High Functioning Depression: What Is It and What Are The Signs?

Vour Essence
3 min readAug 23, 2023
Photo by Arif Riyanto on Unsplash

In a world that often prioritizes productivity and success, mental health issues can sometimes hide behind a mask of apparent well-being. This condition that frequently goes unnoticed is called high-functioning depression. Also known as “smiling depression,” this complex mental health challenge can affect anyone, regardless of their external achievements or seeming happiness.

Let’s dive deeper into what high-functioning depression is, its signs, and the importance of recognizing and addressing this hidden struggle.

Understanding High-Functioning Depression

High-functioning depression is a subtype of clinical depression where individuals maintain a façade of normalcy and functionality while battling internal emotional turmoil. Unlike the stereotypical image of someone with depression who struggles to get out of bed and complete daily tasks, those with high-functioning depression can go about their lives seemingly successfully. This makes it particularly difficult for others to recognize the suffering they endure.

Having high-functioning depression is a particularly challenging situation because in order the first step towards healing any kind of mental instability is to recognize and be honest with ourselves. And usually, people with…

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Vour Essence

A Virtual Assistant & Spiritualist. I share what would be useful for our healing journey: Discovering, Learning, and Creating Authentically.