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Why You Shouldn’t Hide Your Depression

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Why You Shouldn't Hide Your Depression

Trying to hide your depression can make you more vulnerable to addiction and other harmful behaviors

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, depression is a mental illness that goes far beyond temporary feelings of sadness or feeling blue. Depression is a serious illness that negatively impacts a person’s thoughts, feelings, mood, behavior and physical health. Depression affects 5 to 8 million adults each year in the United States, but only one half of those suffering from depression will seek treatment. People typically hide their depression due to the negative stigma attached to the illness. Understanding that depression is a treatable, medical condition can help you or a loved one reach out and get the help you need to recover.

Symptoms of Depression

According to the Mayo Clinic, the following list of depression symptoms happens almost daily in a person who suffers from the illness:

  • Feelings of sadness, emptiness or unhappiness
  • Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, such as sex
  • Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Tiredness and lack of energy, so that even small tasks take extra effort
  • Changes in appetite – often reduced appetite and weight loss, but increased cravings for food and weight gain in some people
  • Anxiety, agitation or restlessness – for example, excessive worrying, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
  • Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself for things that are not your responsibility
  • Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
  • Frequent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
  • Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

If you or a loved one has one or more of these symptoms on an ongoing basis, it is time to seek help for your depression.

Getting Depression Out in the Open

Depression, like other forms of mental illness, requires treatment if the person suffering is going to recover. Hiding your depression only increases the amount of time it takes to begin healing. Depression does not mean that you are a bad person or that you are not strong enough to handle day-to-day challenges. Depression runs in families and people with a family history of mental illness are at an increased risk for the illness. Depression can also happen after trauma, as the result of ongoing emotional stress or after an illness or surgery. Not all depression becomes major depression, but all depression needs to be acknowledged for the right treatment to work.

Finding Help for Depression

If you or a loved one struggles with depression, we are here to help you. Call our toll-free helpline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to speak to an admissions coordinator about treatment options.


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