Can I Have Depression And Still Be Happy

Life After Depression: How To Thrive What Helps What Gets In The Way

Depression keeps itself alive with an intense, overwhelming sense of hopelessness. This hopelessness kills the motivation to reach into the world for support, something that is already fragile because of the stigma that is so often attached to mental illness.

New research, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, offers a reason for hope. There is life after depression a strong, healthy, happy life and the research has found the factors that will help to make this possible and those that will get in the way.

In a study involving more than 2,500 people who had experienced a major depressive disorder at some time in their lives, researchers found that about two in five people were able to fully recover and experience full mental health. The researchers defined full mental health as:

• experiencing happiness or life satisfaction almost every day for the last month
• a full year without depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or substance abuse and
• positive social and psychological well-being.

The research revealed important findings about what helped, what hindered and what had no bearing at all on the likelihood of thriving after depression.

Concern About Appearing Weak

People with smiling depression often fear that others will take advantage of them if they reveal they have depression. Not only do they worry that others will see them as weak and vulnerable, but they are concerned that others will use their depression as leverage against them. They would rather put on a tough exterior than admit that they need help.

Depression Doesnt Make You Sad All The Time

One of the most popular, enduring, and irritating myths about depression is that it means depressed people are sad all the time and that by extension, people who are happy cant be experiencing depression, even if they say they are. It is a skewed and horrible version of depression, and its one that further stigmatises the condition and isolates people with depression and related mental health conditions. This is because, put bluntly, depression doesnt make you sad all the time though the level of sadness a patient experiences can of course vary depending on the individual and the severity of depression.

When Im having a depressive episode, Im not walking around in tattered black clothes, weeping and wailing. I go out with friends. I crack jokes . I keep working, and have friendly chats with the people I work with. I often manage to feed and clothe myself, I read books. Above all, I experience moments of happiness: a flash of delight as Im walking on the beach with a friend and the sun is perfect and the breeze is just right a surge somewhere deep inside when Im surrounded by beautiful trees and its raining and I feel my heart swelling to encompass the whole world a warm, friendly, affectionate sensation at the touch of a friend, a hug at the end of an evening or a hand placed over mine as we lean forward to see something better.

This article was originally published on This Aint Livin, part of the

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‘smiling Depression’: It’s Possible To Be Depressed While Appearing Happy

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Information For Family Carers And Friends

You can get support if you are a carer, friend or family member of someone living with depression.

Being a carer might mean you can claim certain benefits that might help you and the person you care for. For more information, please see the Mental Health and Money Advice services website:www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/what-benefits-are-available-for-mental-health-carers/

You could also get in touch with carer support groups or sibling support groups. You can search for local groups in your area online or ask your GP.

You can ask your local authority for a carers assessment if you need more practical support to help care for someone.

As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. There are rules about information sharing and confidentiality which may make it difficult for you to get all the information you need in some circumstances.

You can find out more information about:

• Carers assessments by clicking here.
• Confidentiality and information sharing by clicking here.

How can I support the person that I care for?

You might find it easier to support someone with depression if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills. You can use this to support them to get help and stay well.

Below are some initial suggestions for providing practical day to day support to someone with depression.

You can find out more information about:

You can find more information about:

Website: www.web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/

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Antenatal And Postnatal Depression

Women are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and in the year following childbirth . This time frame may also be referred to as the perinatal period.

The causes of depression at this time can be complex and are often the result of a combination of factors. In the days immediately following birth, many women experience the baby blues, which is a common condition related to hormonal changes, affecting up to 80 per cent of women who have given birth.

The baby blues, or the general stress of adjusting to pregnancy or a new baby, are common experiences, but are different from depression.

Depression is longer lasting and can affect not only the mother, but her relationship with her baby, the childs development, the mothers relationship with her partner and with other members of the family.

Up to one in 10 women will experience depression during pregnancy. This increases to 16 per cent in the first three months after having a baby.

Maintain A Regular Exercise Schedule

A physical exercise will not only strengthen your physical features but also improve your mental health. Studies in the past had found that an exercise can increase neurochemical levels responsible for increasing mood.

Physical exercise does not always mean going to the gym and lift weights. A simple 30-minute walk will do. Just spend a few minutes of your day to walk or jog.

