 Hey Psych2GoFam, welcome back. Have you ever heard the term smiling depression, high functioning depression, or hidden depression? As these names may imply, this is when a clinically depressed person tries to keep the depression a secret from others. They often appear cheerful, successful, and seemingly put together, leading you to the belief that their lives are perfectly happy, fine, and without mental illness. Is there someone you think might be secretly depressed? Look out for these eight telltale signs that they might have hidden depression. 1. They feel emotions on a much deeper level. Does your friend become emotionally volatile in response to a simple question or comment? Those who are secretly depressed will often feel things more intensely than usual because of how much they bottle up inside. They're more susceptible to crying, getting upset, or even having a full-fledged breakdown because they feel overwhelmed with the depths of all of their emotions. This swings both ways, being more affectionate and loving towards others while also more easily angered and saddened. 2. They're less positive and optimistic. Does your loved one, who used to be so easy going and light-hearted, become cynical and pessimistic? They might be internally struggling with a lot of dark thoughts they're too afraid to share. They may adopt a more nihilistic point of view and become less positive and optimistic than you're used to them being. 3. They're obsessed with being the best. Depression, hidden or not, is often a thief that robs us of our ability to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. People with concealed depression will often throw themselves into their work in order to find meaning in their lives and make sense of their suffering. By overworking themselves, they get a sense of reprieve from their depression and distract themselves from all the negativity that they feel. 4. They have sudden mood swings. Depression isn't always going to look like sadness. Sometimes depression manifests as anger, irritability and sudden changes in mood. Depression makes feeling happy and even enjoying things they used to love incredibly difficult. Their response is a tendency to lash out and become emotionally unhinged. There's just too much rage and desperation for them to suppress, so like a volcano, they let it erupt and throw tantrums. 5. They've started abusing drugs or alcohol. Occasional recreational drug use and drinking are fairly common. However, the red flag for hidden depression starts to wave when it stops being occasional and becomes regular and then turns into dependence. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, found that approximately one in every five people who were depressed also had a substance use disorder. 6. They're always out of it lately. Is your usually punctual friend suddenly forgetting your lunch dates? Does your friend zone out more often than usual when you're talking to them? Difficulty concentrating and remembering is one of the symptoms of depression. The depressed person often has a hard time keeping their train of thought and struggles with finishing tasks, affecting their grades or work performance. They have difficulty with decisions and remembering recent events. They may even start to speak and move more sluggishly as a result. 7. They feel bad about asking for help. Does your friend tell you something's wrong but then waves it away saying it's just silly or unimportant and they'll just deal with it on their own? When someone's trying to conceal their depression from others, they'll often send subtle cries for help that they immediately take back. They apologize for asking for help even when they're struggling and never want to burden anyone else with what they're going through. 8. They always try to look or act happy. Do you know someone who's constantly smiling and cheerful? Usually denying that something is wrong even when you know there is. They won't let others see them cry or be sad. So they make up excuses about why they can't see you much. Usually when they think no one else is looking, the facade will be dropped and you'll see things aren't okay. Those with depression won't always show the symptoms commonly associated with the condition. Does this bring anyone to mind? Because of the negative stigma surrounding mental illness, many patients often feel the need to keep their struggle a secret for fear that they'll be judged, shamed, or mistreated for their illness. If you know someone who you suspect is secretly depressed, you can do them a solid and show your support by reaching out to them. This may help them move towards getting the professional mental health care they need in order to improve. Paying attention to these signs could make you a lifesaver. If you know someone who may benefit from online counseling, we actually partnered up with BetterHelp, an affordable online counseling platform that you could utilize. They're constantly striving to improve their services in terms of conditions. The link will be in the description below.