If you’re feeling numb, detached and burnt out, there are treatments that can help you start feeling like yourself again. However, symptoms that look like depression on the outside may have different causes. Functional freeze is a response to trauma or ongoing stress that shares some similarities with depression, but the causes of these conditions and the most effective treatment approaches are different. There are also some differences in the symptoms that you’ll notice with both conditions. Functional freeze isn’t an official DSM-5-TR diagnosis, but rather a descriptive term used to explain certain trauma-related responses.

Learning about depression and functional freeze can help you have better conversations with your care providers. You should seek a professional assessment to determine exactly what you’re dealing with.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss how functional freeze is different from depression, why it’s sometimes mistaken for depression, and the treatment approaches for both conditions.

What is “functional freeze” and why is it often mistaken for depression?

Functional freeze is a prolonged freeze state, which is a response to danger, distress or trauma. If the nervous system senses that it can’t overcome the threat or run away, it puts a person in a state of emotional numbing and paralysis. They may become passive or “check out” and, in some cases, dissociate from themselves in the present moment. During a prolonged freeze, people may be in a more responsive “fight-or flight” mode during the day and shut down to recover from the stress at night. 

To someone who has never heard of the “freeze” trauma response, functional freeze may seem like depression. They might feel numb, detached or irritable. They may experience bouts of sadness, have difficulty thinking and focusing, or feel exhausted and burnt out. 

What are the symptoms of functional freeze and depression?

Some of the symptoms of functional freeze overlap with major depressive disorder (MDD). There are a few important differences, and the cause of functional freeze is usually different than the potential causes of depression. Functional freeze is usually rooted in traumatic experiences or stress, while depression can be inherited or caused by differences in brain chemistry. Experiences with both conditions can vary, so it’s important to get an evaluation from a licensed clinician.

People in functional freeze are more likely to feel anxious and have a nervous energy or a feeling of both exhaustion and high energy during the day. Hypervigilance is common in people experiencing functional freeze. They’re also more likely to “crash” at night, feeling blank, unresponsive or slowed down and not wanting to move or do anything.

With depression, people are more likely to feel sad, hopeless or worthless. While they may have low energy or fatigue, they’re not as likely to have feelings of anxiety or being “wired” at the same time. They may have problems with digestion or differences in appetite and sleeping patterns, which aren’t typical of functional freeze.

People experiencing functional freeze may have the following symptoms:

• Emotional numbness, blunted emotions or detachment
• Feeling exhausted with high energy
• Anxiety or panic
• Feelings of dread
• Irritability
• Sadness
• Slowed thinking or difficulty making decisions
• Confusion
• Reduced responsiveness
• Mind going blank or trouble with memory
• Racing thoughts
• Trembling or shaking
• Hypervigilance
• Muscle aches or tension
• Slowed heart rate and breathing

The following symptoms are typical in people experiencing depression:

• Feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Tearfulness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in things they usually enjoy
• Anger, irritability or frustration
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Fatigue or low energy
• Changes in appetite
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
• Slowed thinking, speaking or movement
• Trouble thinking, focusing, making decisions and remembering things
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Digestive issues
• Aches and pains

How is the treatment approach for functional freeze different from treatment for depression?

For those in a functional freeze, somatic or body-focused treatments and lots of rest are helpful. They may practice grounding or mindfulness-based stress reduction and work on building self-compassion. Identifying triggers and stressful situations that may be keeping them in a freeze state may also be necessary so they can make adjustments. If they’ve experienced trauma, they may need to reprocess those things in trauma therapy.

For those with depression, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is usually the best approach. In both cases, caring for physical health by eating nutritious foods and getting enough sleep and exercise can make a big difference. 

Get an evaluation to determine whether you’re dealing with functional freeze or depression

Both depression and functional freeze can be improved with proper treatment. Because there’s so much variation in these conditions, you should receive a personalized treatment plan. The only way to know for sure what’s causing your symptoms is to seek an assessment with a licensed clinician. 

At Lightfully, we get to know our clients as individuals rather than taking a diagnosis-based approach. Here, your experience, your identity, your lifestyle and your goals are just as important to us as your symptoms. Our Precision Care Model (PCM) ensures that each person in our care builds up processes in their life to support long-term mental well-being. 

Learning about these conditions and your treatment options is the right thing to do. If you have any questions, please contact us. Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team to schedule an assessment. We’re here to help.