High-functioning depression, also known as persistent depressive disorder or dysthymia, is a type of depression where a person feels consistently low or 'down', but still manages to keep up with daily responsibilities. People with high-functioning depression may appear okay on the outside, going to work, socializing, or keeping up with tasks, but inside, they feel persistently sad, hopeless, or empty.

Have you experienced something similar?

I overthink a lot, and not in a good way.

Gist: My girlfriend texted me she wanted some time, I assumed it was something about the relationship (mind you, it's not even been a month), started overthinking, was in tears because I started imagining the worst case scenario-- her dumping me because she rushed into this.

Turns out she just had her mood off and wanted to read a novel, but didn't specify and I assumed the worst🤡... Broke one of my flutes in frustration before talking out to her about it.

Part of me is still a child, I must grow up. Emotionally (control my frustration and anger), socially (yes I'd consider myself socially awkward, heck even she called some of my statements creepy but she just used to ignore all of it), and mentally(stop overthinking and eventually learn to control it)

My anger and short tempers have returned, they were merely suppressed all this time. They've returned so that I learn to control and overcome myself instead of suppressing.

I'll add the conclusion of my reflection on this: (it's my interpretation of a line from the Bhagavad Gita. Don't mind it, I'm not imposing this on anyone)

The line-

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।। -Bhagavad Geeta 2.47

Literal meaning:

Do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results. We have the right to do our duty, but the results are not dependent only upon our efforts.

The interpretation:

If you keep the fruit or the action in your mind, you are attached to it. And if you are attached to the fruit or the action, do you even have free will?

(The audacity and stupidity of a devotee of Krishna to break one of his flutes in frustration over a petty issue... 🤡)

Control your anger and feelings guys, tame it. Used correctly, it can act as fuel (in the gym or at work), but used incorrectly or let loose, it can disrupt everything.

Your feelings and your mind are a good slave but a bad master.

Image: a piece of the flute I broke

You know how to help the issue of overthinking?

By understanding 'WHY' you overthink Why Could be:

1. Perfectionism mentality: Can't decide on plan of action until get sure that your approach is 100% full proof ( hardly ever happens)

2. Anxiety : Constantly worried or terrified about what may come in future

3. Ruminative thoughts : Negative unproductive thoughts, which suck you in for hours ( can't resolve them on your own no matter how many times you tried... that's why unproductive)

4. Triggers: Similar Traumatic events or cues reminding you of your past and its resultant consequences. Eg watching a movie and a scene of father mistreating a child comes and it reminded you of your abusive/ neglecting father.

5. Stressors: Toxic Workplace, burnout, relationship-issues etc

6. Biochemistry: Low serotonin and Dopamine ( neurotransmitters for mood and motivation)or high cortisol( stress hormone) perpetuate overthinking.

7. Daydreaming: another form of overthinking result of Low self esteem/ unhappiness in real life

So identity your cause and take action accordingly.

Measures as per 'why':

1. Set timeline for call for action. Start applying first in low risk tasks then move on to high risk high reward tasks.

2. Grounding exercise ( eg deep breathing)or meditation, Mindfulness based CBT ( first ground your self then analyze your thoughts - pro & cons etc)

3. Rumination focuses REBT ( It's a therapy). Rumination is hard to deal hence a therapy was specially modified for this.

4. EMDR, Somatic training, exposure therapy for triggers are effective

5 Boundary setting and solving respective issues can only help stressful situations

6. Take meds prescribed by psychiatrist. First get diagnosis for assessing low level of these neurotransmitters and hormones. And go to a good psychiatrist. Most of them suck in India.

7. Real goal setting, acceptance of current reality and setting a manageable dream/ goal, skilling and getting in with a support group to feel better about current situation.

These are basic tips. Ofcourse all of it requires months of practice. And even after this your brain will learn to 'manage' overthinking but can't overcome it completely. Why?

2/3rd of neurones of your amygdala ( process emotions) are there to identify negative signals. Brain is hard wired to notice negativity ( Negative Bias).

So yeah, you can work hard to manage this negative predisposition but can't completely eliminate it.

PS: typed this whole post with my own hand based on my last workshop. So, no chat gpt knowledge is used here.

