Are You Living Behind A Mask Hidden Depression’ or ‘Highly-Functioning Depressive

According to Mind, one in every four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue every single year. Furthermore, over 3 million people in the UK are diagnosed with depression. This high figure does not account for the many people who are struggling with depression and who do not seek medical help.

For many people with depression, it can be incredibly difficult to spot the signs of the condition. After all, depression can take many forms, from being on edge, angry, sad, melancholic, despairing and many other emotions. However, often, people hide their real feelings and depression behind a mask of happiness and high performance. This can be known as ‘Perfectly Hidden Depression’ or ‘Highly-Functioning Depressive’.

In the workplace, highly functioning depressives may mask their suffering with boundless energy and enthusiasm. They may continuously be overperforming as they are terrified to disappoint others. In social situations, it may be that they seem like the life and soul of the party. However, having to continually hold up a façade and follow the social conventions of being friendly, positive and social can be exhausting and emotionally draining.

Those with Perfectly Hidden Depression may be so used to having a mask of happiness and high performance that they may not even know that they have depression or could be in denial of their feelings.

For anyone experiencing depression, they must have people they can trust to confide in, whether this is a friend or professional help. Talking and sharing help to break down any feelings of isolation and loneliness and remove the necessity of having the put up a front. Furthermore, individual needs to reconnect with their own experiences and feelings. Instead of masking their depression, it can help to explore it in a safe and manageable way.

For you and your loved ones, it is crucial to recognise that depression can take many forms. If the typical symptoms of depression are not there, there may be fewer visible signs that you can look out for. These include;

Issues with memory or focus are a key, but a less known, symptom of depression. So, if you find that someone regularly loses their train of thought when speaking or cannot concentrate on the task they are doing, it could be a sign of depression.

Losing interest in hobbies is quite a well-known symptom of depression but may be less easy to spot if you don’t ask about a person’s interests. If a person usually raves about their weekly hobby and has stopped going or mentioning it altogether, this could be another sign of their condition.

While many people with depression try to hide their feelings behind a veil of forced happiness, this can be incredibly difficult to hold up all of the time. Occasionally, you may spot signs of the mask slipping and someone’s true feelings coming out. This slipping mask may only be brief. The person may try and brush away the incident, but this could indicate that the person needs to confide in how they are really feeling.

The approach used at our clinic is a variety of therapeutic techniques that combine psycho-dynamic psychotherapy with hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is used to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment to help individuals recover. We provide tools, resources and support to help you deal with depression proactively and positively. Our unique approaches are structured around your circumstances. This helps to get a deeper understanding of the causes of your depression. We don't just deal with the symptoms, our in-depth understanding and accredited techniques create a lasting difference in your life. This structured approach is part of a bigger strategy to help you conquer depression.