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Gifted Adults and High-Functioning Depression: Not Waving but Drowning
Why Gifted Adults Are More Prone to High Functioning Depression
High-functioning depression is different from clinical depression in that you can still maintain what appears to be a normal, even successful life. Where major depressive disorder might render someone unable to get out of bed or perform basic self-care, high-functioning depression can be far more insidious, as you can continue going to work, paying bills, and showing up for friends while things may be breaking down on the inside. If you are gifted, a high-capacity person, potentially with higher than average intelligence, you may find yourself particularly prone to this form of depression. This piece explores why this might be.
The changes may first show up as subtle disruptions to your emotional world and daily routine. You might notice you are feeling less emotion than usual, that joy has become muted, and you need to make an effort just to get a little excited. You might find yourself sleeping significantly more than before, or conversely, the usual pattern of lying awake with racing thoughts — something many gifted people experience regularly — becomes so severe and unrelenting that you find yourself getting more desperate just to find any rest at all. Your body feels heavier, and routines that once felt easy now feel hard. These shifts can feel disconcerting, particularly when there appears to be no external crisis or obvious trigger to explain the internal…
