-functioning depression.
Number 7 - Having Rage Issues
Everyone's entitled to a bout of crankiness, or the occasional bad mood.
But, when it comes to emotions and anger, those with high functioning depression often
fly off the handle quicker than others.
This is due to suppressed emotions, or what experts call ‘bottling things up.’
If you don’t deal with your emotions or underlying problems, when things trigger you,
you unleash them all - often at the wrong times.
Number 6 - Having Trouble Focusing
High functioning depression can cause people to suffer from a feeling of brain fog, or
that fuzzy-headed lack of focus.
You may have problems staying focused and engaged during work, at school, at home, or
during social activities.
For example, you may space out while a friend's telling a story, or feel like you can't center
your thoughts at work.
And while this may be OK if it happens occasionally, if the feeling is ongoing, it's something
you should pay attention to.
Number 5 - Turning To Coping Strategies
People with high functioning depression often turn to coping strategies to ‘take the edge
off.’
If you’re becoming too reliant on coping mechanisms, then you could have a problem.
Binge watching TV shows may seem innocent enough, but if you’re doing it every night
as a means to escape your life, then it could be a sign you’re dealing with some bigger
issues.
The same goes for reliance on video games, or using substances like drugs and alcohol.
Number 4 - Constantly Questioning The Past And Future
High functioning depression can cause people to constantly question their decisions and
how it will affect their future.
These can be things like picking the right school, choosing the right career, dating
the right person, etc.
If you have high functioning depression, you often find it hard to shake the worry, and
you obsess over your decisions day after day.
Number 3 - Uncomfortable With Stability
People with high functioning depression feel uncomfortable when they are in a state of
stability.
Simply put, they are uncomfortable with things when they are ‘too good.’
If you are always looking for reasons for things to go wrong, take it as a sign - because
ultimately, this can lead to self-sabotaging your own life, relationships, and even career.
Number 2 - Feeling Misunderstood
It’s common for people with high functioning depression to feel misunderstood, because
they don’t act like the typical depressed person.
You tend to function like everyone else - maintaining a house, a job, and a ‘seemingly’ healthy
social life.
But what’s going on internally, doesn’t match what others see on the outside.
Number 1 - Having Other Health Issues
Underlying medical conditions like diabetes or cancer cause stress and strain that can
lead to depression.
On the other hand, depression can lower immunity, making you more vulnerable to getting sick.
High functioning depression can also show up physically in the body in the form of aches
and pains.
You may have aching shoulders, headaches that keep hitting you midday, or a general sense
of discomfort that just won't go away.
While these symptoms may not be as severe as those of major depression, they still rob
you of the ability to be happy and live your life to the fullest.
Of course, this list cannot diagnose you with high functioning depression - only a trained
medical professional can do that…
But hopefully, it gives you a better understanding of what you may be experiencing - IF you recognize
these symptoms.
What do you think?
Have you ever experienced any of these symptoms?
And how did you deal with them?
Share your story in the comments below!
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