The high-level depression is not easily noticeable, it resembles that person who does his job, who trains regularly, who posts photos on his social networks, always smiling at everyone, however, behind this apparent normality lies a type of depression that can last. for years with pretty serious episodes.
Most people have a very common image in mind when they talk about depression: it’s easy to see someone lying in bed with their windows closed and not being able to cope with the challenges of circumstance.
- Few would think that a certain co-worker.
- The supermarket cashier or even our own mother suffers from a kind of psychological condition that puts them in a state of permanent suffering.
- Of hidden helplessness.
High-level depression characterizes people who, at first glance, demonstrate normal performance in all walks of life: do they work, relate, smile, communicate?However, they have been with them for a long time with a deep discomfort, a feeling that manifests itself, for example, when you wake up in the morning.
The early hours of the day have the nuances of enormous anxiety. An anxiety in which there is a suffocating pressure to “take care of everything”, “to be perfect, to look normal, to respect all obligations”. Sooner or later, these desaparecerán. se become chronic until they lead to major depression.
“Our greatest glory is never to fall, but to rise every time we fall. –
High-functioning depression describes what is clinically called dysthymia, however, it has a peculiarity that differentiates from the more conventional diagnosis: in this case there is no lack of energy, the reason is that many patients have a high sense of perfectionism. Sithering or failing one way or another are things they can’t stand.
Thus, those with dysthymia are able to get up every day and fulfill their obligations, in addition, sometimes it affects high-performing professionals and highly trained people whom no one would suspect and who, within, fight against anguish, despair and unhappiness.
In addition to what we may think, high-functioning depression is a serious illness, sometimes we can find cases where a person has come to kill themselves without anyone around them knowing why, there is no explanation as to why someone with an apparent perfect life chose such a dramatic ending.
We can’t forget one important aspect. Studies such as that conducted at the University of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States have concluded that dysthymia affects nearly 6% of the population; not detecting or seeking help will result in severe depression.
Let us know, therefore, what symptoms high-functionality depression has.
The person with this psychological condition is able to express positive emotions, however, expressing them does not mean feeling them. Because this type of patient is unable to feel so much joy, so much motivation to achieve his goals or enjoy the things he loves.
This undoubtedly generates an ambivalence that is exhausted, as they must seem normal, simulate efficiency and skill.
We’ve said it before. Highly functional depression mainly characterizes very demanding people with themselves, perfectionist profiles that do not hesitate to criticize themselves in any way, are not allowed to fail, have doubts or appear to fail.
Thus, there comes a time when this self-criticism also moves abroad, and finally end up treating its entire reality as something wrong, irritating, uncomfortable and empty, all this further increases suffering.
When someone arrives late, when the subway is full, when the couple forgets something, when the children dirty the room, when there is no internet, etc. These small everyday things, which can always be treated in the best way, are a huge obstacle for people with depression with high functionality. Let’s think about this: the person must overcome these little problems with all the weight he already carries in himself.
This allows them to overreact, they do so with a high level of stress, and far from showing discouragement or inactivity, they initiate augmented responses with which, in many cases, it is possible to solve these problems, however, it has a huge psychological impact cost, and they do so until they can no longer bear it.
The funny thing about these types of patients is that dysthymia has been dragged and managed “in its own way” for years. They are aware of their discomfort, their anguish and their unhappiness. However, far from seeking professional help, they choose to implement their own coping strategies.
However, these are features that act as an escape valve, they are ways to hide the problem, to avoid it, so they choose to compulsively watch their favorite TV series, play sports intensely, eat or even, in more extreme cases, abuse. alcohol or drugs.
In conclusion, high-functioning depression characterizes anyone who cannot stop and be fully aware that they need psychological help. The need to live in a hurry and to show that we are effective often hides a serious and disturbing implicit reality.
If we stop, reality will knock on our door: the reality that we don’t know how to manage our lives, with ourselves, with this depression with which we have lived automatically for a long time, so stop a little and ask for help. experts. Dysthymia is treated and we deserve to feel better, live better.