Psychiatrist: The surprising dark side of being highly successful—and 5 tools that can help
Depression doesn't look the same for everyone. In fact, even some of the most productive people, who always achieve their goals can still suffer from the mood disorder.
Symptoms of depression can include feeling hopeless, losing interest in things that used to be exciting, tiredness, and reduced appetite.
Although it's not a clinical diagnosis, "high-functioning depression" is a term used to describe "anyone who is grappling with mental health issues while accomplishing their day-to-day tasks and upholding their responsibilities," according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
"People with high-functioning depression, they're overly functioning. When they sit still, they feel empty. When they're not busy, they feel restless," says Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of "High Functioning." Experiencing trauma like financial woes or a painful childhood can cause certain people to experience high-functioning depression by channeling their emotions through productivity, she explains in her book.
If you're experiencing symptoms of depression, it's important to consult with your doctor or a mental health professional. Still, there are small things you can do day-to-day to help cope.
Joseph created a framework to combat high-functioning depression that she derived from treating patients across age groups. She calls it "the five V's."
"The five V's remind you of the five fingers, because joy is within our hands. We just need to know how to grasp it," she tells CNBC Make It.
Joseph doesn't advise attempting all five V's at once because they should provide relief not additional stress. "I think high-functioning people like to do a lot," she says.
Instead, she encourages this more measured approach: "Tap into one or two every day with the intention of 'I'm going to try to get one point of joy today.'"
"Validation is acknowledging and accepting how you feel, which is very difficult for people who are high-functioning to do," Joseph says.
Although it may be uncomfortable, identifying and coming to terms with how you're feeling can be therapeutic and lead to joy.
"When we can't identify our emotions, we get confused," Joseph says. "Some of us confuse anxiety for anger, so we act irritable when we're actually worried. So it's important to be able to name your emotion and accept it."
Being able to express your feelings authentically and in a healthy way is necessary to process your emotions. Joseph suggests venting with intention, which means asking for feedback that can help you come up with a solution to the problem — whatever it may be.
"If you're going to vent to someone who's not a therapist, ask for emotional consent," she says. For example, you could preface the conversation by saying, "I really need to vent right now. Would that be okay with you?"
"You want to check in and make sure the person has the capacity to hear you out, because you don't want to feel rejected. And you don't want to overwhelm someone."
Journaling, singing, praying or even crying are also forms of venting. Joseph suggests you choose a healthy way of expression that best aligns with you.
In her research, Joseph has found that people with high-functioning depression can fall into patterns of chasing things like clout, money, accolades and achievements.
Instead, she suggests focusing on finding your values, the things that bring you joy and give your life meaning.
Ask yourself, "What are the things that actually give you meaning and purpose in life?" she says. "Tap into those every day."
Prioritizing your physical health can lead to positive effects on your mental health. When you're not feeling like yourself, Joseph says to focus on answering this question: "What are some ways I can support my mind-body connection?"
You can start by paying closer attention to the foods you eat, how often you're moving your body and whether you're getting enough good sleep.
"There are these non-traditional vitals that we often neglect like the quality of our relationships, whether or not we have a healthy relationship with technology, whether or not we have a good work-life balance," she says.
If you're aware of gaps in these areas, you can work to improve them.
The final V is all about leaving the past behind and moving forward in life. "This is a reminder to practice joy, and plan joy in the future because many of us get so busy we forget to do this," Joseph says.
