Key Signs Of High-Functioning Depression & How To Cope With ...

How to Manage High-Functioning Depression

Managing high-functioning depression often involves making intentional lifestyle changes. These can include improving diet, exercising regularly, adopting healthy sleep habits, reducing substance use, and strengthening social connections. Because initiating new habits can feel daunting during depressive episodes, reaching out to a mental health professional can provide essential guidance and support to effectively implement these beneficial changes.

Here are twelve tips and some worksheets that can help with managing high-functioning depression:2

1. Acknowledge and accept your experience: Recognizing that you’re struggling with high-functioning depression is the first step towards healing and feeling better. This self-awareness is important for moving forward, as it allows you to reach out for help and make positive changes in your life.
2. Speak to a therapist or counselor: It is a myth that you need to be completely incapacitated by your depression to warrant speaking with a mental health professional. Even if you are highly functioning, a therapist can help you develop coping skills for your depressive symptoms and figure out how to communicate your struggles within your relationships and professionally.
3. Build a support system: Many individuals with high-functioning depression suffer in silence. It is important to share your experiences with trusted friends and family members and ask for help with your depression. You can also join a support group and connect with others who are experiencing high-functioning depression.
4. Practice self-care: Focus on taking care of your body. Regular exercise can combat depressive symptoms.3 Additionally, eating a balanced diet, hydrating, and getting enough sleep can all boost your mood. Once you have done the basics, you can begin to practice other types of self-care for depression.
5. Set realistic goals: Set regular goals that can be easily reached in order to boost self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. Focus on what is most important and let go of less critical tasks, and break tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
6. Limit or omit the use of alcohol and other drugs: It is common for individuals with high-functioning depression to use drugs or alcohol to cope. However, while you may feel a momentary high, drugs and alcohol will only make depression worse in the long run.
7. Challenge negative self-talk: High-functioning depression can cause a lot of negative self-talk and cause feelings of worthlessness or inadequacy. Practice recognizing these thoughts and challenge them with more realistic and positive self-talk. For example, challenge the thought, “I’m successful at work, but I’m falling apart inside. I’m just faking it.” with, “My success at work is real, and it’s okay to seek help for my internal struggles. I am strong for managing both.”
8. Schedule enjoyable activities: High-functioning depression can zap motivation, making it easy to neglect activities you used to enjoy. Schedule time for hobbies, social connections, or anything that brings you pleasure, even if it feels like a chore at first.
9. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness exercises for depression can help you stay present in the moment and reduce rumination on negative thoughts. There are many free mindfulness apps available to help you get started.
10. Establish a healthy work-life balance: People with high-functioning depression often push themselves to maintain productivity. However, this can lead to burnout. It is important to create a work-life balance by clearly defining work hours, managing notifications, saying no to extra work when overloaded, and respecting your breaks.
11. Avoid isolating yourself: High-functioning depression can cause you to withdraw from social activities due to low mood or lack of energy. It is important to avoid self-isolating. Stay connected with loved ones and friends, even if it’s just virtually for now. Additionally, seek out activities that involve social interaction, like volunteering or group fitness classes.
12. Celebrate small wins: Don’t wait for grand achievements to feel good. Acknowledge and celebrate small victories, like completing a task or getting out of bed. This reinforces positive behavior and boosts self-esteem.

Free Depression Worksheets

This collection of seven worksheets provides practical tools and strategies for managing depression symptoms. Find the one you need below, or browse all our depression worksheets for more.

The Complete Workbook Download Self-Care Inventory Download Challenging Negative Thoughts Download Setting SMART Goals Download Personal Strengths Inventory Download Setting Healthy Boundaries Download PLEASE Take Care of Yourself Download Practicing Gratitude Download

When to Seek Professional Support

Individuals with high-functioning depression tend to be self-motivated and have very high expectations of themselves, which can make it hard for them to ask for help or admit they are struggling. However, high-functioning depression can become a more severe and long-term issue if left untreated. Therefore, it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible.

A local therapist directory is a great tool for finding a therapist who specializes in depression and takes your insurance. If you prefer to see a therapist remotely, online therapy services for depression, such as Talkspace or BetterHelp, can match you with an experienced therapist. Additionally, there are many different CBT apps that can be an excellent supplement to therapy, offering tools and exercises that reinforce skills learned in sessions.

Treatment for High-Functioning Depression

There are many different effective treatments for high-functioning depression available. Therapy for depression equips individuals with tools to manage challenges and reshape negative thought patterns. Medication can also be helpful in regulating brain chemistry. But treatment goes beyond these. Support groups offer a space to connect with others who understand the unique struggles of maintaining normalcy, and self-care practices like exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation techniques can significantly improve mood.

Treating high-functioning depression may involve:

Therapy

Therapy can help individuals with high-functioning depression learn coping strategies, tackle the root cause, and develop communication skills. CBT for depression is the gold-standard therapy that involves making changes in both the patterns of negative thoughts and behavioral routines that affect the daily life of the depressed person.4 Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is another effective option for individuals who struggle to ask for help because it focuses on improving relationships and communication skills.

Medication

Some individuals who experience high-functioning depression may have symptoms severe enough to warrant the use of medication for depression. When trying medication, it is not unusual for the first trial of medication to be unsuccessful due to variability in how antidepressants can make you feel (i.e., lack of effect or intolerable side effects). It is very important to be open to a second or even third trial of antidepressants in order to find the most beneficial one.5

Support Groups

Support groups can be a powerful tool for treating high-functioning depression. Sharing experiences with others who understand the unique challenges of maintaining a facade of normalcy can combat feelings of isolation and provide validation. The group can offer mutual encouragement, coping mechanisms, and friendship.