On TikTok, you’ll find millions of users using the term “high-functioning” to diagnose themselves—high-functioning anxiety, high-functioning depression, high-functioning autism.
The term “high functioning” is not actually clinical, but generally speaking, it refers to people who perform well at work and school. So, if someone has high-functioning depression, it means they are performing well at work despite poor mental health.
Irina Gorelik, a psychologist at Williamsburg Therapeutic Group, said that in the wake of the pandemic, when depression and anxiety levels have both soared, people are more aware of the fact that even those with depression or anxiety , but still excel in some aspects of life.
“After COVID-19, attention to mental health has become even more important,” she said. “People are more aware of signs of the past that may have been subtle.”
While the idea of high-functioning depressed or anxious people is not new, our recent obsession with the term is. Experts believe this could mark a shift in how we think about mental health.
You “cover” your struggles with high performance
Gorelick likens high-functioning tendencies to masking. A person will work extra hard at the office to hide their poor mental health.
“You were covering up some of the difficulties you were having with your performance,” she said. “You can maintain basic aspects of your life without major changes being noticed, but you need to put in more mental effort to maintain that high performance.”
Saying you’re “high-functioning” also shows you have economic value to society, says John T. Maier, a psychotherapist in Cambridge, Mass.
“When people say ‘highly effective,’ they’re not saying ‘I do a good job raising a family’ or ‘I do a good job going to church,'” he said. “It means ‘I’m doing a good job at my job.'”
Historically, admitting you have a mental health problem could mean you had trouble holding down a job or doing well in school. The surge in use of the term signals a rethinking of what depression or anxiety looks like.
“It means you are different in some way from other people with that label,” he said.
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