You wake up early to get a run in at Island Heights before making the commute to your job in the city, where all your coworkers admire your work ethic. In the evening, you catch up on texts and make plans with friends for that weekend. Sounds great! You text.
From the outside, you are the picture of success.
What they don’t see: The dread you feel when your alarm goes off, the exhaustion weighing down every step, the tears as you drive to work, and the blank-eyed, silent drive back. They don’t see the hours of doom scrolling in the evening or how you sometimes forget to eat dinner at the end of the day.
High-functioning depression is depression hiding in plain sight. It might seem like you’re doing fine, but every day is a struggle, and you’ve started to lose track of what joy feels like.
Therapy in Toms River can help. You deserve to live a brighter life.
Why does high-functioning depression happen to successful people? The mix of high-pressure environments, burnout, and fear of slowing down creates the perfect mix of factors for depression to thrive.
High-functioning people often get to where they are because of perfectionism. It’s not just a preference for things to be right, but a driving need for everything to be perfect. It’s often driven by anxiety. That type of fear-based performance will eventually lead to burnout and depression.
Therapy for High Functioning Depression
People-pleasing behaviors are common in successful people with high-functioning depression. They’ve gotten so used to putting others' needs above their own that they’re not quite sure who they are without people pleasing. This unstable sense of self can trigger high-functioning depression.
Therapy for High Functioning Depression
Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It means putting yourself out there and risking failure in high-pressure environments. These environments are, unfortunately, also a breeding ground for mental health issues. This doesn’t mean you can’t exist in high-pressure environments when you struggle with high-functioning depression, just that you’ll need some healthy coping skills and boundaries to keep you healthy.
Therapy for High Functioning Depression
Low self-esteem and self-worth are common symptoms of depression. Although successful people might seem like they have good self-esteem, it’s often based on their achievements. They’re not worthy, but are only made worthy through their accomplishments. This type of performance-based thinking can spur low self-esteem and depression.
Therapy for High Functioning Depression
When you’re at the top, you’re constantly afraid of failing. Many people feel stuck in a hamster wheel of success, where they’re terrified of stopping the success but also don’t feel like they can continue at the pace they're going. This crushing fear of failure can create burnout and, eventually, high-functioning depression.
Therapy for High Functioning DepressionHigh-Functioning Depression can sap the joy out of life. Learn to live brighter again with the help of a Toms River depression therapist.
LCSW
You don’t have to face life’s challenges alone. Aimee is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience helping adults find calm, clarity, and confidence through times of stre...
LCSW
Andrew has been a therapist for nearly two decades, specializing in family counseling and individual counseling across all ages. After graduating from New York University in 2008, he began his clini...
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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Meredith Wymer is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner providing medication management across the lifespan. In addition to her current work in the outpatient mental health se...
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LCSW
Gina is a licensed clinical social worker with an MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work. Her practice fosters the idea that all individuals have the ability to heal the self through res...
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Coleen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 30 years of experience helping adults navigate life's challenges, transitions, and opportunities for growth. She believes that every person ...
LPC
Hello, I am Danielle Rees. I Am A Licensed Professional Counselor with 9 years of experience in outpatient settings, as well as school and hospital settings providing therapy to all age groups. Let's ...
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