8 Things People With Hidden Depression Do

Most people have heard of and experienced depression. There are some misconceptions about depression and its symptoms that can make depression hard to recognize. There are also many erroneous assumptions about the illness. When a person is unaware they are suffering depression, they may subconsciously cope by masking the illness. They will tend to explain it away rather than effectively deal with it. It is important to uncover the symptoms of hidden depression to better help people struggling with unseen illnesses. The following are some common symptoms of hidden depression:

They May Not Appear Depressed

Reader's Digest

People with hidden depression do not appear to be depressed, but that is because people with hidden depression tend to wear a mask to protect themselves. Wearing a mask does not mean there is any less suffering, it is just hidden away. A common assumption about depressed people is that they will look the part meaning they appear miserable, unkempt, and unsociable, but not everyone who is depressed fits this stereotype. Depressed people do not all experience their symptoms in the same way, and people differ in their coping abilities. This does not imply that depressed people who do not maintain a façade are mentally any weaker than those who do. Depression hits everyone differently, but with hidden depression, it is harder to receive help as the depressed person does not recognize what they are going through.

They May Often Complain About Feeling Tired Or Exhausted

A common symptom of depression is persistent exhaustion. Not all people with depression experience this symptom, but it is a very typical one. Depressed people can get sufficient hours of sleep each night, but wake up feeling unrefreshed and cranky. For people with hidden depression, while they may feel chronically tired, the cause will be baffling to them. They may try to explain away their exhaustion by blaming themselves and calling themselves lazy or often visiting the doctor for a physical check up. For all depressed people, including those with hidden depression, the persistent tiredness can affect their personal relationships and their productivity at work, but for people with hidden depression, they may attempt to overcompensate to mask any negative impact on their relationships or work and complain about their exhaustion to people they trust.