Could you have High-Functioning Depression?

Depression is commonly portrayed as someone who is stuck in bed, feeling really sad, and can’t do anything. Yes, these behaviors happen, but often, there are more common overlooked symptoms: numbness, irritability, and self-criticism. Plenty of fully functional people go to work, parent, go to sleep, and wake up to do it all over again without realizing they are depressed.

Could you be depressed and not recognize it? Possibly.

The DSM’s criteria for Major Depressive Disorder are (5+ of following):

• depressed mood most days

• loss of pleasure

• change in appetite and/or weight

• sleep disturbances (insomnia or sleeping more than normal)

• fatigue

• sense of guilt or worthlessness

• difficulty concentrating

• thoughts of wishing to never wake up or die (including suicide)

When I think of depression, what most stands out to me is a lack of feeling joy at the things one normally enjoys. It’s like watching the sunset, seeing the vibrant hues, and feeling…nothing. A depressed person can have their dream job, a beautiful family, a full bank account, and then criticize themselves because “I have everything I want, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just be happy?” This is a common symptom of a depressive episode also known as anhedonia. With the same root as “hedonism,” anhedonia means that a person has the absence of the ability to find pleasure in the things they once enjoyed.

In a loved one, anhedonia may look like:

• a loss of interest in hobbies

• decreased expression of love towards partner, family, children, friends

• lack of sexual interest or pleasure

• sense of withdrawal from social situations

When we talk about mood disorders, it’s important to remember the diathesis-stress model (Broerman, 2017). Put simply, depression comes from the combination of factors including our genetic “load” and our level of stressors.

We all have genes for mental health issues that can be “turned on” through environmental and interpersonal stressors. Some of us are more vulnerable to depression due to our genetics, so just a little bit of stress can create the recipe for a depressive episode. Some of us have significant stressors, such as trauma, that then causes our genes to manifest a depressive episode.

If you or a loved one has experienced depressive symptoms, know that it’s not anyone’s “fault.” There may be some things that we can do to protect ourselves from depression or to prevent future episodes. And some of us are just more likely to experience it than others no matter what we do. Give yourself and your loved ones grace for the things that are outside of their control: their genes, their traumas, the way that they learned to handles stress and emotions. Then, reach out for support.