People who suffer from Smiling Depression can appear well-adjusted, presentable, professionally successful and apparently happy. They’re not, and they need help to feel better about life, including themselves.

Smiling depression is a deceiving in that it implies happiness though it’s absent from the person’s mindset. It isolates those that experience it, making it more difficult to deal sadness. Though they might not realize that they’re at risk for falling apart and even suicide, the smilers strive to conceal their misery from the public, rationalizing the effort somehow.

Why Would Anyone Smile while Depressed?

Smiling Depression is a façade, a tool for preventing the acknowledgement of inner turmoil and the need to overcome it. A mask that covers up an anxious person’s concerns and uncertainties – including possible job loss or family problems if anyone realizes the truth, smiling depression tends to be a problem among perfectionists and people burdened with more than their fair share of responsibility.

If you’ve ever remarked, “I had no idea…”, upon learning of a person’s despair-induced suicide attempt, nervous breakdown or confession of feeling worthless, you may likely have been exposed to smiling depression. It’s quite startling and confusing to most onlookers. But it is not an unknown phenomenon to mental health professionals.

Read the whole article on the counseling website: smilingdepression