When suffering from depression, it can be tough to talk about it to people you aren’t ready to confide in, those who don’t understand, and the kind who make you feel worse.
In such a case, you might want to deal with depression in secret while leading a normal life.
In this article, you’ll find out tactics for hiding depression to help you heal. But before you continue reading, check out this video to truly understand depression:
Let’s dive right into it.
1. Reframe Negative Thoughts
This is one of the most fundamental steps in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). When one depressing thought comes through to mix with the destructive beliefs you have, you start experiencing thoughts like “You’re worthless,” “No one likes you,” “I’m too messed up.” But you have to reshape these thoughts.
First, say, “I refuse to believe I am worthless, unlikeable, invisible” — insert whatever your mind is telling you. This would help you stop anxiety from flaring up which gives you time to think.
When reframing:
- “I am worthless” can become “I feel down right now because of this problem but it’s not something I should base my worth on.”
- “No one likes you” becomes “Some people like me and as long as I am striving to be my best self, I don’t have to worry about being liked.”
- “I’m so messed up” becomes “I am in a tough season of my life right now like every person has to from time to time but that doesn’t negate the fact that I am worthy and important.”
- “I shouldn’t be feeling this way” becomes “Like this tough situation, these feelings are temporary and aren’t my identity.”
The quote “As a man thinketh, so He is” is always right. You become who you believe. So, practice reframing your negative narratives and over time you’ll heal. Check out the 7 Ways To Be Your Own Mind Coach to learn more about applying this tip.
2. Hang Around People Who Lift up Your Moods
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Hiding depression doesn’t mean you should completely isolate yourself. It means you should deal with depression subtly by influencing your mindset with the most positive environments.
Since depressing thoughts thrive in depressing situations, starve them by hanging around those who inspire, encourage, humor, and do anything that uplifts you. This may be any of your loved ones with your best interests at heart.
Studies reveal that positive emotions promote problem-solving. When dealing with depression, you’re in a high problem-solving mode where you need as much positivity as you can. When you can’t access your positive circle, you can watch positive videos, especially of real-life stories to help you heal.
3. Take Breaks in Overwhelming Social Situations
When concealing depression while healing, you need to attend social gatherings otherwise people will be suspicious about your absence. These functions, especially if you apply this tip, will help you exercise your adaptability muscle and help you heal.
Instead of suppressing your emotions while staying throughout a party, take occasional bathroom breaks to clear your mind, remember these tips and get ready for more challenges. This will help you manage depression and advance your healing.
4. Immerse Yourself in a Constructive Hobby
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When we carry out a hobby even when we weren’t feeling motivated at first, the brain releases happy chemicals like dopamine which enable us to feel pleasure. This is essential especially when battling depression.
Therefore, try knitting, volunteering, dancing, playing instruments, painting, doing graphic design, writing, reading, hiking, gardening, cooking, playing mentally stimulating games like chess — look for something fun and constructive you can do.
5. Avoid Triggers
When dealing with hidden depression, it’s best to avoid any depressing circumstance unnecessary to deal with. You can endure unavoidable triggers like losing a job and the loss of a loved one but these in the following list can be avoided.
- Drugs and alcohol: While many people think they’re alleviating depression by taking drugs or alcohol, they make it worse since when the high ends, more depressing thoughts settle in.
- Work overload: You need to take only what you can handle to avoid brain overload.
- Sleep deprivation: Get quality sleep to stop stressing your body and mind.
- Poor diet and lack of exercise: Force yourself to maintain physical health
- Negative news, and other written plus video content: Negative content promotes depressing thoughts so you should stay away from it.
- Social media: Most of the social media posts tell a one-sided story which can flare up your anxiety through comparison. You can quit social media or use it smartly.
- Disorganization: Instead of handling life on a whim, it’s better to plan and follow a routine to avoid frequent overwhelming surprises.
Your brain can only deal with so much. Therefore, when you’re battling with depression, you need to only expose yourself to as limited stress as possible so you can healthily deal with inevitable stressors and heal.
Related: Emotional Reactivity – 5 Ways To Be More Mature
6. Dive Into Spirituality
Some studies show that spirituality can help alleviate symptoms of depression. Any spiritual activities that promote happiness, security, confidence, and overall wellbeing are useful even when battling major depression.
