My Support Forums - View Single Post - My therapist said that as long as I am high functioning, I don't have a disorder

Blue_Bird · Nov 16, 2018, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtleyWilkins

From your initial post where you said "I asked my therapist, if she thinks that I have a depression or something else," you don't seem to know if you are depressed which may be a sign that you probably aren't, at least not to the extent that you would hold the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. Even those that are high functioning, generally know internally that they are depressed if it is severe enough and long-lasting enough to qualify for that diagnosis. You asked specifically about a depression diagnosis, and perhaps the reason your therapist was hesitant to apply that diagnosis is simply because, in your case, it doesn't quite fit..

I don't think that not knowing if you're depressed necessarily means your not...

Long before I got dx'd with schizoaffective/bipolar, I deal with a severe episode of major depression.

Possible trigger:

I had a period of depression that lasted 2 years, and I had no idea I was depressed for most of the time. It subtly crept up, very slowly, until a year later I was consumed with self hatred, sadness and suicidal thoughts. It was suggested to me many times in the beginning by my mom that she felt like I was depressed. For the first year I truly didn't believe I was. I didn't see the signs everyone else saw. I was actually offended when she said that because I just assumed my coming out of my room less, not talking to my friends, not being motivated, etc was "just me" I kept denying until I ended up attempting suicide at 14.

So I think it's common to not be sure if what one is experiencing is whatever they are asking. I still experience depression and am sometimes not sure that I'm depressed or not until it gets really bad. And then when I'm experiencing manic or psychosis symptoms I tend to not realize in the beginning stages, and I may ask my therapist or doctor what they think, because sometimes mental illness can affect awareness of self and behavior, insight, etc.They tend to be able to clarify what they see in me.

Also wanted to add in reply to the original poster, being high functioning doesn't mean you don't have a mental illness. Many people are high functioning and have mental illnesses. I consider myself fairly high functioning (going to college part time) yet it doesn't mean I don't have the diagnosis I have. I have good days and bad days with symptoms.