Smiling Depression

"SMILING DEPRESSION"

A person has this when they are deeply depressed but look on the surface to be functioning daily they laugh they smile, they act like nothing is wrong.

but something is!

It is often not picked up  - ROBIN WILLIAMS - a comedian hiding his depression by laughter.
we did not know his pain until too late.


How many in our communities have this SMILING DEPRESSION.

its easy to hide it.

I know myself I've been guilty of this and mental health services haven't been able to discern the truth in the past. Its also hard to get services to believe you need help because your so called "high functioning" You "Look Good" "Pretty"  "independent"
so how do you get the CATT team and those so called mental health sector professionals to view you differently?

Should it really matter that someone walks in unshaven, untidy, looking terrible.
do all Depressed individuals really need to look that way in order to be treated seriously?

Shouldn't there be less judgement!

Shouldn't a person be believed by what they say and do, not discriminated against because of the way they look, talk.

If I laugh it doesn't automatically mean I'm happy so don't assume I am! Im hiding how I feel but nervous laughter, I'm trying to lighten the way I feel...by telling a joke.

Ive been in hospital after overdosing and just because I'm a good communicator the Catt team have got the impression that Im fine, and can be sent home, despite a mental health advocate telling them how desperate this individual is and what a risk they would take.
Is there something I'm missing here. do the Catt team not know about Smiling Depression.

Over time you learn to hide how you feel cos nobody wants to hear it. So smiling depression is part of how you get on with it all. You try and get on with life like everyone else even though you don't feel the way others feel.

Im saying that Smiling Depression is not easy for the person living with it daily, but its also not easy to diagnose when your a clinican but its important to see whats happening below the surface and not always take people on face value.