We often hear stories from mothers complaining that they have become irritable with their children. Men who complain that going to work have become a torturous experience. Sometimes it can be a loss of interest in one’s appearance or the appearance of house. These symptoms and others tend to be ignored.

In a demanding city like Dubai, with most individuals having no extended family support, it becomes imperative to just move on with their lives. So at the expense of their psychological wellbeing, many individuals will just pretend that they aren’t struggling. They will engage in dysfunctional activities to ease their pain. These symptoms are often associated with high functioning depression. The symptoms can vary but it includes irritability, increased anxiety, letting go of things once cared about such as appearance, hobbies, a clean house, and work becomes a torturous experience. High functioning depression is amongst the most neglected mental illness. The difficulty of struggling with high functioning depression is that the symptoms can be misconstrued as just a burn out, hence many individuals just treat it by going away for a vacation. Sometimes when the symptoms don’t subside, individuals can engage in dysfunctional behaviors. Those behaviors may include substance abuse, eating disorders, abuse of plastic surgeries, and overall mental health wellbeing decline. These symptoms also can affect the relationship between spouses, friends and family members.

High functioning depression is amongst the most neglected mental illnesses that tend to be ignored. Individuals often become critical of themselves, question the meaning of their lives, and may even begin substance abuse.

Author bio: Reem Shaheen, Adult Counseling Psychologist and Addiction and Eating Disorders Specialist at ClearMinds Center for Emotional Health www.clearmindscenter.com