Smiling depression: symptoms and treatment

Did you know that behind a smile great sadness and even the suffering of depression can hide? There is a vast majority of people who suffer from what is called "smiling depression", a type of depression characterized by the fact that the affected person hides his true emotional discomfort and depressive symptoms by apparently leading a normal life and even showing great happiness in the face of the rest. He lives depression internally and makes great efforts in his day to day to hide his real situation, he can show himself as someone very sociable and friendly. Therefore, this type of depression is more difficult to detect and solve.

In this Psychology-Online article, we will explain in detail what are the symptoms and treatment of smiley depression, as well as its causes and consequences.

Index

1. Causes of smiling depression
2. Smiling depression: symptoms
3. Who are more likely to hide depression
4. Consequences of smiling depression
5. Smiling depression treatment

The smiling depression it's a kind of hidden or covert depression by the affected person, since this tries to appear a "normality" and even a state of happiness in front of other people, but on the contrary lives and suffers the symptoms of depression internally. At no time does he express his discomfort or the symptoms of this psychological disorder, but he makes great efforts to always hide them. This can cause people who are close to her to believe that she is a happy person, without emotional problems and even that she enjoys a perfect life.

People who hide great sadness behind a smile manage to be functional and are happy or joking in their day to day. They carry the suffering inside, they avoid expressing it and this fact is something that is consuming them progressively until there comes a point where they can't take that internal pain anymore and they collapse completely.

Next, we are going to explain what may be the possible causes of smiling depression or factors that can lead a person to hide depression behind a permanent smile:

• You are ashamed of being depressed: Even today there are many social stigmas associated with depression, and this causes many to decide not to disclosing your condition out of shame or fear that others may think you are weak or with little character. It is also possible that the person is afraid of losing a job or friends because of it.
• You don't want the people around you to worry: Introverts and reserved people do not usually express their problems to others and in order not to worry their loved ones, they can hide their depression.
• Does not recognize the suffering of depression: When a person does not accept his depressed state, he may adopt an appearance of normality and use his smile to reaffirm himself and convince himself that what is happening is not so serious. Sometimes they may think that this state will go away on its own in a while.
• You have a great concern for your image: people who place a lot of importance on what others think of them may hide their depression and pretend that everything is fine, actually hiding their true "self."

When depression is suffered internally and a "false" appearance of happiness is adopted before life and others, the Disorder is much more difficult to detect, since the affected person does not accept her state and learns to hide all her emotions. Next, we are going to show some of the smiling depression symptoms and what are the attitudes of people who hide their sadness behind the smile and continuous happiness:

• You can show yourself as a sociable and friendly person, who has no problem in relating to others and has a cheerful disposition in your day-to-day life.
• It conveys the idea that all is well and shows no signs of weakness.
• She goes out of her way to seem always up for anything, fulfills her daily responsibilities, and maintains a controlled attitude.
• When asked questions like "Are you okay?" or "Is something wrong with you?", they affirm with severity that nothing is wrong with them and that they have no problem.
• The internal suffering leads him to be always active and spend all his time doing things, working a lot, turning to the people around him, etc. This is the way to run away from your problems and your inner suffering.
• He cares a lot about his social image and his physical appearance.
• You make more demands on yourself than you can actually meet.
• He is very perfectionist in everything.
• You suffer from sleep disorders, you may sleep excessively or, conversely, too little.
• Continuous and excessive search for new goals or true happiness.
• Excessive or exaggerated search for affection and acceptance.
• Has abnormal eating habits. Many specialists point out that there may be an important relationship between smiling depression and eating disorders, and one disease can lead to the other.
• Lack of enthusiasm in those things that previously did excite or like him.
• You may be moody and have an explosive episode of anger or irritability.

Hidden or covert depression behind a smile is most often seen in:

• People reserved and introverted those who find it difficult to talk about their problems or convey their emotions and concerns.
• People with a great responsibility They tend to take care of everything and do not allow themselves any moment of weakness or weakness.
• People very perfectionists with a high degree of self-imposed and that they do not allow themselves to err in any aspect of their life.

This continuous effort to hide your true discomfort and try to live as if nothing is happening in the long term brings a series of negative consequences that it is important to consider.

Contrary to what people with smiling depression believe, hiding this disorder It will not make the symptoms and suffering disappear, but quite the opposite, what will be achieved is feed and further aggravate the problem. Prolonged internal suffering added to the fact of leading a frantic rhythm of life can end up causing a severe emotional and physical exhaustion, and it is very likely that a day will come when the situation reaches its peak and occurs the emotional breakdown.

At this point, the person collapses, cannot overreact or pretend anymore, and all the depressive symptoms (sadness, tension, irritability, anguish, anxiety, headache or stomach pain, etc.), finally, they end up the light. It is then that the affected person finds himself face to face with his true reality and may feel that there is no solution to his problems and that he is trapped and with no way out.

First of all, for treat smiley depression, it is important that if you find yourself in this situation, you become aware that internal suffering and Negative emotions will not disappear spontaneously, but to overcome them they must be faced and done as soon as possible possible. Talk to close people And expressing our discomfort to them can help us cope and move forward.

On the other hand, it is advisable to go to a professional in this type of psychological disorder and start the psychological therapy adequate. In cases of smiling depression it will be important to provide the patient with the appropriate techniques to achieve accept your problem and acknowledge emotions what's wrong with it. Help them understand that the act of externalizing what we feel and emotional discomfort does not make us more vulnerable or weaker than others. Once this has been overcome, this depressive disorder will be treated like any other.

In the event that you find yourself in the situation of having someone close to you who suffers from smiling depression or have the suspicion that he is trying to hide his emotional discomfort behind a permanent smile, the best the thing is talk to that person, be understanding and convey that he has your full support to deal with his problems. To connect emotionally with her, you can tell him your concerns first, since in this way it is likely that she will feel identified with some of your problems and, finally, feel confident and take the step of telling you what is happening to her.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Smiling depression: symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.