Here are the powerful ways spirituality can reduce depression:
Connection to a sense of purpose
Most people with depression may feel like their lives are meaningless most of the time hence losing an interest to live. However, this changes when they get spiritual direction which prompts a desire to deal with their mental health.
Development of hope
Especially in spiritual beliefs of a higher power who cares for humans, spirituality can promote hope in many who subscribe to the beliefs. Furthermore, the support groups they may attend encourage them to have faith in the spiritual process that can change their life even though they still haven’t confessed their hidden depression.
7. Volunteer
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Although many people claim to have busy lives, setting time apart for volunteering can help them improve and maintain mental health by a great deal. Here’s how:
- It distracts your brain from your depressing thoughts.
- It helps you develop compassion.
- When you feel appreciated by those who thank you, it releases dopamine which makes you feel happy.
- The causes give you a sense of purpose and thus, hope for the future.
- The social interaction rooted in similar interests provides a support system.
- It keeps you physically and mentally active.
No matter your position, there’s always a way you can help someone else. Find any accessible volunteering activity you can participate in and also learn more about How Doing Something for Someone Else Helps to Relieve Stress.
8. Learn New Skills
Do you remember the last time you were a beginner at something fun? In such times, you don’t take things seriously and celebrate your small wins. Whether it’s dancing, painting, surfing, and other types of classes where you learn something fresh, it helps with mental health issues.
Learning new skills can help:
- Improve your brain health and memory
- Boost your confidence and happiness
- Improve social connection
- Beat boredom
- Bring a sense of purpose and importance
All these benefits can improve your ability to tackle mental illness and ease major depression. You don’t have to tell people about your hidden depression. Just choose to have fun learning something new.
9. Practice Self Care
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels
Major depression issues include lack of or excessive appetite, sleeping deprivation, loss of interest in hygiene, and crying to name a few. All these bring out signs of depression like obesity, scrawny, and dull look which makes you feel worse about yourself when you look into the mirror.
In such cases, you can alleviate mental health issues by boosting your self-confidence. Take care of your body by freshening up nicely so you can stop worrying about what people are thinking about you. Most importantly, eat healthily and sleep well to brighten from the inside out.
10. Stay Consistently Grateful
With hidden depression, it’s easy to get carried away by feelings of sadness and forget to acknowledge the good things in your life. However, switching to positive thoughts of gratuity can go a long way when dealing with depression.
Scientifically, gratitude has been proven to increase neural modulation in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain that regulates negative emotions. Furthermore, it releases dopamine which makes you feel good.
You can practice gratitude anywhere anytime, there’s always something to be grateful for. Start being conscious of things you’re sincerely grateful for and actually acknowledge how they help you.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Your Hidden Depression Questions Answered
Here are answers to some questions you’ve been craving to ask.
Can you have a little bit of depression?
You can have mild depression where you feel depressed in short, subtle bursts or in certain situations. However, as mentioned in the video earlier, depression differs from sadness in that you aren’t certain what makes you feel depressed.
What are the 7 types of depression?
Types of depression go beyond the number 7 as researchers discover diverse distinctions of different forms of depression. So far, here’s an exhaustive list of depression types:
- Major Depression.
- Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Psychotic Depression
- Peripartum (Postpartum) Depression
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
- ‘Situational’ Depression/ Reactive Depression/Adjustment Disorder
- Atypical Depression
- Perinatal Depression
- High-functioning Depression
Why do I hide?
Hiding is a primal instinct that makes us feel safe. When depressed, you try to protect yourself from emotional harm by hiding. However, unless you’re applying the above tips, it’ll be tough to heal.
Is it possible to diagnose yourself with depression?
Yes, it is possible to self-diagnose depression if you compare the symptoms of depression to what you’re experiencing or take depression self-diagnosing tests. However, these strategies can mislead you since you might miss some essential details. It’s good to get help from a professional when diagnosing hidden depression.
Final Word
Hiding depression while healing is no easy task. However, with the above tips in mind, you can conquer depression effectively. This is merely a difficult time. Fortunately, you have the strength to fight.
Do you struggle to suppress depression? Which of these tips do you think will work for you? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comment section below!
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