Not enough!
When affirmations are not enough!
You have recited, quoted, pasted all over your walls, in your car, wallet, phone scheduled alarms to stop, and repeat be still, breathe, pray, mediated, and the insistent background noise of failure, not enough, sadness, and gloom will not stop.
Accomplishing your goals, socializing, inspiring and uplifting others, the perfect picture of success, accomplishment, and fulfillment, yet the inner turmoil is eating you alive. The persistent gnawing of sadness, something is missing, not connecting, loneliness, and defeat will not lose its grips on your mind and inner thoughts.
Tortured with guilt because of your faith and belief in God, or religious practices, may even find yourself in the spotlight often sharing, encouraging, and delivering tools to keep others uplifted, inspired, and motivated only to live the opposite behind closed doors.
Living up to an image of strength has the potential to feed weakness, as well as, cause one to opt-out by way of suicide. Suicidal tendencies are not only the actual act of taking one’s physical life but include sabotaging one’s relationships, fulfillment, and success with repeating loops of the same old thing. In communities and cultures that have a strong belief rooted in Christianity, Islam, or any other religious practices or the community experience has tentacles in extreme cultural trauma the idea of seeking help for mental health issues is sac religious.
Those suffering from high-function depression are typically diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder (PDD). Common symptoms of PDD include a lack of energy or constant fatigue. Those with PDD or high-functioning depression experience the symptoms of at least two years.
Recognizing that someone may be living with high-functioning depression can be difficult. The effects can creep in gradually until it finally gets to a point a person realizes there is a problem. Sometimes a stressful life event (divorce, death, loss of career, COVID-19 and etc…) can make things more complicated.
People with high functioning depression tend to have the kind of personality where they push through their feelings; and often goes unnoticed and mislabeled because the individual is showing up in life or some it seems. Others may see them as perfectionists, which can add to their determination to live up to a specific image. Those with the disorder may have trouble admitting they need help, which can lead to a build-up of emotion that spills over at a critical point.
What Are the Signs of High-Functioning Depression?
For an accurate assessment of any type of depression please seek a reach out to a mental health provider. We at COINPM offer referrals.
1. Bouts of insomnia or sleeping too much
2. Feelings of hopelessness
3. Lack of self-esteem
4. Always feeling that you have no energy
5. Difficulty making firm decisions and when you do decide the overwhelming feeling of it is the wrong decision persists without relief.
Signs You May Be Dealing with High-Functioning Depression
While there are clinical clues that professionals look for in diagnosing PDD, you may have different experiences than others. Here are some signs that you may be dealing with a form of high-functioning depression.
changes in appetite
oversleeping or insomnia
extreme fatigue
low self-esteem
difficulty concentrating and making decisions
feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt
It’s hard for you to feel good about yourself, even when given a compliment. You may continuously look for ways to criticize yourself, either internally or outwardly to others.
Your weight fluctuates without you being on a diet plan because your appetite grows or recedes depending on your mood.
You may find yourself crying or experiencing feelings of hopelessness for seemingly no reason.
Your performance may seem fine at school or work, but you’re struggling to appear normal to peers.
You find yourself tempted to use substances like drugs or alcohol to make yourself feel better.
Managing High-Functioning Depression:
In some cases, it may seem like depression is an insurmountable obstacle. Many people fall into the trap of believing that nothing can help them now or that any relief they get will be temporary or the embarrassment is worse than anything. Sadly, this maladaptive thought pattern can keep a person in the cycle of doing nothing.
There are certain steps people can take to deal with their high-functioning depression, such as:
Take steps to get active: Though it may be difficult to do so, it’s vital to get at least thirty minutes of physical activity every day. For instance, you may choose to go for a jog, do yoga, or even simply go for a walk. If this action doesn’t seem feasible at first, try starting with a five or ten-minute walk at first and add a few more minutes each day.
Watch your diet: It can be tempting to ignore your diet but make sure you are eating healthy, well-balanced meals.
Get some rest: Get enough rest each day, but be careful not to oversleep. Doing so can improve your mental well-being.
Step into the sun: Taking time to be outside in the sunlight has been shown to significantly improve a person’s mental health.
If none of these strategies help, you may require a mental health treatment program, such as the one at. By all means, do not try to self-diagnose. Reaching out to a professional for guidance, and support in a safe, guilt-free, uninhibited environment is important. Please reach out to COINPM for further assistance or referrals. info@inpowermeant.org or call our office no. 310-702-7592
Remember you are not weak or faithless because you reach out for help. It takes courage and strength to acknowledge “I need help!”