Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns in the world. Even though it is common, that doesn’t mean everyone’s experience with it is the same. While there is a list of symptoms and signs that come with depression, or major depressive disorder, that doesn’t mean every person goes through it the same way.

Depression manifests in a variety of ways. Would it be surprising to hear that people could be considered high-functioning and depressed? Let’s talk about this more.

What Is Depression?

First, let’s go over the basics of depression. When we say that someone is experiencing depression, we normally are referring to a number of signs and symptoms. Most often, these signs include:

  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feelings of sadness or despair
  • Irritability
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Low self-esteem
  • Changes in eating habits (eating more or less)
  • Sleeping pattern changes (sleeping too much or not enough)
  • Fatigue
  • Thoughts of self-harm

Typically, when someone has depression, it interferes with their ability to live a normal life from day to day. It impacts their ability to work, focus on work, or feel motivated to get anything done.

Depression makes it hard for someone to want to get out of bed in the morning. In fact, it can make it downright impossible to find any motivation to start the day.

For someone to receive a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, their symptoms must last for 2 consecutive weeks or longer.

photo of a woman sitting in a field with her back turned away from the cameraWhat Is High-Functioning Depression?

So, what’s the difference between high-functioning depression and “normal depression?”

We mentioned in the last section that those with depression find it difficult to perform certain tasks or find motivation to get things done. High-functioning depression is still a form of the disorder. People who have it are relatively able to function normally in their life. Their symptoms don’t interfere too much. However, that doesn’t mean that high-functioning depression should not be taken seriously. Also, remember that high-functioning does not mean their depression symptoms don’t interfere in some ways.

Why? Because someone who has it will still experience all of the classic symptoms of depression. Unfortunately, they boil underneath the surface, making it extremely hard to detect.

This form of depression often finds people feeling “low” most days for unexplainable reasons. They might find it hard to get out of this state of mind, no matter how hard they try. They might feel constantly fatigued but not understand why.

In this form of depression, someone might not struggle as much to go to work or school. Or to participate in social activities or find time for hobbies or activities. While they might be able to do all those things, they likely feel as if they have to force themselves to do any of it.

As we mentioned earlier, major depression symptoms must be present for 2 weeks or longer to get a diagnosis. Here is where high-functioning depression becomes even harder to diagnose; symptoms must have been present most days for at least two years or more. And other mental illnesses must not be the cause of them.

What Can Be Done About High-Functioning Depression?

For many people, it can feel tempting just to ignore their symptoms. After all, if it doesn’t entirely interfere with their lives, it must not be so bad. Unfortunately, that isn’t exactly the case. Depression symptoms, whether they are interfering or not, can have a lasting impact on somebody’s mental health. While they might not interfere currently, that doesn’t mean it will always stay like that.

If you want to learn more about depression therapy, don’t hesitate to reach out for support. In either form of the disorder, you deserve to find relief.