Your vision of the future may also include what you plan to do after daily tasks like dropping your kids off to school on time. Joseph recommends celebrating those moments in small, meaningful ways like having a cup of coffee or putting your feet up during a free pocket of time.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
2 days ago
- CNBC
Longevity doctor: 'Every single day I try to get at least 30 to 40 grams of fiber in my diet'—here's how
Poonam Desai is an ER doctor with two decades of experience who studied and recommended daily practices for a long life to her patients well before it became her main focus. In 2017, she officially started practicing longevity medicine, teaching patients the tools they need to structure their routines with living long and staying healthy in mind. For her own health and wellness, Desai, who is also a doctor of osteopathic medicine, practices the habits that she typically suggests. "Everything I'm doing, I want to optimize it," she told CNBC Make It in March. This includes upping her fiber intake: "Every single day I try to get at least 30 to 40 grams of fiber in my diet," Desai says. The average American eats about half of that amount of fiber, if not less, according to Harvard Health Publishing which places the typical fiber intake at just 10 to 15 grams daily. Here's how you can take a page out of the longevity medicine doctor's book and get more fiber in your daily diet. There are certain food groups that are rich in fiber, like: "One of my favorite ways to get fiber into my diet is to put a tablespoon of chia seeds in 30 ounces of water," Desai says. Desai also makes large bowls of mixed fruits or vegetables daily to eat more fiber. Most days, she gets a healthy serving of both. "I have a huge bowl of different fruits almost daily. It could be apples, oranges, kiwi, berries, blueberries, strawberries," she says. "I pair that with a lot of raw vegetables like raw cauliflower, raw broccoli and cabbage." As a vegetarian, Desai often gets healthy amounts of fiber from the plant-based proteins she eats. "I try to do one serving of either lentils or beans per day." ,
Health Line
2 days ago
- Health Line
Types of Schizophrenia
Key takeaways The DSM-5 no longer recognizes schizophrenia subtypes as separate diagnostic categories. However, the five classical subtypes (paranoid, hebephrenic, undifferentiated, residual, and catatonic) can still be helpful as specifiers for treatment planning. Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of people in the United States, with men typically receiving a diagnosis in their late teens to early 20s and women typically receiving a diagnosis in their late 20s to early 30s. When schizophrenia occurs in children (which is rare), symptoms in older children and teens can include social withdrawal, sleep disruptions, impaired school performance, irritability, irregular behavior, and substance use. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder that affects: emotions the ability to think rationally and clearly the ability to interact with and relate to others The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that research indicates that schizophrenia affects close to 1% of people in the United States. Men typically receive a schizophrenia diagnosis in their late teens to early 20s. Women typically receive a diagnosis in their late 20s to early 30s. Episodes of the illness can come and go, similar to the process of remission. When there's an 'active' period, an individual might experience: Current DSM-5 status Diagnostic changes were made for several disorders in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), including schizophrenia. In the past, an individual only had to have one of the symptoms to receive a confirmed diagnosis Now, a person must have at least two of the symptoms. The DSM-5 also removed the subtypes as separate diagnostic categories, based on the presenting symptom. This was found to not be helpful, since many subtypes overlapped with one another and were thought to decrease the diagnostic validity, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Instead, these subtypes are now specifiers for the overarching diagnosis, to provide more detail for the clinician. Subtypes of schizophrenia Although the subtypes don't exist as separate clinical disorders anymore, they can still be helpful as specifiers and for treatment planning. There are five classical subtypes: paranoid hebephrenic undifferentiated residual catatonic Paranoid schizophrenia In 2013, the APA determined that paranoia was a positive symptom of the disorder. Paranoid schizophrenia was no longer considered a separate condition. However, the subtype description is still used because of how common this symptom is. Symptoms include: delusions hallucinations disorganized speech (word salad, echolalia) trouble concentrating behavioral impairment (impulse control challenges, emotional lability) flat affect Hebephrenic (disorganized) schizophrenia Hebephrenic or disorganized schizophrenia is still recognized by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), although it's been removed from the DSM-5-TR. In this variation of schizophrenia, the individual does not have hallucinations or delusions. Instead, they experience disorganized behavior and speech. This can include: flat affect (inability to display emotions) speech disturbances disorganized thinking involuntary or unexpected emotions or facial reactions trouble with daily activities Undifferentiated schizophrenia Undifferentiated schizophrenia was the term used to describe when an individual displayed behaviors that were applicable to more than one type of schizophrenia. For instance, an individual who had catatonic behavior but also had delusions or hallucinations and disorganized speech might have received a diagnosis of undifferentiated schizophrenia. With the new diagnostic criteria, this merely signifies to the