7 Signs You May Have High Functioning Depression

Many psychologists associate high functioning depression with persistent depressive disorder. Which is a prolonged state of depression. Those with high functioning depression may not feel as helpless as those with clinical depression, but their depression does affect tremendously their quality of life. It minimizes their interest in everything, including social events with friends and family. High functioning depressives will socialize when necessary, and will go to work and school. But once they are done with their responsibilities they will withdraw themselves. Here are 7 signs you may have high functioning depression. 

1. Concerned With Time

Although you are achieving your goals and completing all your tasks. You feel as if you are wasting your time. It doesn’t matter if you find a new pastime, or a new job. It will feel like a fool’s errand. You think to yourself, if all the time your are investing in completing things are worth it.

2. Constant Self-Criticism

You feel like you are not achieving much, therefore you criticize yourself. Your expectations are too high, so you push yourself to the limit affecting your state of mind. For example you may have written a book, or got promoted at work and you will still think it’s not enough.

3. Overthinking

t doesn’t matter if it’s a small or big situation. You will find yourself overthinking. Eventually this form of thinking will bring you down. For example, you accidentally said the wrong answer to a person, so you will play that over and over in your head affecting your mood.

“To think too much is a disease.” ~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

4. You Feel Misunderstood

Since most high function depressives can maintain a job, house, and deal with their responsibilities. People underestimate how much anguish you are going through or minimize your feelings. Simply because you don’t act like the “typical” depressive person.

5. You Feel Sadness

It’s normal to feel sad from time to time, but if you are sad or numb most of the time even if you are participating in fun activities it can be an indicator of high functioning depression.

6. Unhealthy Coping Strategies

Since you are overworking yourself, you lean towards drugs or alcohol to deal with situations. Many high functioning depressives turn to these self-destructive habits to clear their mind.

“I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.”  ~Edgar Allan Poe

7. Excessive Pastime

Running along the line of unhealthy coping strategies, you might find yourself constantly gaming, or binge watching tv series, among other things. Although these seem fine, the underlining factor here is that you are using these to escape reality.

“Many of us learned that keeping busy…kept us at a distance from our feelings” ~Maureen Brady

High functioning depression is difficult to notice because those with it can continue with their responsibilities. Since they don’t act like the “typical” depressive person they believe nothing is truly wrong with them. But I am here to tell you it is not okay to live life feeling numb, sad, and constantly self-criticizing yourself. If you do have high functioning depression, try to find the root of it. Only by doing so can you truly live happy.

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