Interesting Habits of People With Hidden Depression

350 million people suffer from depression in the United States, as one of the leading causing of disability in America. However, there are also people in the world who suffer from depression, while concealing it from the people around them.

If you are unsure if you are one of these people, or have a person in your life that you are unsure of their mental state, these habits of people with hidden depression might make things a bit easier to understand. However, it is up to a licensed psychologist to diagnose depression, and it is important to get the help you need in a situation like this.

(If you need to talk to someone about your depression, please call 1-800-273-8255.)

They may seem happy and outgoing.

We have all had days where we had to bear the world with a happy mask plastered on our face. But for people who struggle with hidden depression, this is an everyday ordeal.

As one of the top habits of people with hidden depression, someone who might seem happy might actually not be. Though this is something that can be hard to wrap your head around as someone who does not suffer from the mental illness, it can be a reason behind other habits.

This can include leaving social events early, seeming genuine, or simply looking tired. This is because forcing yourself to constantly put on an act is exhausting.

They might have abnormal sleeping patterns.

One of the most obvious habits of people with hidden depression is that their sleeping patterns have drastically changed. This can go either way, as someone with depression might sleep much more than your average person. But they can also fall into the habit of staying up into the early hours of the morning.

Sleep is an aid to maintaining strong mental health, and when someone can't sleep, this could be a sign of depression. Or if they sleep too often, this might be a sign that their body and mind is exhausted from their mental state, as well as wanting to escape from reality.

They may be easily irritated.

Having hidden depression is wearing on the person, and though it might not seem like they are struggling, someone who has sudden outbursts of irritation could be a telling sign of depression. Having an angry outburst is not typically a sign of depression, and rather people associate helplessness with the mental illness.

However, irritation is often a sign that many have to express their depression. This will be typically seen in scenarios where it would be unexpected for the person. Say they never seem to be an angry person, but while in traffic they get cut off, and suddenly form a blind rage. Situations like this may be very telling.

They might have unusual eating habits.

Depression can easily alter your appetite. As one of the most telling habits of people with hidden depression, noticing a change in someone's eating habits is often a sign that they are masking their mental state.

This can be seen in habits of not wanting to eat at all, or eating more than they typically would. This will vary depending on their depression episodes.

They may seem constantly distracted.

With anything, it is hard to be completely in the moment while you are trying to mask something that you are feeling, or something you are thinking. For people who suffer from hidden depression, this is constantly a struggle in their day to day lives.

Though some days might be easier than others, there also may be moments where it is unbearable to act "normal." This can be seen as a distraction to someone on the outside.

They might have sudden outbursts of emotion.

Similar to being more irritable, having sudden outbursts of any type of emotion is also one of the most telling habits of people with hidden depression. This can go for sadness, happiness, and anger, as we previously discussed. These emotions may even be seen within the same day, or within the same hour.

It might seem as if they cannot get a control over their own feelings, and this is unfortunately very true. Depression can cause mood swings, and someone who is attempting to stifle their depression may be able to restrain themselves from these outbursts, but not every time. In fact, trying to push your emotions under the rug will make these outbursts much more prominent.

They may cancel plans last minute often.

This habit will fall under the same umbrella of having to put on a happy face. Because people who suffer from concealed depression will likely be putting on an act to convince the people in their lives that nothing is wrong, this will lead to an eventual exhaustion.

Due to this, being away from people may be easier, and this is not made to be an insult to the people in this person's life. However, when people are unaware of the struggles of depression, canceling plans can be taken the wrong way, while they are just trying to get a grip on their mental health.

They might be a negative nelly.

As a telling sign of someone who suffers from hidden depression, they may have an overwhelmingly negative outlook on life. Even if their life does not seem to be noticeably bad, one of the most common habits of people with hidden depression is to have a pessimistic personality.

Though it might seem frustrating to people who are not in this person's mind, it is due to their concealed depression, and the way that the mental illness affects their thought process.

They may seek out others' issues to distract themselves from theirs.

Something that you might not consider to be a habit of someone with depression is that they will often seek out other's issues. This is a tactic that they, unknowingly or not, will use to distract themselves from their own issues. Though most people are just genuinely curious about the people in their lives struggles, people with concealed depression might use this as a way to change the conversation from their own problems.

This can also be seen oppositely, as people with hidden depression might also try to alter the conversation toward talking about their issues, as a way to receive advice.

They might be asking for help.

One of the most important habits of people with hidden depression to acknowledge is that they might be asking for help, without actually spelling it out. Though they struggle to conceal their emotions constantly, there are always moments where they will slip up. It is important to always be there for those moments, and allow them to recognize the reality of their mental state.

As an extremely important sign to acknowledge, the steps after this moment are even more so necessary to help. Whether you are someone who is suffering, or you know someone who is, getting help for depression is essential. Professional help is the first step toward helping this person start their path toward a normal and healthy life.