College is supposed to be the time to step out of your comfort zone and make new friends, no matter how cheesy it may sound! However, depression can send you down an alternative path that can be extremely dark and scary.
High functioning depression cannot always be seen with the naked eye. At first glance, a person may seem fine. However, the battle they are facing within is not comprehensible to the average person. Inside, they may be experiencing debilitating headaches, loneliness, worthlessness, and a relentless stream of negative thoughts. While simple tasks like waking up and going to class may be easy for the average person, they could have trouble completing these “simple” tasks. Waking up and going to class become critical accomplishments in their daily lives. High functioning depression is hard to spot, especially when someone’s exterior is reflective of those around them.
A smile is an instant sign that someone is happy or in a good mood… or so you thought. A smile can also be the fastest way to deceive someone. People who are battling depression are not always the ones who suddenly became distant and stop showing up to class. Sometimes they are the people you sit next to everyday in class and are always laughing and making jokes. Often those who are hurting the most put on the bravest of faces every day. Their outer appearance does not match their interior emotions. Just because you cannot see the illness does not mean it’s nonexistent.Smiling allows the person engaging in a war with their own thoughts to divert the attention away from their illness. It’s hard to explain an illness that does not have clear symptoms. Reaching out for help comes with an abundance of hurdles. How do you reach out to someone and explain to them everything going on inside your mind when all they ever see is your smile? Generally, people cannot comprehend everything you are dealing with because they have never experienced it before. When you tell someone how empty you feel inside, they probably cannot see your pain. Therefore, it’s easy for them to assume you are just crying wolf. Letting people into your life and into your pain takes a lot of courage. It’s important to find the right person to reach out to. Jumping the gun and telling the first person you meet may lead you down a slippery slope. Make sure the person you tell is someone you can trust and won’t place judgement on you.
High functioning depression is not easy to explain. Not everyone you meet is going to understand and that’s alright. If someone lets you into their struggles, don’t push them away. They have probably been told a thousand times what they are feeling is not real. Steer that person in the right direction and encourage them to get professional help. Don’t dismiss someone’s feelings and thoughts just because you can’t see them. Depression is not a broken bone. You cannot see the exact injury. Further, it’s not just going to go away without professional help. Remember, the person suffering from depression could be your neighbor in class, a family member, or even your best friend. You never know the battle someone is fighting. Don’t jump to conclusions about people before you know everything they are faced with.