Latest news with #HighFunctioning
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Having trouble experiencing joy? This may be why
Dr. Judith Joseph says joy isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a part of who we are. 'We are built with that DNA for joy. It's our birthright as human beings,' she told me recently. Joseph is a board-certified psychiatrist and researcher who has made it her mission to study joy — and what prevents people from feeling it. Her work, including her new book, 'High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy,' has drawn widespread attention, in part due to her pioneering research into the condition of high-functioning depression, which is finally being taken seriously. 'I wanted people to learn that, listen, depression looks different,' Joseph said. 'There are some people who struggle with anhedonia, (which means) a lack of joy,' Joseph told me. 'They don't seem depressed (but) you don't have to have sadness to meet criteria for depression.' Joseph includes herself among those individuals who have had high-functioning depression, and she noted that 'many of us are pathologically productive.' One of the biggest challenges in self-identifying high-functioning depression, she said, is that some people experience psychological barriers such as anhedonia and alexithymia, which is a difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions. Both can kill joy and are often overlooked in conversations about mental health because you can still function at work and at home, at least according to everyone else. Joseph unlocked more joy in her life through strong connections with family and community. Her joy, she said, also comes from helping others access their own. But that took time to discover. She not only did clinical studies on high-functioning depression but she herself experienced it, even as she racked up accolades professionally. 'That was me in 2020,' Joseph said. 'I wore this mask. On the outside it looked like everything was great — I was running my lab, I had a small child, a perfect family, I was on TV. But I was struggling with anhedonia,' or the inability to feel pleasure. So how do you combat it? Validation: Name how you feel. Acknowledge it. Accept it. 'If we don't know how we feel, if we can't name it, we're confused, it's uncertain. We feel anxious, so naming how you feel and accepting it is so important,' Joseph explained. Venting: Find someone you trust to express what you are going through, with a caveat. If you are not talking to a mental health professional, Joseph said to beware of 'trauma dumping' on friends and family. 'You want to check in. You want to ask for emotional consent and say, 'Is this a good time?'' Values: What gives you meaning and purpose in life? 'Think about things that are priceless. … I used to chase the accolades, the achievements, those are things that, you know, at the end of the day I'm not gonna talk about on my deathbed,' she said. Vitals: These are the things that keep you alive and well: healthy food, consistent exercise and good sleep. They're easy to say but hard for many of us to do. Vision: This is difficult to have when you are blinded by your own discomfort. But the joy doctor recommends you plan for more joy and stop revisiting the past. Do not try to do all of these at once or in rapid succession, Joseph warned me. 'Don't be high functioning,' she said, when it comes to this process. It's not another problem at work. It's your life. And remember: Happiness is external and a short-term fix like the rush you get when you buy something new or win an award. Joy is internal. 'It's harnessed within,' Joseph said. 'You don't have to teach a child joy. We are built with it.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Having trouble experiencing joy? This may be why
Mental healthFacebookTweetLink Follow Dr. Judith Joseph says joy isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a part of who we are. 'We are built with that DNA for joy. It's our birthright as human beings,' she told me recently. Joseph is a board-certified psychiatrist and researcher who has made it her mission to study joy — and what prevents people from feeling it. Her work, including her new book, 'High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy,' has drawn widespread attention, in part due to her pioneering research into the condition of high-functioning depression, which is finally being taken seriously. 'I wanted people to learn that, listen, depression looks different,' Joseph said. 'There are some people who struggle with anhedonia, (which means) a lack of joy,' Joseph told me. 'They don't seem depressed (but) you don't have to have sadness to meet criteria for depression.' Joseph includes herself among those individuals who have had high-functioning depression, and she noted that 'many of us are pathologically productive.' One of the biggest challenges in self-identifying high-functioning depression, she said, is that some people experience psychological barriers such as anhedonia and alexithymia, which is a difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions. Both can kill joy and are often overlooked in conversations about mental health because you can still function at work and at home, at least according to everyone else. Joseph unlocked more joy in her life through strong connections with family and community. Her joy, she said, also comes from helping others access their own. But that took time to discover. She not only did clinical studies on high-functioning depression but she herself experienced it, even as she racked up accolades professionally. 'That was me in 2020,' Joseph said. 'I wore this mask. On the outside it looked like everything was great — I was running my lab, I had a small child, a perfect family, I was on TV. But I was struggling with anhedonia,' or the inability to feel pleasure. So how do you combat it? Validation: Name how you feel. Acknowledge it. Accept it. 