Depression is a common mental health condition affecting millions of individuals worldwide. It is characterised by persistent sadness, an inability to enjoy pleasurable activities, feelings of low self-esteem, hopelessness, and, in some cases, even thoughts of suicide. Left untreated, it adversely impacts all facets of a person's life, but with proper, timely treatment, recovery is possible.
Raju is a 12-year-old boy who studies in 7th grade. He is good at academics and is the captain of the cricket team at his school. He also has many friends. However, over the last two months, he has been getting irritated easily and has appeared sad. He is unable to concentrate on his studies and can't complete his homework. His teachers have also noticed this and scolded him for being lazy. Raju has refused to go to school, saying that he is not feeling well. He has also stopped playing with his friends, claiming that he feels weak and gets tired easily.
His parents are concerned because he seems sad, isn't going to school regularly, and no longer enjoys spending time with them. However, they think it is just a phase and that he will be fine soon. One day, he comes home with a report card showing that he has scored much lower marks than before. His parents ask him what happened, and he bursts into tears. He tells them that he feels very sad, can't concentrate or remember anything, and feels like a useless person who can't achieve anything in life.
At this point, his parents realize that he is struggling and needs help.
Just because someone appears fine on the outside doesn't mean they aren't struggling on the inside.
Moving on to another person
Sunitha is a 33-year-old married woman who has been working at a software company for the last seven years. She has been regular at the office and earned a good reputation as a hardworking team member with strong interpersonal relationships. However, for the past four months, she has been feeling sad and extremely tired, yet she continued to push herself each day to go to work. She maintained her usual smile and social interactions with colleagues, even though internally, she was unhappy.
She attended all social gatherings but found no enjoyment in them. She had to put in significant effort to perform at work, and by the end of each day, she would feel utterly exhausted, but couldn't sleep well. She woke up feeling tired, and experienced multiple body aches. She was unable to concentrate and couldn't work as efficiently as she once did, so she pushed herself harder, working longer hours to complete her tasks.
No one suspected that she was suffering from depression because she appeared just like everyone else and never shared her struggles. Eventually, Sunitha felt she couldn't continue this way and realized she needed help.
Did you notice any similarities in the situations above? Both individuals suffered for a long time, hoping they would get better soon, before they reached out for help.
Did you notice the difference between the two individuals suffering from depression? In the first scenario, people could easily identify that the boy was sad and depressed. However, in the second scenario, no one suspected that the woman was depressed because she appeared outwardly happy and was able to hide her symptoms behind a smile, while inwardly, she was struggling with intense sadness. This is known as smiling depression.
It's crucial to recognize that just because someone appears fine on the outside doesn't mean they aren't struggling on the inside. If you suspect someone might be dealing with smiling depression, encourage them to seek help in time.
First published in Ideal Platform in-train magazine, December 2024. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. For the web, printing errors have been corrected and the case examples shortened; the printed page shows the column in full.
