Some movies and television shows depict depression as a serious, life-threatening illness, in which people seclude themselves from the world around them. While isolation is a common characteristic of serious depressive episodes, depression can come in a variety of forms. For example, some women can experience depression during a premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe type of PMS that occurs prior to and after menstruating. Similarly, some people can go through phases of major depression, characterized by sadness and other symptoms that can make everyday life activities very difficult. Others, however, can experience persistent feelings of sadness that can last for two or more years.
What is Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)?
High functioning depression, or persistent depressive disorder (PDD), occurs when a person experiences less severe symptoms of depression over a long period of time. Unlike severely depressed patients that have difficulty functioning daily, people with PDD can go about their day normally while experiencing some low-level symptoms of depression. So, while they may seem normal and healthy on the outside, they struggle internally by trying to cope with their thoughts and emotions.
The inner struggle PDD patients experience prompts them to put their problems & feelings aside for the sake of maintaining functionality. Although completing tasks can make them feel accomplished, avoiding their internal feelings could subsequently lead them to experience severe depression. While depression is a feeling that many experience during their lifetime, two major differences characterize PDD: its duration and severity. Just like depression, a person with PDD can experience sadness, fatigue, hopelessness, and eating or sleeping disorders, but on a lower scale. However, when PDD patients feel overwhelmed, they could completely shut down and experience brief episodes of major depression where their general interests and activity performance can decline for days or weeks on end.
Do I have high functioning depression?
Diagnosing PDD can be difficult because people continue functioning regardless of how they may feel. There are, however, some symptoms that can help you identify if you may be struggling with this disorder:
- Most of the time you feel sad, and the people around you refer to you as gloomy, cynical, or a downer.
- Happiness doesn’t last and your low mood is almost always present
- Constant fatigue regardless of how much you rested
- Some may call it laziness, but you just don’t have the energy to do more than is necessary to function.
- Low self-esteem
- Daily tasks feel like monumental effort.
- Skipping meals or overeating without thinking about it.
- You feel hopelessness
- Difficulty focusing on tasks.
- Forcing yourself to socialize even though you’d rather withdraw.
- Unrelated complications such as substance abuse, chronic pain, relationship difficulties, etc.
Even so, don’t self-diagnose. If you’re experiencing one or more of the previous symptoms, it’s important to consult a mental health professional for an accurate diagnosis. Just like major depression, PDD can be treated with a combination of therapy and medications such as antidepressants. You can also ask your doctor for other natural approaches for dealing with PDD symptoms.