What is smiling depression?
Smiling depression is when someone looks happy even though they are sad. If individuals hide their depression by smiling, it could stop others from feeling worried or concerned about them.
This means they are hiding their pain by smiling so that they don’t want others to know. A lot of people go through smiling depression.
It can happen to anyone. It can occur whenever the individual is experiencing or witnessing a horrible event or illness.
They hide their smile to convince other people that they are ok and that nothing is wrong with them.
As a result, because most people associate sadness with someone who looks unhappy or cries a lot, this sort of depression usually goes unnoticed.
However, while sorrow and uncontrollable crying are common symptoms of depression, not everyone who looks depressed is sad.
If you have smiling depression, you might tell others that you feel fine and ok with resuming your daily activities.
Therefore, your family will not realise that you need help with your mental health.
Who is at risk of smiling depression?
Many factors contribute to smiling depression. Some may include:
- Big life changes
- Social media
- Being judged
- Doubts or low self-esteem
Some of these factors may involve a triggering event or posting the good things about your life instead of the bad things happening in your life. So while smiling depression isn’t a clinical condition, it should be taken seriously and treated.
Smiling depression can happen to anyone, whether it’s teens or adults. However, it can cause problems for individuals and make them feel bad about themselves.
Individuals may feel that they are not trying hard enough or think that they are not doing well in life. Negativity consumes them, making them believe that they have nothing to offer, thus becoming miserable and full of sadness.
It is the thought process that causes depression in an individual. The way they think impacts them, leading them to cloud their mind full of negative thoughts.
By thinking negatively, the person will experience many physical problems and emotional symptoms that may further damage their mental health, causing low motivation and less confidence.
Individuals with strict family backgrounds may face depression often and could come in and out of it. This could be because the individual is not doing well in their exams. Thus, that person’s parents put mental stress on them and limit what they can and cannot do.
The stigma around emotions has become harsh as expressing your feelings or not doing anything productive may be considered lazy or weak.
How is smiling depression diagnosed?
The problem with diagnosing smiling depression is that many people are unaware of their depression or refuse to seek help.
It is important to seek therapy immediately if you think you have depression or are showing symptoms of depression.
Medical health assistants can help diagnose and find out the symptoms and troubles of dealing with smiling depression as they have experience within the field.
Your doctor would carry out a regular check-up and ask you questions about your symptoms and any significant life changes.
They may also recommend you to a mental health expert, such as a psychiatrist if you need any medication or a psychologist or other mental health professionals who specialise in psychotherapy if you need it.
To be diagnosed with severe depressive order, you must have had a depressing episode that lasted more than two weeks or has lasted for most of the day.
These symptoms impact how you feel, think and handle everyday tasks like sleeping, eating, or working.
Treating depression
Even though smiling depression can become tough to deal with, some treatments can help reduce the effects or help completely get rid of depression.
Any therapy options for depression are accessible and encouraged to try different therapies that may help with depression. Some of these treatments may include:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Acceptance and commitment to therapy
Taking medications and attending therapies help with almost any mental health condition. It is practical and will show some form of change in the person’s attitude or behaviour which may benefit them.
Living with smiling depression necessitates the development of effective coping mechanisms which help prevent symptoms. However, some people will need to improve their current coping skills in order for it to work for them.
While others may require professional assistance, which can help them learn more about their condition and gain skills in managing it, in either case, these skills will have the potential to have a significant impact on the situation in a way that would benefit the person.
Avoiding negative habits is most likely to increase depression. Such as taking drugs or becoming too much of an alcoholic can corrupt your mind and body and bring out the worst in you.
Although it may temporarily get rid of depression, there is a chance it will come back and worsen your condition. Therefore, it is advised to consider different treatment options and which ones are effective for you.
Trying a different hobby or shifting your routine to something different may help alleviate some of the effects of smiling depression.
Remaining upbeat and staying productive are some ways that can keep you busy which would help you keep your mind off negative thoughts and prevent depression. Hiding your feelings and thoughts will only consume you making it harder to overcome.
Overall conclusion
Depression comes in many different forms. When celebrities commit suicide it causes fear or shock because they hide their feelings and emotions. No matter what form depression takes, it can become a mentally draining and exhausting condition.
Individuals need to know there is hope and dealing with the symptoms yourself will only damage you mentally. No matter what you are going through, contacting someone you know always helps.
Family, friends, or even doctors and healthcare professionals can help provide quality advice in coping with mental health issues to overcome smiling depression.
