High Functioning Depression and Why it Matters by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT
Things to Know
Depression is a spectrum. Sometimes, an individual can have a difficult time gauging their depression because it doesn’t conform to what they’ve heard. The individual might have only seen information that explains severe depression and the impairments that come with it.
Truth: When an individual experiences depression, the symptoms can vary in intensity from mild to severe, and there’s variation in how much it impacts major areas of their life such as work, school, relationships, and completion of daily tasks.
High-Functioning Depression
An individual who is living with high-functioning depression may be able to work with minimal or moderate difficulty; however, they still experience depression symptoms and are impacted by them.
The symptoms of depression might not have seeped into major areas of the individual’s life too much.
The individual might appear composed or collected most of the time when around other people.
Their experience with depression is predominantly internal and only a few people in the individual’s life may have seen it expressed, either in their mood or behaviors.
It may be under the radar to most or all people.
If the individual does show or express it, they may have received unhelpful responses, such as others not believing the person, not taking them seriously, or questioning why the individual is sad.
Why it Matters
High-functioning depression matters just as much as severe depression, such as individuals who are having a significantly difficult time functioning. If you’re in any level of emotional pain, it matters, and you deserve to feel fulfilled. Personally, I’m not a fan of the comparisons. Clinically, I use the level severity of the symptoms (mild to severe) and how much they’ve impacted an individual’s life as markers and a starting point in treatment. Technically, a diagnosis is not needed for therapy (if you’re paying out of pocket); what matters is that you’ve identified how much you don’t feel well, and you have a general idea of what it is you want to accomplish in order to feel better. If you think you might be experiencing this, I’d like to let you know that you are just as deserving of being in therapy as someone with a severe form of depression, and the benefits of therapy are also applicable to you. For more helpful information, click check out my video Am I Sad or Depressed:
(NOTE: This video was filmed when my office was at a previous location. I am now located in Irvine, CA).
You don’t have to do this alone. If you are interested in receiving therapy with me, let’s schedule a free 15-minute phone consult.
My office is located in Irvine, which is near Newport Beach, Orange, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Tustin, Seal Beach, and beyond. I work with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and Asian American & Pacific Islanders.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. The topics being discussed are meant as a self-help tool for you own use. It is not psychotherapy or counseling. This information is to be used based on your own judgment. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly.