Functional depression

Functional depression is an informal phrase rather than a separate diagnosis. A person may attend work, care for family, and appear organised while experiencing low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, or changes in sleep. Keeping up with tasks can require much more effort, followed by exhaustion or withdrawal in private. Symptoms can be persistent even when performance looks acceptable, and a clinician assesses their duration, intensity, effect on wellbeing, and possible medical contributors.

Arrange an appointment with a doctor or mental-health professional if symptoms continue, recur, or make ordinary tasks harder. Describe what happens before, during, and after work or social activities, including sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, and enjoyment. Treatment may involve talking therapy, practical changes, medicine, or a combination chosen with you. Regular meals, gentle activity, a steady sleep routine, and telling a trusted person what you are experiencing can support recovery, but they are not substitutes for assessment when symptoms are significant.

Seek urgent help if you are thinking about suicide, self-harm, or harming someone else, or if you cannot keep yourself safe. Contact local emergency services or go to an emergency department, and ask someone you trust to stay with you. Prompt medical review is also sensible for severe inability to sleep, rapidly worsening mood, confusion, or unusual high energy with little need for sleep.

Ask how your symptoms fit depression or another condition, whether sleep or physical health could contribute, which treatment options are available, and how progress will be reviewed. Mention any thoughts of self-harm directly so the clinician can help you make a safety plan.