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Fear Of Burdening Others

Depression and guilt tend to go hand-in-hand. Consequently, many individuals dont want to burden anyone else with their struggles. This fact may be especially true for people who are used to taking care of others rather than having others take care of them. They simply do not know how to ask for help, so they keep their struggles to themselves.

Happiness Is A Good Goal That Motivates You

Finally, if you want to stop being depressed, youre likely motivated to stop feeling bad. But what if you could not only stop feeling bad, but feel great, instead?

Well, you can. After all, when youre happy, you feel great. Its that simple.

Think about it: when you experience happiness, your life is easier and more enjoyable. You enjoy higher confidence and self esteem, and find it easier to socially interact with other people.

Indeed, life, in general, just feels way more meaningful and worthwhile overall.

So happiness is a great, wonderful thing to strive towards, because it helps energize and motivate you to get rid of depression. Even better, once you do attain happiness, youve attained something wonderful that you cant put a price on. Its that good.

So this is how to get over depression and be happy faster by being motivated to achieve something wonderful: greater happiness.

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Lifestyle Changes For Depression

Lifestyle changes, such as making art, journaling, exercising more, and practicing yoga or mindfulness, can also alleviate depression and the stress that can heighten it. Alternative treatments like massage, acupuncture, and light therapy may also help.

Diet changes, too, can uplift your mood by reducing inflammation and helping to ensure your brain gets the nutrients it needs to function at its best.

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What Illnesses Happen With Depression

Itâs common for people to have other medical or mental health problems along with depression, such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. If you or a loved one has symptoms of depression or another mental illness, talk to your doctor. Treatments can help.

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Who Does It Affect

Mood disorders are among the most common mental illnesses. In fact, about one in seven Canadian will experience a mood disorder at some point in their life. Theyre more likely to affect the following groups of people:

• Women: Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, dysthymic disorder and SAD. But bipolar disorder seems to affect men and women equally

• Young people: While mood disorders can affect you at any time in your life, many people start to experience symptoms in their teens and twenties. About 3.5% of children and 3% to 7% of teens are diagnosed with depression. Many people are diagnosed with bipolar disorder between the ages of 15 and 19.

• Family members: Having a close relative who has a mood disorder increases your risk of having one

• People who experience substance use problems: Some substances can cause a mood disorder, trigger an episode of mania or depression or make a mood disorder worse,

• People living with other health and mental health problems: People with long-term health problems like cancer, AIDS, heart disease or Alzheimers disease are more likely to experience depression. People living with an anxiety disorder or eating disorder are also more likely to experience depression

Common Causes And Risk Factors

Depression can be caused by a number of factors. Though a single cause cannot always be found, experts recognize the following as possible causes:

• Genetics: Depression and other mood disorders can run in families, though family history alone does not mean a person will get depression.
• Life events: Major life changes and stressful events may trigger depression. These events include divorce, the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial problems.
• Hormonal changes: Depression and low mood are often

• cultural expectations
• differences in experience

One study of twin brothers and sisters published in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that personality and relationships with others were more likely to play a role in the onset of depression.

In particular, the study stated that marital problems, the relationship with parents, and lack of social support were more likely to cause depression in women than in men.

Neuroticism, or being in a negative emotional state, was also a primary cause of depression in the women studied.

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders also found that womens symptoms of depression were different. The women studied were more likely to have panic and anxiety disorders in addition to their depression.

Other studies have indicated that women may be more likely to gain weight and have excessive sleepiness than men.

Womens hormone changes may also play a role in how and when depression affects them.

Research on this hormonal link has found:

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Why Some People With Depression Look Happy On The Outside

Carly Snyder, MD is a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist who combines traditional psychiatry with integrative medicine-based treatments.

Although smiling depression isnt a clinical diagnosis, for many people, it’s a real problem. Typically, smiling depression occurs when individuals who are experiencing depression mask their symptoms. They hide behind a smile to convince other people that they are happy.

Consequently, this type of depression often goes undetected because when most people imagine a depressed individual, they think of someone who looks really sad or cries a lot. And while it’s true that sadness and unexplained bouts of crying are common characteristics of depression, not everyone looks sad when theyre depressed.

Individuals with smiling depression often look happy to the outside world and keep their depression a secret.

The Most Common Depressive Disorders Include:

• Major depressive disorder This is a depressed mood that lasts for a two-week period. This could occur as a single or recurrent episode.
• Persistent depressive disorder This is a depressed mood that occurs almost every day for at least two years

Itâs common for those struggling with anxiety disorders to also struggle with depression or vice versa. Close to 10% of the worldâs population suffers from anxiety and depression. However, while anxiety and depressive disorders are highly treatable, only a small percentage of affected people receive treatment.

