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Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Cope with High Functioning Depression
Dr. Judith Offers Profound Insights Into an Invisible Mental Illness That Could Be Impacting Your Life
Forward Medicine & Dr. Judith Joseph
September 01, 2024
In a post-pandemic world, just when we thought we were done with masks, we're discovering that many are masking their mental illnesses. Among these hidden conditions is high-functioning depression (HFD), often camouflaged by busyness in our everyday lives.
HFD affects both prominent figures and ordinary individuals alike. Examples include CEOs navigating turbulent financial landscapes and sports icons striving to secure victories for their teams despite personal struggles.
Every day, individuals grappling with HFD include teachers sacrificing their lunch breaks to grade papers promptly and single working mothers stretching every dollar to ensure their children are nourished and punctually attend school, all while facing minimal support.
These people with HFD push through painful situations to meet or exceed their performance expectations.
In Today’s Edition
Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist and award-winning content creator with over a million social media followers, shares her insights on high-functioning depression.
Dr. Judith Joseph is a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Medical Center and chairs multiple boards. As Principal Investigator at Manhattan Behavioral Medicine, she leads groundbreaking research on high-functioning depression.
We’ll cover:
Understanding High-Functioning Depression 😢
Common Signs and Symptoms 🚨
The Underlying Emotional Trauma 🔄
Contributing Factors 🧬
Treatment Options 👩🏻⚕️
The Importance of Self-Awareness 💪🏻
Understanding High-Functioning Depression 😢
Those with high-functioning depression often report having symptoms of anhedonia, which is a feeling of “blah” or “meh” that signals a lack of joy, interest, or pleasure.
“People with high functioning depression have some symptoms of depression, but they do not meet the [DSM 5] criteria. This is because they exceed basic functioning; they push through the pain and they don’t always identify as being emotionally distressed.”