Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions that can strike adults and children alike. The typical symptoms of depression are well described in most of the articles and literature published online.
However, it is less known that there are some atypical forms of Depression that can fool people around them. One deceptive form of Depression is “Smiling Depression”, where the affected person does not exhibit the normal signs of depression such as low energy or low mood or self-esteem, and the stuckness of a lack of interest in life.
This form of Depression is subject to debate amongst professionals who clinically report seeing clients who present as happy and coping, but report that internally they feel the same way as your typical depressed person. This type of depressed person is showing a false social mask towards others in order to hide from them the fact they are depressed.
This social mask is a feature of all humans. We each wear a social mask in public and in relationships as our ego projects a socially acceptable camouflaging presentation of ourselves when relating. This social mask is part of our safety making, as it gives us the best chance of being socially accepted and included into a tribe or group as against existing in isolation.
The second safety making aspect of the social mask is that it allows us to hide aspects of ourselves that make us vulnerable or judged and so prevents us from being attacked or scrutinised beyond “face value”. When viewed in this way it makes sense that some people can cover up their depression via deploying a smiling or happy social mask to others.
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