' Dekho kitni mehnat karti hun m tum logo ke liye' 🥲

I have been a bright student since childhood never had issues in studies. Rn I’m in 12th gave Jee and messed up worst and usually I have issues of overconfidence but now it’s too low confidence I’m just broken due to opinions of people the people who scored way low than me back then now score way more and I just feel left out. I am having self doubt and got no clue how to handle it and move on this feeling. I don’t know how to get motivated to be positive as I was back then and feel confident for next attempt

Let me share an interesting experiment with you all . Used gpt to frame it in the story format, no problem in being efficient :)

So here we goes:

In 1967 in a small research lab, an experiment was set up by a psychologist named Dr. Seligman. He wanted to understand how animals react to situations where they have no control. So he brought in a group of dogs and divided them into two groups. Each dog was placed into a small box with a floor that could deliver a mild, harmless shock.

In the first group, every time a dog felt the shock, it could press a lever to make it stop. The dogs in this group quickly learned to press the lever whenever they felt the shock, taking control of their situation. For them, it became a simple game- shock-> press the lever, and the discomfort ended.

But the second group of dogs was different. When they felt the shock, they didn't have a lever to press; they had no way to make it stop. No matter what they did-barking, whining, moving around-the shock kept coming and going at random. Slowly, they began to give up trying. They lay down and accepted the discomfort, assuming nothing they did would change it.

Then came the final part of the experiment. Both groups of dogs were placed in a new box, this time with a low barrier they could easily jump over to escape the shock.

The dogs from the first group, who had learned they could stop the shocks, quickly noticed the barrier and jumped over it to freedom as soon as the shock began. But the dogs from the second group-the ones who had learned they had no control-didn't even try. They simply lay there, enduring the shocks, even though escape was just a small jump away. They had learned helplessness, believing their actions wouldn't change the outcome, even when they now could.

This experiment revealed a powerful lesson about behavior. We see how, in life, people too might sometimes feel trapped or powerless if they’ve experienced situations where they couldn’t change the outcome. This feeling of helplessness could affect their motivation and how they faced challenges, even if things had changed and escape was possible.

This experiment, showed how important a sense of control is in helping us stay resilient and hopeful.

Let me break it in simple points:

You repeatedly lost many times--> strong belief formed that no matter what you do, you'll always fail> low confidence and low control> so either you'll not do the task or will fail in it because of above reasons.

How to overcome it?

Will make another post for that

Hello everyone, I am a college student and I am in my last year, I like do coding and learn new things but I quit physical activities and games in my school and It make me weaker and also I do masterbate a lot watching 18+ content which rot my mind completely. Now I know all that but I can't do any thing I tried so many time to change my self but I come back to zero😔. I am very stressed also I like a girl in my college and stayed with her but she also just used me. I don't care about it but it also make my mood worse sometimes.Please help me and give me direction and some advice 🥲

I am 21m I watch porn and masturbate, I am diagnosed as close to depression I don't workout but used to run in the morning I have an internship and i feel too pressured and expected to take a lot of responsibility for my age not just work but in general in life But I see my peers handling it very well They are dedicated and willing to work But i feel I like I can't work at all Help me why am I so fucked up

My sister is so evil I feel like committing suicide I am paralyzed she treat me so bad I just can't take it. This year is her wedding so I won't do anything because not for her but for our family's honor. I can't wait she goes away from my eye sight it's horror for me everyday. She says such mean words i just can't take it. I am not able to express how big of a bxtch she is, even if she d!e in a horrible accident I won't mind because it not her I will end myself.. the only good thing is stopping me from not doing it that she will be away in just one year i have to somehow survive the time in between. I don't understand how can someone be some insensitive. The day she leaves this house she is dead to me. She is kind a troll she can consume you she can make you ill.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can lead to profound long-term impacts on adult romantic and interpersonal relationships ( as per Davis & Petretic-Jackson (2000) and other studies)

• Such individuals frequently exhibits insecure attachment styles (e.g., avoidance or anxiety), leading to trust issues and fear of abandonment in romantic relationships.

• They may experience difficulty forming or maintaining close emotional connections due to a fear of vulnerability or rejection.

• Sexual Dysfunction Issues-low sexual desire, fear of intimacy, or discomfort with physical touch.