'If we don't know how we feel, if we can't name it, we're confused, it's uncertain. We feel anxious, so naming how you feel and accepting it is so important,' Joseph explained. Venting: Find someone you trust to express what you are going through, with a caveat. If you are not talking to a mental health professional, Joseph said to beware of 'trauma dumping' on friends and family. 'You want to check in. You want to ask for emotional consent and say, 'Is this a good time?'' Values: What gives you meaning and purpose in life? 'Think about things that are priceless. … I used to chase the accolades, the achievements, those are things that, you know, at the end of the day I'm not gonna talk about on my deathbed,' she said. Vitals: These are the things that keep you alive and well: healthy food, consistent exercise and good sleep. They're easy to say but hard for many of us to do. Vision: This is difficult to have when you are blinded by your own discomfort. But the joy doctor recommends you plan for more joy and stop revisiting the past. Do not try to do all of these at once or in rapid succession, Joseph warned me. 'Don't be high functioning,' she said, when it comes to this process. It's not another problem at work. It's your life. And remember: Happiness is external and a short-term fix like the rush you get when you buy something new or win an award. Joy is internal. 'It's harnessed within,' Joseph said. 'You don't have to teach a child joy. We are built with it.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Having trouble experiencing joy? This may be why
Dr. Judith Joseph says joy isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a part of who we are. 'We are built with that DNA for joy. It's our birthright as human beings,' she told me recently. Joseph is a board-certified psychiatrist and researcher who has made it her mission to study joy — and what prevents people from feeling it. Her work, including her new book, 'High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy,' has drawn widespread attention, in part due to her pioneering research into the condition of high-functioning depression, which is finally being taken seriously. 'I wanted people to learn that, listen, depression looks different,' Joseph said. 'There are some people who struggle with anhedonia, (which means) a lack of joy,' Joseph told me. 'They don't seem depressed (but) you don't have to have sadness to meet criteria for depression.' Joseph includes herself among those individuals who have had high-functioning depression, and she noted that 'many of us are pathologically productive.' One of the biggest challenges in self-identifying high-functioning depression, she said, is that some people experience psychological barriers such as anhedonia and alexithymia, which is a difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions. Both can kill joy and are often overlooked in conversations about mental health because you can still function at work and at home, at least according to everyone else. Joseph unlocked more joy in her life through strong connections with family and community. Her joy, she said, also comes from helping others access their own. But that took time to discover. She not only did clinical studies on high-functioning depression but she herself experienced it, even as she racked up accolades professionally. 'That was me in 2020,' Joseph said. 'I wore this mask. On the outside it looked like everything was great — I was running my lab, I had a small child, a perfect family, I was on TV. But I was struggling with anhedonia,' or the inability to feel pleasure. So how do you combat it? Validation: Name how you feel. Acknowledge it. Accept it. 'If we don't know how we feel, if we can't name it, we're confused, it's uncertain. We feel anxious, so naming how you feel and accepting it is so important,' Joseph explained. Venting: Find someone you trust to express what you are going through, with a caveat. If you are not talking to a mental health professional, Joseph said to beware of 'trauma dumping' on friends and family. 'You want to check in. You want to ask for emotional consent and say, 'Is this a good time?'' Values: What gives you meaning and purpose in life? 'Think about things that are priceless. … I used to chase the accolades, the achievements, those are things that, you know, at the end of the day I'm not gonna talk about on my deathbed,' she said. Vitals: These are the things that keep you alive and well: healthy food, consistent exercise and good sleep. They're easy to say but hard for many of us to do. Vision: This is difficult to have when you are blinded by your own discomfort. But the joy doctor recommends you plan for more joy and stop revisiting the past. Do not try to do all of these at once or in rapid succession, Joseph warned me. 'Don't be high functioning,' she said, when it comes to this process. It's not another problem at work. It's your life. And remember: Happiness is external and a short-term fix like the rush you get when you buy something new or win an award. Joy is internal. 'It's harnessed within,' Joseph said. 'You don't have to teach a child joy. We are built with it.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
What is pathological productivity and how can you avoid it? Expert explains
Dr. Judith Joseph, a psychiatrist and author of 'High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy,' sits down with CNN's Sara Sidner to discuss the difference between happiness and joy and how it all relates to depression.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
7 Signs of 'High-Functioning Depression,' According to a Columbia-Trained Psychiatrist