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Sadness Isnt Always A Symptom Of Depression

Is it possible to experience formal depression symptoms without feeling sad? Yes, absolutely.

If youve received a diagnosis of depression, but you dont always feel hopeless or sad, trust that youre not alone. And your experience of living with depression isnt invalidated because of that.

Some people are less hungry, and some have increased appetite. Some have insomnia, and some have hypersomnia, says Goldman.

This means that not everyone experiences the same depression symptoms or intensity.

Other folks living with depression may feel anxious or angry, too, says Goldman. It can be difficult for some to connect to sadness or experience sadness because of biology, cultural upbringing, societal values.

Goldman says depression is still real and valid whether or not you have any of the following experiences:

• genuinely laughing at a joke
• suddenly crying after laughing
• moments of happiness and joy
• feeling an absence of sadness
• easily accomplishing tasks one day but not the next

Depression can be experienced differently, so acknowledge that your experience is legitimate, she says. This doesnt mean that youre not experiencing depression it solely means that your depression is manifesting in a specific way.

In every case, symptoms of depression can be managed, and treatment is available.

Things Only People With Smiling Depression Will Understand

What does depression look like?

If you picture a depressed person as someone who cant stop crying, who is exhausted, who doesnt want to socialize, or who has stopped taking care of their health or appearance, you may be right. However, depression can also look like an A student, a social butterfly, or a consummate professional. The most pulled-together, on-top-of-everything, energetic gregarious person you know could be suffering from depression.

How is it possible that someone could be depressed without showing any symptoms? This is what is called smiling depression.

You could also think of it as high-functioning depression. People who have smiling depression do experience symptoms, but they mask or internalize the symptoms so that theyre not obvious to others. Take a look at some statements that people who have smiling depression will understand.

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Youre Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little

Sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand.

If you have mental health problems, it might be harder to get good sleep. And if you dont get good sleep, youre more likely to experience mental health problems. Ugh, whyyyy.

Sleep problems are especially common in people experiencing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. Therapy can help you better manage symptoms of mental health conditions that are interfering with your sleep.

But again, you dont need to have a diagnosed mental health condition for poor sleep to have a negative effect on your mental health. One 2018 research review showed that sleep deprivation can lead to mood swings and leave you more emotionally vulnerable.

Some types of therapy can help you improve your sleep hygiene, give you tools to sleep better in general, and help you manage the effects of not getting enough Zzzs.

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Stand Up For Mental Health

Thousands Have Joined the Stand Up for Mental Health Campaign

But we still need you. Let others know theres no shame in having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trichotillomania, OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia or any other mental illness.

These stories and more are featured on our mental health news page:

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• Sense of Invalidation Uniquely Risky for Troubled Teens
• Exercise Protects Against Depression But How?
• What Are The Adult Health Consequences Of Childhood Bullying?
• Poor Sleep Quality Associated With Increased Suicide Risk In Older Adults
• How Memory Is Processed May Influence Risk Of PTSD
• Our Desire For Payback Exemplifies Our Capacity For Abstract Thought

Thats it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope youll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week:

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What Are The Symptoms Of Smiling Depression

Someone experiencing smiling depression would from the outside appear happy or content to others. On the inside however, they would be experiencing the distressful symptoms of depression.

Depression affects everyone differently and has a variety of symptoms, the most distinguished being deep, prolonged sadness. Other classic symptoms include:

• changes in appetite, weight, and sleeping
• fatigue or lethargy
• feelings of hopelessness, lack of self-esteem, and low self-worth
• loss of interest or pleasure in doing things that were once enjoyed

Someone with smiling depression may experience some or all of the above, but in public, these symptoms would be mostly if not completely absent. To someone looking from the outside, a person with smiling depression might look like:

• an active, high-functioning individual
• someone holding down a steady job, with a healthy family and social life
• a person appearing to be cheerful, optimistic, and generally happy

If youre experiencing depression yet continue to smile and put on a façade, you may feel:

• like showing signs of depression would be a sign of weakness
• like you would burden anyone by expressing your true feelings
• that you dont have depression at all, because youre fine
• that others have it worse, so what do you have to complain about?
• that the world would be better off without you