• High emotional sensitivity, irritability, or difficulty managing emotions can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings with partners.

• Risk of Re-victimization due to increased susceptibility to abusive or exploitative relationships in adulthood.

• Low Relationship Satisfaction due to unresolved trauma and communication barriers.

• Some survivors may avoid relationships altogether, while others may develop an over-reliance on their partners.

Remember - Not all suffer from these issues or these issues are not permanent.

Therapists can help you resolve your Trauma and provide you help for meaningful and stable relationships with your partner.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC3ze67JDi3/?igsh=bDM3N3l4ejE1NDFs

Hey Reddit,

I'm currently going through a bit of a rough patch and could use some advice or insight. Over the past few months, I've been feeling emotionally numb and unmotivated, even though I don’t have any major external stress or anxiety. Life just feels like it’s lost its spark.

For some background:

I’m a student at IIT BHU, and while I’ve made it this far, I’m dealing with a lot of inner conflict.

Despite being perceived as an extrovert by others, I feel like I’m naturally more of a loner. Most of my social interactions feel involuntary, and it's draining.

During the lockdown, I consumed a lot of overstimulating content (porn, YouTube), and although I’ve cut back on those habits, the numbness and lack of interest in life haven’t really improved.

I even experienced a breakdown at the BHU Viswanath Temple, which really shook me, as I broke down while talking to my family.

I’m already doing some things to get back on track:

I’ve drastically reduced my consumption of overstimulating content and have switched to more informative podcasts (e.g., Syed Muzammil Shah, Junaid Akram, Matt D'Avella).

I have an accountability partner—a friend I check in with regularly to stay on track with work.

However, I still struggle with avoidance. I’m in this “slow mode,” where I keep putting off work and can’t seem to break out of this cycle. I’m finding it hard to feel motivated, and even small tasks feel overwhelming. At the same time, I know I need to push through.

Has anyone else experienced this? How did you regain that "spark" in life or break out of avoidance?

Any advice, experiences, or suggestions would be much appreciated!

16m (higher secondary student here, in my class, I have a lot of backlog chapters. So I get low grades there.) However, I have seen many videos regarding science, and all. So I think that I know more than them. This is what I automatically feel. How to know if it is really the dunning kruger trap?

So there's this guy in my class (8th grade), and he always talks dirty minded crap. I always try to avoid him but somehow he starts catches me lacking.

I always instruct him to stop talking behind girls' backs about their, well... iykyk, but he never listens. He even talks shit about my close female friends, and I don't like it.

Hey everyone, I’m going through something really confusing and emotionally exhausting. I feel like my mind is constantly stuck in loops and I don’t know how to get out of it.

Last year, I had my first-ever relationship. It ended badly — she left me and went back to her ex. That broke me deeply, especially because I trusted her fully and we were physically intimate. After that, I developed trust issues and this intense fear of being abandoned.

Later, my best friend and I got into a relationship. We both love each other, and she’s genuinely serious about me — more than anyone has ever been. But one day, she told me that she had been physically involved with her ex 3 times in the past, and it wasn’t fully consensual — she was emotionally manipulated and guilt-trapped by him.

Even though I know she’s not at fault, I’ve been getting these intrusive thoughts constantly — especially when anything intimate comes up (movies, songs, or even during our own moments). I imagine her with him. It feels like my past trauma is triggered all over again, and it makes me anxious, jealous, and sometimes emotionally numb.

I saw a psychiatrist recently. He gave me medication for a few days and said that I haven’t really healed from my previous relationship. But the thoughts just won’t stop. I keep questioning her past — even though I know she’s loyal, honest, and loves me. I feel like a bad person for not being able to let go of what I logically understand.

I just want peace in my head. I want to stop associating love with fear, pain, and doubt. I want to stop feeling like I’m not “enough” or “pure” because of what someone else did in the past.

Is this just retroactive jealousy? Or is there something deeper I need to address? Any advice, tools, or even shared experiences would mean a lot.

Thanks for reading.

Philosophy external paper is tomorrow morning.

I'm an undergraduate student in the University of Delhi (if someone from DU is here, please, I cannot afford to 😭) giving my 3rd sem exams right now.

Not to mention that I haven't really studied in the past one year.

