On TikTok, you’ll find millions of users who diagnose themselves using the term “high-functioning”: high-functioning anxiety, high-functioning depression, high-functioning autism.
The term “high-functioning” is not actually clinical, but, in general, refers to those who perform well in work and school. So, if someone suffers from high-functioning depression, it means that he is excelling in his job, despite him having poor mental health.
Since the pandemic, as levels of depression and anxiety have increased, people have become more aware that you can suffer from depression or anxiety and still be excellent at some aspects of your life, says Irina Gorelik, a psychologist at Williamsburg Therapy Group .
“After Covid, the focus on mental health has been much more significant,” he says. “And people are much more aware of signals that might have been subtle in the past.”
While the idea of a high-functioning depressed or anxious person isn’t new, our recent obsession with the term is. And experts believe it could signal a shift in how we believe mental health looks like.
You are “masking” your difficulties with high performance
Gorelik compares high-functioning tendencies to masking. A person will work very hard in the office to hide their poor mental health.
“You’re masking something you’re struggling with with the performance,” he says. “You’re able to maintain core aspects of your life without people noticing a significant change, but you’re using a lot more mental effort to sustain that high performance.”
Saying you’re “high-functioning” also signals that you have economic value to society, says John T. Maier, a Cambridge Massachusetts psychotherapist,
“When people say ‘high-functioning,’ they’re not saying, ‘I’m doing a great job of raising my family,’ or ‘I’m doing a great job of going to church,’” he says. “It means ‘I’m doing a great job at work.’”
Historically, admitting that you have mental health problems might suggest that you have difficulty holding a job or doing well in school. The increase in the use of this term shows that people are rethinking what depression or anxiety means.
“It implies that you are somehow different from someone else with this label,” he says.
Do you want to earn extra money outside of your day job? Subscribe to CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about the most common passive income streams, tips for getting started, and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD.
