Functional Depression & Anxiety
Functional depression and anxiety typically involves people experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety while still maintaining their daily functioning, such as going to work, socializing, and meeting responsibilities.
In functional depression, people may appear successful, driven, and capable on the outside, but internally, they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, and/or irritability. Similarly, in functional anxiety, folks may outwardly appear confident and competent, but internally, they experience excessive worry, fear, racing thoughts, and tension.
One of the challenges of functional depression and anxiety is that people may not seek help or support because they believe their symptoms aren't severe enough, or because they fear being perceived as weak or incompetent. However, these conditions can still significantly impact your quality of life and overall well-being.
The following are high functioning anxiety & depression related issues that I frequently support clients with:
Burnout
Perfectionism
Overachieving
Impostor syndrome
Guilt