clinician that a variety of symptoms are present. Residual schizophrenia This 'subtype' is a bit tricky. It's been used when a person has a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia but no longer has any prominent symptoms of the disorder. The symptoms have generally lessened in intensity. Residual schizophrenia usually includes more 'negative' than positive symptoms, such as: flattened affect psychomotor difficulties slowed speech limited attentiveness to personal hygiene Many people with schizophrenia go through periods where their symptoms wax and wane (increase and decrease) and vary in frequency and intensity. Therefore, this designation is rarely used anymore. Catatonic schizophrenia Although catatonic schizophrenia had been listed as a subtype in the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders first edition (1952) through the DSM-4 (1994), the DSM-5 removed it as a subtype. Catatonia is now considered a specifier. This is because it occurs in a variety of psychiatric and general medical conditions. Catatonic schizophrenia typically presents itself as immobility, but it can also look like: mimicking behavior mutism (inability to speak) a stupor-like condition (reduced responsiveness) Childhood schizophrenia Childhood schizophrenia isn't a subtype but rather an indicator of the time of diagnosis. A diagnosis in children is fairly uncommon. When it does occur, it can be severe. Early onset schizophrenia typically occurs between ages 13 and 18 years. A diagnosis under age 13 years is considered very early onset and is extremely rare. Symptoms in very young children are similar to those of developmental disorders, such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These symptoms can include: language delays late or unusual crawling or walking irregular motor movements It's important to rule out developmental issues when considering a very early onset schizophrenia diagnosis. Symptoms in older children and teens include: social withdrawal sleep disruptions impaired school performance irritability irregular behavior substance use Younger individuals are less likely to have delusions, but they're more likely to have hallucinations. As teens get older, more typical symptoms of schizophrenia — like those seen in adults — usually emerge. It's important to have a knowledgeable professional make a diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia because it's so rare. It's crucial to rule out any other condition, including substance use or an organic medical issue. A child psychiatrist with experience in childhood schizophrenia should lead the treatment team and discussions about its plan. Treatment typically involves a combination approach that can include: Conditions related to schizophrenia Schizoaffective disorder Schizoaffective disorder is a separate and different condition from schizophrenia, but sometimes it gets lumped in with it. This disorder has elements of both schizophrenia and mood disorders. Psychosis, which involves a loss of connection with reality, is often a component. Mood disorders can include either mania or depression. Schizoaffective disorder is further classified into subtypes based on whether a person has only depressive episodes or whether they also have manic episodes with or without depression. Symptoms can include: paranoid thoughts delusions or hallucinations trouble concentrating depression hyperactivity or mania limited attentiveness to personal hygiene appetite disturbance sleep disruptions social withdrawal disorganized thinking or behavior Diagnosis is typically made through a thorough physical exam, interview, and psychiatric evaluation. It's important to rule out any medical conditions or any other mental illnesses like bipolar disorder. Treatments include: medications group or individual therapy practical life skills training Other related conditions Other related conditions to schizophrenia include: delusional disorder brief psychotic disorder schizophreniform disorder
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Former teen mom credits Rockford nurse for inspiration to pursue a nursing career
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A mother who gave birth at 15 years old gave credit to a nurse who was instrumental in guiding her after pregnancy for inspiring her to become a nurse. Cherish Adams, now a mother to three children, has completed her nursing degree. Adams said Jeannine Joseph, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse, helped her realize she wanted to pursue the career. The realization started to take shape when Adams gave birth to her oldest child and was thinking about giving him to the Swedish American Hospital in a shoebox. Adams explained that this was the most terrified she had ever felt in her life. 'When I finally did go up to the hospital, I just remember being really scared and very overwhelmed because, again, I hadn't told anyone anything about this,' said Adams. Joseph was one of the first people to know how the situation was taking a toll on Adams personally. 'She's in school, but this does not mean that you have to give up on your dreams,' Joseph explained to Adams. 'You still can go to school, you still can graduate from high school, you still can go to college, and you can make the best life that you can for you and Allen.' After 21 years, Adams is graduating from Rasmussen University-Rockford with an Associate's Degree in Nursing. She gave Joseph credit for helping put her on this path through all the chaos and confusion. 'Honestly, it just makes me feel very excited and just very accomplished,' said Adams. 'On top of graduating from nursing school, I'm actually getting to take a position in the same hospital where Jeannie inspired me. So, it's really this a huge full circle moment.' Adams can be seen telling her story at her graduation in hopes of inspiring others on Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