Parade aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. "You don't seem depressed," is a comment nobody with depression wants to hear. It doesn't change the reality of how you're feeling, and the skepticism doesn't offer any actual support. If anything, this type of statement might make you feel like something else is wrong with you or cause you to self-gaslight. However, you might be experiencing signs of high-functioning depression (HFD), according to a psychiatrist. "Just because someone isn't crying or sad doesn't mean they aren't struggling," Dr. Judith Joseph, MD, MBA, tells Parade. For example, "Anhedonia is a common symptom of HFD," she continues. "It is a lack of pleasure in things that once brought you joy." Not enjoying something that you used to love might be easy to ignore or disregard. You're busy, after all! But it's worth paying attention to and flagging. We live in a world where productivity is prized and staying busy can look like a successful life. However, even if things "look good" from the outside, if you're living out of an abundance of stress, your mental health is likely suffering. Parade aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Related: 7 Signs of Depression Most People Miss, According to Mental Health Experts How To Explain Depression to Someone Who Doesn't Have It "Depression results in a sad mood or 'anhedonia,' which is a lack of interest and pleasure in things," explains Dr. Joseph, author of High Functioning (April 8). "Additionally, depression must have at least five of the following symptoms (below), and the symptoms must cause a decrease in functioning or distress." "High-functioning depression is the same," she continues. "However, instead of losing functioning or being in distress, people tend to over-function." Related: This Is the #1 Early Depression Sign Most People Miss 7 Signs of High-Functioning Depression (HFD) 1. Fatigue "High-functioning depression often brings with it unrelenting fatigue," Dr. Joseph shares. "It's not the kind of tiredness that a good night's sleep can fix. Even when you've rested, you still feel physically and mentally drained. This exhaustion can affect your performance at work or your ability to enjoy your hobbies and time with loved ones." 2. Difficulty Concentrating "Concentrating on tasks or making decisions can become unexpectedly challenging," Dr. Joseph tells Parade. "You might find it harder to focus at work or even choose what to have for dinner. This cognitive fog can be frustrating and lead to feelings of inadequacy." 3. Irritability "High-functioning depression can make you more irritable than usual," she explains. "You might find yourself easily annoyed or agitated by small things that wouldn't have bothered you in the past. This change in your emotional responses can affect your relationships and work life." 4. Changes in Appetite "Pay attention to your eating habits—high-functioning depression can lead to significant changes in appetite," Dr. Joseph warns. "Some people may lose interest in food, leading to weight loss, while others may turn to food for comfort, resulting in weight gain. These changes are often linked to emotional distress." 5. Sleep Disturbances "Your sleep patterns may also be disrupted," she shares. "You might struggle with insomnia, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. Conversely, you might find yourself oversleeping, unable to muster the energy to get out of bed." 6. Physical Symptoms "High-functioning depression can manifest as physical symptoms, such as unexplained headaches, digestive problems, or various aches and pains," Dr. Joseph says. "These symptoms can sometimes be the body's way of expressing the emotional distress you're experiencing." 7. Social Withdrawal "One of the telltale signs of high-functioning depression is social withdrawal," she explains. "You might begin to isolate yourself from friends and family, even if you were once outgoing and sociable. The effort required to engage in social activities can feel overwhelming." Related: Psychologists Are Begging People To Pay Attention to These 11 Early Signs of Loneliness The Difference Between Depression and HFD "Our current healthcare system requires physicians, therapists and insurance companies to require a significant loss in functioning or emotional distress before you can code and bill for depression," Dr. Joseph explains. "You need to have symptoms of depression like changes in sleep, mood, energy and a significant loss of functioning (or significant distress) to meet criteria for clinical depression." Unfortunately, this can make it more difficult for individuals to get the help and support they need. "There are millions of us who don't meet criteria for clinical depression, despite having symptoms of depression, because we are still functioning," she continues. "We push through pain, and instead of breaking down and losing functioning, we are pathologically productive. We overwork and overproduce to distract from negative emotions." Just because HFD looks different than "typical" depression doesn't mean it doesn't need to be addressed. "We know from evidence-based science that constant mental stress leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes," Dr. Joseph explains. "We have a choice: we can wait and react when people break down, or we can proactively prevent these negative outcomes from happening." Related: 11 Phrases That Signal a Person's Lonely, According to Psychologists Risk Factors of HFD "Since publishing the research, I have had several people from academic institutions around the world reach out to inquire about the risk factors of HFD," Dr. Joseph shares. "What I have found in my study that trauma is a risk factor. A prestigious trauma institute in Europe was curious about the types of traumas that makes people prone to HFD. While we need more research in this area, it is likely that people use overworking and staying busy as a trauma response to avoid coping with past emotional pain." The trauma may lead to people-pleasing tendencies in individuals with HFD as well. "People pleasers tend to bend over backwards and put other people's joy ahead of themselves," Dr. Joseph says. "They may experience anhedonia, because they do not prioritize their own joy and put other people's interests ahead of themselves." "People with HFD tend to overwork in all areas of their lives," she continues. "This tendency to overwork and people please may stem from unprocessed trauma. Feeling unlovable and unworthy are trauma responses, and perhaps unresolved trauma leads these people to busy themselves to feel worthy of acceptance and love as well as approval." Up Next: Related: The Unexpected Depression Sign a Geriatrician Is Begging People Over 50 to Pay Attention To Source: Dr. Judith Joseph, MD, MBACourtesy Dr. Judith Joseph
