4 Signs & Symptoms You're Dealing with High-Functioning Depression

Depression has been stereotyped so much over the years that people often have a misconception of what it looks like. It’s true that some people with depression have a hard time getting out of bed. They feel a sense of overwhelming sadness and hopelessness. However, for people with high-functioning depression, that isn’t always the case.

There are some pretty big differences between high-functioning depression and severe depression. However, they both deserve attention and the right kind of treatment. With that in mind, let’s look at four of the common signs and symptoms you’re dealing with high-functioning depression. When you start to recognize these signs, you can reach out for help and start managing your depression effectively.

1. You’re Described as a Downer

While you might not let feelings of sadness overwhelm you, people with high-functioning depression can’t always hide the gloom they’re feeling beneath the surface. As a result, your friends and family might peg you as a downer or call you out for seeing the negative side of things more often than not. They might also misjudge you as being lazy when in reality, you have a lack of motivation due to low energy. High-functioning depression doesn’t mean you walk around looking sad all of the time. However, people will likely notice some differences in your mood compared to someone who doesn’t struggle with depression.

2. Negative Self-Talk

Do you find it hard to feel good about yourself? Maybe you struggle with self-esteem, or you’re constantly finding things to nitpick about how you look, how you act, or how you perform. Maybe you’re down on yourself about your job, your relationships, or even your personality. This negative self-talk might be easy to hide from others, but that’s not the point. If you’re dealing with it in private, it could fuel your depression and make it harder to believe in anything positive about yourself.

3. You’re Struggling to Keep Up Appearances

Many high-functioning depressed individuals appear “normal” on the surface. Your work performance might not be suffering. You appear normal to people in your inner circle. You’re not “struggling” in any way. However, if everyone was able to peek beneath the surface, they would see how hard you’re working to keep up appearances. 

You could be constantly fatigued, making it difficult to want to do the things you typically love. Or, maybe you’re down and sad and can’t figure out why, but you refuse to let people see those deeper feelings. Unfortunately, hiding your true feelings isn’t sustainable, and it’s no way to live. Eventually, things will come to the surface.

4. Difficulty Making Decisions

When you’re struggling with low self-esteem because of depression, you might also start to second guess yourself. A lack of confidence, combined with exhaustion and difficulty focusing, can make it hard to make clear decisions in your professional and personal lives. Even when you decide on something, you might spend a lot of time wondering if it was the right choice or criticizing yourself no matter what you choose.

As you can see, high-functioning depression can be exhausting. While you might keep most of your feelings to yourself, and not everyone will notice the symptoms, it’s a hard condition to keep up with in silence. If any of these symptoms seem familiar, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Just because you’re dealing with high-functioning depression doesn’t mean you must continue suffering. Be honest with yourself, acknowledge your emotions, and feel free to contact us to set up an appointment for depression therapy. The most important thing to recognize is that you don’t have to deal with your depression on your own.