The Dangers of Hidden Depression
I’m posting a bit of late this week as a result of I’ve had the abdomen flu. Whereas I used to be sick, I rewatched a few of my favourite 90s motion pictures like Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire, that includes the late nice Robin Williams. It received me fascinated by Williams’s loss of life by suicide nearly 9 years in the past, which got here as a shock to most of his followers. He appeared like such a contented, fun-loving particular person, and he had a lot to reside for—however in actual fact, Williams suffered from despair for a few years earlier than his loss of life.
It is a frequent trait in depressed individuals: We frequently disguise our sickness nicely. We don’t need to fear our family members. We concern being judged and stigmatized—even now when psychological sickness is a lot better understood and accepted than in a long time previous. We might even see our illness as a weak point, one thing that we have to deal with alone. Perhaps we’re in denial, hiding our sickness not solely from others however from ourselves.
Consequently, some individuals have what’s known as “smiling” or “hidden” despair. These individuals have two sides: the one they present to the world, and the one which emerges once they’re alone with their ideas. They arrive throughout to others as joyful, bubbly, and productive, however inwardly they’re combating signs like unhappiness, low shallowness, and lack of curiosity in issues that was once essential. These individuals might not even understand they’ve despair, or they could be working exhausting to maintain their sickness a secret.
Sadly, as with different psychological diseases, attempting to deal with despair by your self solely makes it worse. Whereas speaking to others about our emotions makes them extra manageable, isolating ourselves turns our brains into echo chambers for destructive ideas. It’s vital to have a assist construction of individuals we are able to safely discuss to, and lean on them when wanted.
This implies overcoming our pleasure and concern to share our experiences with others. It means asking for assist—which is difficult for many people, and more durable nonetheless when that assist is required in a delicate space like psychological well being. It additionally means reaching out to those that appear to be struggling—or not. Typically, as in Robin Williams’s case, the final particular person you’d count on is the one who wants probably the most assist. Attain out to your pals and family members, ask them how they’re doing, and allow them to realize it’s okay to not be okay. To battle despair as a society, we’ve to normalize these kinds of conversations.
