What is Smiling Depression?

Usually, depression is associated with the sadness and emptiness – someone who cannot get out of bed. The person experiencing depression can feel those emotions but how depression presents itself will be different for every person.

“The saddest people smile the brightest” (Writer unknown). This statement tells us about another type of depression which is generally a type of time bomb if not treated on time that is smiling depression, a term not largely known among people. It is commonly described when you are so depressed inside yet you hide these?aching?emotions and appear to be happy and?chipper?to others. Many people may confuse smiling depression with other things or may just?classify?it as being depressed but in fact it varies largely from being depressed as their daily life can be classified as a normal or perfect for other people.

Smiling depression isn’t recognized as a condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) but would likely be diagnosed as?major depressive disorder with atypical features.

Symptoms of Smiling Depression

The hallmark of smiling depression is sadness. The smile and external fa?ade is a?defense mechanism, an attempt to hide their true feelings. A person could be experiencing sadness about a failed relationship,?career?challenges, or lacking what they view as a true purpose in life. The sadness might also manifest as a constant?overall feeling that “something just isn’t right.”Common symptoms of smiling depression are-

1. Feelings of?anxiety, fear,?anger, fatigue, irritability, hopelessness, and despair.
2. Problems?sleeping,
3. A lack of enjoyment in pleasurable activities, and a loss of libido.

Everybody’s experience is different. It’s possible to feel just one or many of these symptoms.

Someone with smiling depression may experience some or all of the above, but in public, these symptoms would be mostly — if not completely — absent. To someone looking from the outside, a person with smiling depression might look like:

• an active, high-functioning individual
• someone holding down a steady job, with a healthy family and social life
• a person appearing to be cheerful, optimistic, and generally happy

If you’re experiencing depression yet continue to smile and put on a facade, you may feel:

• like showing signs of depression would be a sign of weakness
• like you would burden anyone by expressing your true feelings
• that you don’t have depression at all, because you’re “fine”
• that others have it worse, so what do you have to complain about?
• that the world would be?better off without you

A typical depressive symptom is having incredibly low energy and finding it hard to even make it out of bed in the morning. In smiling depression, energy levels may not be affected (except when a person is alone).

Because of this, the risk of suicide may be higher. People with major depression sometimes feel suicidal but many don’t have the energy to act on these thoughts. But someone with smiling depression might have the energy and motivation to follow through.

Conclusion- “I hide hurt behind a fake smile. I wear it all the time. Everyone says how I always look so cheerful. Shows what they know I guess.” (Ellen Hopkins). Not everyone can understand what you are hiding behind your fake smile as it also means “A fake smile may fool the crowd but it never eases the pain.” (Kelly Brook). As no matter how hard you try to smile when you feel like crying, it will never ease your pain rather it will stimulate your emotions more as your attention will be constantly transferred to the thought of you being lonely.

So “One day, I want someone to look past my fake smile, pull me close and say No, you’re not okay.” ?(Writer Unknown)

Believe in yourself that you can find that someone if you try to socialize yourself with your surroundings more not physically but emotionally.