Table of Contents
What is high functioning depression?
High functioning depression, also sometimes known as dysthymia, is a form of depression that often goes undetected. It can be characterized by a general feeling of unhappiness or low mood, but sufferers often manage to continue with their day-to-day lives without too much disruption. While high functioning depression is not as severe as other forms of the illness, it can still have a significant impact on sufferers’ lives. If you think you may be suffering from high functioning depression, it’s important to seek help from a professional. There are treatments available that can help you get your life back on track.
Does it involve people with depressive disorder who have severe psychological symptoms but do not require hospitalization? Sociologists use the term mental illness to refer to serious psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, since so many other variables can cause someone’s behavior to change, you should always be aware of what factors could lead to self-harm behaviors.
However, in some cases, there are different ways to categorize depression. For example, researchers found that more than 75% of suicides happen across three categories of individuals: 1) those suffering from major depression alone, 2) those with personality disorders who also suffer from major depression, and 3) those with coexisting mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Since most suicides occur within this third category, scholars include them with the primary group of persons with depressive disorder and suicide. They differ primarily in etiology (cause) versus secondary prevention (early intervention).
An estimated 10 million adults in the United States are affected by some form of depression. Many feel depressed for several months before being diagnosed.
Some at-risk populations include whole families, those with suicidal thoughts, caregivers, and patients with a suicide history. Others are men facing criminal charges, users of drugs like alcohol, and individuals without regular access to health care. People with pre-existing medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, and hepatitis C are also.
How can I tell if I have high functioning depression?
If you feel depressed most of the time but can still live with or get through your day, you may suffer from higher-functioning depression. You are likely experiencing lower confidence, happiness, and joy levels than before.
You may also notice increased negative thoughts like “Why should I do anything anyway?” or “I don’t want to live anymore.”
These thoughts are typically more powerful than your desire to live and enjoy life. It is hard to fight this feeling because it is rooted in pain.
If you try to stay engaged, happy, and positive, you will find these feelings much easier to deal with. Stay engaged by reading books, listening to music, or going out into your community.
Positive things take energy to prepare and reduce stress. By doing them, you are making an active choice to keep yourself alive.
The goal here is to look at the benefits of staying involved and committed to trying new ways of living your life.
This goes back to maintaining optimism, which helps you resist the pessimistic messages you hear in media and society that life has to be awful.
What is the severity of my depression?
Several factors can determine how severe your depression is, including but not limited to:
The length of time you have been feeling down.
Have you been experiencing feelings of sadness for a short period or long-term? Are these feelings subsiding, or are they chronic?
How much effort do you make trying to lift your mood?
Do you spend hours each day thinking about what could have been happening instead of going out and doing something?
How organized are you in your daily routine?
Are you consistently maintaining enough energy to get through the days coming up?
These are all questions that need to be asked yourself to see where your level of depression lies. There are no right or wrong answers here, only your preferences.
There are some tools you can use to figure out levels of depression. One of them is the severity scale cutoff points such as the PHQ-9 you can find online.
They indicate how many people experience symptoms associated with high-functioning depression. You can also talk to your doctor or therapist, who may suggest the best course of action for you.
How can I treat my depression?
Now, let’s talk about how to use your tools for health. First, understand that emotional pain is just that — emotion, and it exists in your mind and body, meaning you have two choices: You can leave it there or take action.
If you decide to take action and live with the feeling), then you will feel healthier. Relief does not exist without awareness.
Second, know that everything counts. Your emotions, thoughts, feelings, needs, wants, habits, and routines matter and should be treated with respect.
Everyone has their way of dealing with stress, and everyone reacts differently to most things. Treat yourself like someone you love would — with care and only what feels right for you.
Many people turn to medication to manage mental illness symptoms; however, research suggests that most current drug therapies work by altering your mood, thought patterns, or behaviors. This may help reduce your overall anxiety and panic attacks., but it cannot cure your underlying problems.
That is why therapy is so important. A therapist can help you create a management strategy that works for you.
What can I do to help me through depression?
‘Treating’ or getting someone else to help with your depression is not about letting them live your life for you; it is about being aware of their supportive feelings and needing, if possible, for them to be involved in your health care.
If they are involved in your treatment, it may allow them to better care for themselves.
Being honest means that things like income, medications, relationships, work issues and other topics may need to be discussed. It also means staying informed and participating in any groups or activities related to your mental health.
Understanding people and situations vary greatly, so education plays an essential role in identifying the specific causes of one’s mental illness and learning how to manage oneself.
Learning basic skills for managing emotions could mean the difference between a good day and a bad day when it comes to depression. You will learn ways to deal with anxiety and stress that work for you.
Research suggests that mindfulness practices and behavioral therapies are beneficial. So is working with a therapist but choosing alternatives if you don’t feel like discussing thoughts and feelings first.
It just makes sense, to begin with the mind before trying to change anything else.”
Tips for coping with depression
There are many ways to treat depression. Which method you use depends on your situation, age, and health.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective in adults, and this is also true of psychotherapy. However, psychologists have developed apps to help you cope with depression from the comfort of your home.
Talking to my doctor
Here is one person’s story “I have been anxious about my mental health for years. Everything seems to move along very quickly when you don’t know what you are going through”.”
“You want to find a way to deal with your anxiety, but talking about my mental illness made me feel even worse. I would go from 0 to 60 in public, asking people if they noticed that I wasn’t myself. I would cry or run around until I was exhausted. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I kept running.”
Finally, in December of 2014, I went to see the psychiatrist who had written me several prescriptions over the past few months. He asked if I knew why I was visiting, and when I said I thought it was because of some hormones he sent me, he laughed and told me he couldn’t believe it was actually due to hypothyroidism.”
“I paused before leaving his office, saying, “It feels like such a relief to get this taken care of finally.” And it did help take away some of my anxiety, but not all of it.”
“In January 2015, I realized that something was off again. I spent too much time planning events for a friend’s birthday party and not enough time doing things for myself. It was more than just feeling overwhelmed; there were actual physical symptoms.”
Taking medication
Medication is very commonly used to treat depression these days. It’s considered a first-line treatment, meaning it should be tried before other treatments are attempted.
However, only about 40% of people who need medicine for depression take it. There are many reasons why. Some don’t want to take it or can’t get their parents to help them find it. Others think it will make them feel worse than they already do.
Enrolling in treatment
If you feel that you need help from health professionals, there is no way around it. Professional help will be necessary when you experience symptoms of depression.
It can be challenging to decide where to go for help but rest assured, you are not alone. Many people have this condition, and you can find help.
Some places to get help include your family physician or other medical practitioners, mental health professionals, social workers, peer groups, and many others.
What causes high functioning depression is often unclear. Most cases of depression are due to issues outside of medicine, including relationship problems, employment difficulties, financial problems, etc.