Think of the interactions you’ve had today – the person who made your coffee, the gas attendant, a co-worker, your spouse or children.
Your interactions are pleasant, you exchange glances and pleasantries, and they seem authentic. Little do you know, it took everything in their soul to get them out of bed today, they’re riddled with headaches, they feel utterly lonely standing in a sea of people, and the ‘devil on their shoulder’ is persistently feeding them negative thoughts.
But they do it all with a smile…and you never would have known.
Now, high-functioning depression shares some symptoms with more common and arguably more visible forms of depression, e.g., appetite changes, poor sleep, and emotional difficulties. It’s all the subtle signs, however, that are easy to overlook and dismiss as someone simply having an ‘off’ day.