Depression is termed to be a harsh psychological disorder. If left unnoticed, depression can turn out to be fatal for the person suffering from it and the people who surround that person. The sufferers are fighting a war they have lost already, and what makes it worse, is when someone suffers from masked depression.

The biggest flaw about depression is that it is not always obvious. The people suffering from it tend to conceal it as they feel they are burdening other people. In the majority of the cases, people tend to mask their inner wounds and try to find a cure for it on their own. Yet it’s worthwhile that a friend or family learns to comprehend the signs of depressions so that they can offer aid as soon as possible.

Look out for the following signs that will help you realize your loved one or friend is developing masked depression.

Here Are 15 Signs Someone Is Suffering From Masked Depression

1. Communicating feelings through art.

Taking a common paradigm of artists, it can be observed that they develop several mental illnesses. This gives them an elevation in the emotions they feel, which inspires them and helps them express through art. They use this to their advantage and make the best out of the situation.

Even though it doesn’t reflect the best performance, it surely shows the struggles.

2. Hunt for desire and ambition.

All of us are in search of a greater purpose, the purpose of existence to be precise. It’s something that everyone tries to hunt for and people suffering from depression aren’t immune to it. Their craving for the purpose is greater than any other human being.

Their mind forces them to think they are incompetent which develops into anxiety and urges them to find answers and purpose for their existence.

Related: 10 Hidden Traits Of Depression You Might Not Know About

3. Fall of enthusiasm in things that were previously captivating.

Anhedonia is a medical term used to describe a fall in pleasure. Your friend will start showing signs of disinterest in engaging things and will only be captivated by certain pleasurable activities. It would even involve their favorite activities.

Spending the majority of the time procrastinating and doing nothing and showing disinterest is a common pattern.

4. Channeling negative thoughts.

While you propose enthusiastic and interesting ideas, your friend will always try backing out of it. On many occasions, you will observe that they will come up with responses such as “it’s a waste of time and won’t amount up to anything.” or “does it matter, makes no difference”.

They try to find negativity in the most engaging tasks and express depressive thoughts towards them. These are cardinal signs of masked depressions.

5. Change in eating pattern.

Eating too much or eating too little- both can be fatal for the body. People suffering from depression tend to over-eat or under-eat, and in worst cases not eat at all. This minute change in eating habits can also help identify signs of masked depression.

6. Disrupted sleep routine.

Like eating, sleeping also plays an important role in development. The people who have depression will show signs of changing sleep patterns, fluctuating from extremes to extremes, they will either sleep a lot or not sleep at all. Often you will find them whiling away their time during their sleeping time or sleeping away for a whole day.

Related: The Amount Of Sleep You Need To Avoid Depression

7. Phobia of abandonment.

It is hurtful when people walk out of your life, especially if they were very close to you. Yet this feeling is amplified when suffering from depression. It creates a fear of rejection and they tend to hide what they feel and conceal themselves. They avoid building connections so that their feelings aren’t abandoned anymore.

8. Pretense tales to hide things.

This is the most noticeable sign of depression. Trying to cover up for their lack of interest and coming up with stories to avoid questions, can clearly be observed in masked depression sufferers. Trying to divert the topic or coming up with excuses are indicators of masked depression.

9. Accustomed countermeasures.

In order to make changes in their daily routines, a person suffering from depression can tend to make changes in their routines to welcome a change and calm down their mind.

10. Constant efforts to look overjoyed.

In order to keep everyone around them happy, your friend or loved one will always pretend to be happy whilst they suffer from depression. They feel they will lower the happiness quotient if they show their sadness and often cover up what they actually feel.

Related: Hiding Your Misery Behind a Happy Mask? You Could be a Victim of Smiling Depression

11. In search of acceptance and affection.

Everyone wants to be loved and accepted in some aspects of life. Depressed people tend to hide their conditions to protect their emotional vulnerability and are in constant search of love and acceptance, just like others.

12. Overanalyzing every aspect.

Depressed people tend to overthink and overanalyze every situation in their life, at a swift rate. Constantly focusing on the smallest of problems, and drawing out the negatives and positives of it, they overwork their brains which in the long run, harms their ability to judge things.

13. They make others suffering their sufferings.

Whilst watching others suffer, depressed people, tend to absorb these sufferings and make them their own sufferings.

14. Looking at the darker side.

Looking at the darker side can sound depressing and sad, yet it can prove to be one of the most beneficial side effects of this illness. Granting the person, problem-solving abilities, they make the depressed person capable to handle worst scenarios and, in some cases, even a higher intelligent quotient.

15. Suicidal tendencies.

These may take a passive form such as, “I don’t really care if I die” or an active form, such as “Sometimes I feel like jumping off a cliff.” Whilst some people blow these statements off as a joke and don’t take them seriously, what they fail to understand is that people suffering from depression take it seriously.

There is a common myth that if a person is really suicidal, they don’t tell others about it; they do it. This is a common mistake and one should know those suicidal tendencies are elevated while suffering from masked depression. By lending in a hand and by talking it out, you save a life.

Related: How To Help A Person Who Is Feeling Suicidal

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