Depression / Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): The (Sometimes) Hidden Ailment

Which of the people above is depressed? It may be impossible to tell… Signs of depression are not always obvious.

For some individuals with major depressive disorder, signs of depression can be pretty obvious. Depressive symptoms can be utterly disabling and leave you with very little hope that things will ever get better. Depression can make you feel like giving up or actually cause you to give up. But in other cases, depression can be nearly invisible to both the sufferer and his/her family, friends, and colleagues.

In fact, some people who are depressed don’t even realize it.

They entertain this distorted fantasy that all depressed people look the same. They imagine that people with major depressive disorder cry all day, can’t hold down jobs, and aren’t doing anything particularly “meaningful” or “worthwhile.”

However, depression affects CEOs, bank presidents, actors, politicians, doctors, and lawyers just as easily as anyone else.  It’s an equal opportunity ailment.

Some depressed people walk around cloaked in such an aura of success that other people don’t even suspect that depression might be a possibility. In other cases, depression manifests as hostility and aggression, and in doing so, causes others to view the depressed person as cutthroat and cruel (rather than depressed). In both situations, it is easy for depression to go undetected and untreated.

And kids and teens are vulnerable to depression too.

Depression looks different in different people.

That emptiness you feel… The way you dread going to bed knowing that the daily grind will begin anew tomorrow… The way you force yourself to “go through the motions” and yet everything feels flat and colorless… The way you used to enjoy going out with friends or playing golf but now avoid these activities because they’re “too much trouble”… These things can be the face of depression too.

If you have noticed these symptoms in  yourself (or a loved one), you may be experiencing symptoms of depression.  Talk with your doctor or psychologist, who can assess you and offer treatment recommendations.  I am also available for consultation and depression treatment in the Palm Beach (Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Boca Raton), Fort Lauderdale, and Miami communities.

Also, feel free to read my related post on common symptoms of depression.

Questions?  Comments?  Please share them below.

Related posts:

Symptoms of Depression / Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) OCD guilt, shame, disgust, anxiety & depression: Why treatment sometimes fails (and what to do about it) OCD and DSM-V: Taking the “anxiety” out of OCD The Power of Being Selfish: Selfishness as a Key to Mental Health Mindfulness & ACT-based therapy: Questioning “I hurt; therefore, I suffer.” Health-Related Anxiety: Symptoms, Disorders, & Treatment