7 Important Tips For Adults Struggling With High-Functioning Depression + My Experience

Balancing a mental health illness with your life is more complicated than it looks. Here are seven tips for dealing with high-functioning depression and my experience.

Trigger Warning: This open letter mentions mental health illnesses, including depression and anxiety. This post may be triggering to some. Please continue at your discretion. I am not a licensed mental health professional or specialist. Please seek a licensed medical professional.

If you or a loved one is concerned about potentially inflicting harm on themselves or others, please call 911 or your local authorities.

Note: I am not a mental health professional. The information presented in this article should not be used for self-diagnosis or to replace a medical diagnosis from a mental health professional or your primary care physician. The following information is for educational purposes only.

When you hear the words Depression, Anxiety, and Mental Health – what do you think about it? Most people typically think of the worst situation: suicidal thoughts, unbearable mood, irritability, extreme mood swings, inability to handle work or life situations, and extreme sadness. Admittedly, I’ve experienced all of these. However, when you suffer from high-functioning depression, there’s more than meets the eye. 

As a young adult, suffering from significant depression is hard enough, but when you combine that with being high-functioning, then you have a real problem. Some of the most common symptoms of depression may not present themselves in a high-functioning adult.

When I was first diagnosed with depression, no one believed me. Most of my family and friends dismissed the diagnosis as me being dramatic, lazy, or simply over the top. They couldn’t see someone like me possibly being depressed because I was doing fine in school (to their knowledge), I went to work every day, and I had no interpersonal communication problems. 

That didn’t change the fact that I did have significant depression, and it came in the form of high-functioning major depression. 

So, today, I want to share my experience with high-functioning depression and offer some tips for managing it. 

My Experience With High-Functioning Depression

I was first diagnosed with major depression in my sophomore year, during my undergraduate. After that, I experienced multiple breakdowns due to financial strains, family issues, personal problems, a lack of self-care, and romantic troubles.

Despite this, I still managed to attend class, work, participate in extracurricular activities, and even hold some leadership positions. No one would have ever guessed that I was suffering from major depression or even a high-functioning one.

That is until my behavior slowly started becoming more erratic. I was late to class and worked every day, forgetting assignments, showing up disheveled, and I couldn’t make it through most days without a sniffle or two. 

It didn’t stop me from managing my time and doing what I had to do, but having major depression made completing these tasks much more challenging. Eventually, my boyfriend and a close professor convinced me to see a therapist, and that’s when I was diagnosed with major depression. 

For two years, I learned to deal with depression, but what bothered me the most was that I didn’t feel like an ordinarily depressed person. Sure, I had occasional suicidal thoughts, but I didn’t have extreme mood swings, and I could work and function despite having depression.

That’s when I learned about high-functioning depression. 

Since then, I’ve graduated, held a few jobs, lived through a pandemic, started a blog, and started influencer marketing. I am currently working towards a life coaching certification. However, I still have major depression, and not only that, but I also have high-functioning depression. 

What Is High-Functioning Depression?

With high-functioning depression, a person can have a stable job and live a relatively good life while suffering on the inside. People with high-functioning depression may have similar symptoms to those with clinical depression or major depressive disorder, including:

• Feeling sad, hopeless, or helpless
• Losing interest in things that used to bring joy
• Changes in eating habits
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Difficulty concentrating
• Negative thoughts about oneself and others

Now that I’ve shared my experience and explained what high-functioning depression is, I want to talk about how adults struggling with this form of depression can better take care of themselves. It won’t be easy, but you can do a few things to help your mental health and care for yourself daily.

Tips For Coping With High-Functioning Depression

1. Speak to Someone

First and foremost, you need to speak to someone if you’re struggling with high-functioning major depression. No one should work alone, and there are so many people you can talk to to help you understand this diagnosis or get the support you need.

If you feel comfortable, speak to a loved one about your feelings. In my experience, reaching out to a therapist was an essential step for me, and sometimes, getting that external help and support can bring you the clarity you need to understand your mental health.

Suppose you’re unsure about your diagnosis or how to manage it. In that case, you can ask your therapist, psychiatrist, or mental health specialist to discuss the common signs of high-functioning depression and how most people deal with it. You can also request a high-functioning depression test.

Here are some free mental health resources that might be in your area.

2. Prioritize Self-Care

If you’re struggling with high-functioning major depression, you’re likely trying to keep up a busy schedule while not feeling yourself. That’s where self-care comes in.

In my experience, if you keep working while feeling depressed, the issues come in, and your behavior becomes more erratic.

Instead, take some time to implement a healthy self-care routine. This might involve giving yourself time off work when you feel your symptoms worsening or finding ways to relax at the end of the day to stave off any stressful feelings.

3. Reduce Small Inconveniences

If you’re struggling with high-functioning major depression, avoid minor inconveniences to reduce your anxiety, stress, and other symptoms.

If you’re having a bad day, sometimes just getting on top of your emails or tidying your workspace can bring a sense of calm and relief. There’s nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed, especially on top of high-functioning significant depression symptoms.

Reduce minor inconveniences as part of your routine to prevent your mind from getting overwhelmed. This will help you feel on top of everything if your symptoms worsen.

4. Accept Your Diagnosis

You should never feel ashamed to be struggling with your mental health. So many people struggle with depression, and this includes high-functioning major depression.

It’s harder to spot high-functioning depression as many people continue their work or studies, seemingly without any problems on the outside. But trust me. There are people all around that are struggling just like you.

Accept your diagnosis, understand that there is nothing wrong with struggling with your mental health, and find ways to look after your mental health every day.

5. Add Physical Activity Into Your Routine

Exercising may be the last thing you want to do when struggling with mental health. However, once you find the motivation and strength, exercising can majorly affect your mood. 

Studies show that adding physical activity can lower symptoms of mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety by releasing feel-good endorphins. Endorphins are a group of hormones often associated with feelings of happiness. 

You don’t have to do all your physical activity at once. To make working out and exercising more manageable, you can add small amounts to your daily schedule. For example, you can walk to work instead of taking public transportation or add a 10-minute yoga routine. 

6. Set Small Daily Goals

Setting personal goals is an excellent way to manage your schedule and tasks for the day. But, as someone who suffers from depression, I know how difficult it is to practice effective time management and prioritize tasks. 

Set small and more manageable goals to make getting through the day easier. This will boost your self-confidence and sense of personal accomplishment. 

7. Forgive Yourself

It’s not your fault that you have depression. Depression is an illness that can affect anyone at any time, and none of it is your fault. Dealing with high-functioning depression can be challenging and mentally straining for anyone.

There’s also nothing wrong with needing support from loved ones or a therapist.

Stop being so hard on yourself, and learn to forgive yourself. Thinking about yourself positively and promoting self-love can significantly impact self-esteem, confidence, and, ultimately, your mental health.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with struggling with your mental health- and everyone experiences depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns during their life. However, living with high-functioning depression taught me to better care for myself, love myself, and embrace my uniqueness.

I hope my experiences have helped you understand high-functioning major depression. It can be overwhelming whether you’re struggling or your loved one needs help. But, once you learn the signs and symptoms of high-functioning depression, it becomes a lot easier.

If you’re struggling with high-functioning depression, you might feel lonely or stuck- but there are a few things you can do to look out for yourself and find the support you need.

Just remember, things will get better.