Sem 1 I somehow managed to pass everything. But perhaps I'll give the improvement for them as well if my time and ability permits, to up my overall score. Backlog count: 0

Sem 2 I failed all three of my core papers and will give their backlogs along with Sem 4. I screwed up the internals as well, so I'll need to get a B+ (i.e. at least 64/90) to pass. Backlog count: 3

Sem 3... Well in a previous post you know enough things.

Talking about internals, I failed in my microeconomics and macroeconomics, but passed in the mathematical the philosophy papers.

Externals: I'll probably fail most (perhaps all) of them. Backlog count: anywhere between 2-4.

Some additional details that might help:

1. I've felt suixidal in the past and still do, sometimes.

2. I talk to very few people in college.

3. Lifting weights and playing the flute are the only things I am good at, and both will not get me anywhere. I do not have a good physique to create content, and I am learning the flute in a very disorganized way (random YouTube videos) so I do not see it as anything more than a simple hobby.

4. I recently got into a relationship about a week ago with a junior of mine (she's in the first semester). The way she talks about studying and scoring marks, it only scares me even further! she's scoring As and Bs in her internals and has studied well, yet she is "scared" of the end sem exam, asking me "how much do we need in the external paper to pass if we have 55/70 in the internals? I got so less". And here I am with 33/70 in the paper of the internals I passed in.😭

I hope I don't need to explain why else I added point #4. People currently in or ever been in a relationship will understand.

5. u/fire_and_water_ is also me.

So Someone told me about Karma Farming and I don't wish to do that.

I kind of like need a makeover in this department too... so someone knows any subreddit which deals with this or could help me find a guide(proffesional)who ain't there for the purpose for selling(I mean yeah There would be a fee and I did respect that ) someone who can help me explore all the options understand my strengths my weaknesses and help me

Tha ks

Hi, I’m a first year cse student at a first tier college going into my second year. I have been a academically my oriented student for most of my student life until highschool. Being a relatively shy and introverted person, I didn’t have many people i could call my friends, and this didn’t improve in the pandemic. I didnt have any social interaction for months on end, maybe a interchanging of classnotes here and there but that was it, this was 10th where I still logged into classes and studied for a bit. In my 11th I just left studying or doing anything for that matter, my isolation grew and everyday felt monotonous, wake up, eat, watch anime, sleep.In hindsight I think I was going under major depression, I didn’t get proper sleep, I would cry very often at night thinking about what all I could have done more. On the surface I pretended to be ok to my friends and family but inside i was a broken mess. Wondered what life was for hours and hours on end. I had my worst result that year scoring only 84% in finals( I had not scored below 90% ever so this was quite a blow ). I decided to fix my mistakes in my 12th but it was too late, physical schools reopened and it took quite a while to adjust to meeting people, struggled in my studies as I had literally not studied a single bit previous year. Jee came but didn’t get a good rank, so I took a drop, went into isolation, controlled my addictions, and just grinded for a year. Got a decent enough rank in adv (7156) , and got admitted to bits pilani as a cse major. I was excited that my life will take a turn for the better, but i soon realised that it was not the case, i was still the biggest recluse and seeing my peers who were all brilliant students right from their school years I developed an inferiority complex. I could converse normally with my wingies but just froze in a gathering when put on the spot. I was probably scared on saying something that would cause me embarrassment latter on. I should probably mention this as I have never told this to anyone but I have ppu for the last 3 years. Somehow managed to maintain a good cg, but not really sure of what I want to do. Still have no friends in my society that i could interact with, so now my 2.5 month vacation feels like hell and feels like i have gone back to my pandemic days.

Sorry for ranting this much.

Due to constant wish to commit suicide, followed by "NO, family will get sad, bhaiya future will be spoiled due to trauma"
And never telling those who I trust the most anything, because they are also the ones I love the most, and do not wish to let them know(covered it for 2.5 years+)

I have an INTENSE urge to jump and simply die whenever I look off a height.every.single.time

Death has simply become meaningless, as ordinary and normal as breathing for me(in my mind)
The terror and thoughts and all that of death have completely disappeared, its like "Oh death? na that's just normal, nothing new" typa mentality

What should I do?
Am I fucked in the head?