High-Functioning Means You’re Useful, Not Seen
The Quiet Exploitation of People Who Don’t Look Like They’re Suffering
There’s a growing consensus, both socially and clinically, that the term “high-functioning” is harmful, reductive, and too often used to dismiss real mental health struggles and neurodivergent traits or diagnoses. We are being trained not to say it aloud, to avoid labeling individuals this way because it can minimize their pain and create unrealistic expectations about how much someone should be able to handle.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: even as the word “high-functioning” fades from polite conversation, the ethos behind it, the relentless expectation to perform despite anxiety, depression, sensory overwhelm, executive dysfunction, exhaustion, or substance use, to mask emotional, cognitive, or neurodivergent differences, and to carry on without complaint, remains deeply embedded in how many people live their lives.
“High-functioning” isn’t about how you feel or how well you are coping internally. It’s about how useful you are to others. It’s about meeting external expectations, managing to keep the system running smoothly, and not rocking the boat, even if that means pushing yourself past your limits.