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A Guide To Understand Smiling Depression

A Guide To Understand Smiling Depression

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Depression is a common mental health illness that manifests in several people globally. Every person suffers from a phase in life where they are struggling from depression but still smiling. This makes everyone surprised by how strong the suffering person is, that they are smiling despite struggling from MDD. On the other hand, they might also be confused about whether they are depressed or not.

This piece of blog is a complete guidance of understanding what is smiling depression, can depressed people be happy, how to be happy when depressed, the common signs, causes, signs of smiling depression, smiling depression facts, and smiling depression treatment.

What Is A Smiling Depression?

Smiling depression is not a mental health disorder listed in diagnostic statistical manuals. However, it exists and several people around the globe experience it. Moreover, it is common in every person regardless of age. In depression fake smiles, a person tends to feel stressed out and feel all the depression signs inside but outside they seem to be happy. The big difference between the normal depression and smiling depression is that smiling depression does not hinder normal daily functioning. Additionally, the feelings of sadness are different in a normal depression and a smiling depression. A person tends to crack different jokes and act normal in everyone that makes them look normal while they have a depressive smile mask on.

Common Signs Of Smiling Depression

There are some certain identifiers of every mental health disorder. Similarly, the signs of smiling depression also have some identifying signs. The involve the following:

The Reason Behind Therapeutic Approaches For Smiling Depression

It is not easy to manage the signs of any mental health issue, especially smiling depression. Fortunately, healing is possible from the signs of smiling depression. Just by attaining the correct recovery options, one can acquire mental relief.

Read More: Coping Mechanisms For Depression: Practical Strategies To Help You Navigate

The common types of effective treatment methods for treating smiling depression includes:

  • Interpersonal therapy
  • Behavioral activation therapy
  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Smiling Depression Test

Treatment can sometimes make use of different psychiatric medications to ensure that the mental balance of brain chemicals is done first. Some of the popular psychiatric medications are:

  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as prozac and zoloft.
  • Another more common type of psychiatric medicines aiming to reduce the effects of smiling depression is serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as cymbalta, and Effexor.
  • Additionally, in some cases Spravato is also helpful.

Some other additional yet effective ways to overcome the signs of smiling depression includes:

  • Healthy diet:

Adapting a habit of consuming a healthy diet works wonders on the health of a person dealing with smiling depression such as different fruits, and foods with fats.

  • Working out:

As human beings, our body requires some physical movement. And for this purpose, working out is the best and easy approach. Now in the case of a depressed person, they might not want to involve themselves in any kind of activity. But, even a 10 minute walk is beneficial for them in this regard.

  • Stress controlling:

Is smiling depression dangerous? Yes, signs of depression are extremely life changing. Sometimes the sufferer may struggle to manage the provoked stress from the signs of smiling depression and make them think “Do I have smiling depression?” This is the very reason attaining the skill of managing stress is necessary and beneficial in minimizing the effects of smiling depression.

The Link Between Social Media And Smiling Depression

Social media has taken over the world in recent times. Every person on social media is having a different life on it that is totally opposite to their real life. Therefore, a person tends to post extremely happy pictures and posts of them. This in result makes other people think and live in this dilemma that they also need to look happy and smiley in order to fit in the society. This is the point where different mental health issues including fake smile depression jumps into the scene. This mainly conceals the real feelings of a person, the way they are feeling. This definitely leads to a contradiction between real life and a pretending happy life.

Read More: What’s The Difference Between A Mood Disorder And A Personality Disorder?

Importance Of Self Help In Smiling Depression

No doubt, seeking mental health help helps in overcoming the signs of depression smiley face. But, the best and fast recovery comes from within. When a person is themself motivated to get better. Here are few steps to self help yourselves to start the journey to recovery:

  • Including a physical activity in your routine such as a simple walk.
  • Following a healthy sleeping cycle.
  • Consumption of healthy food.
  • Sharing with a close friend.
  • Prevention of substance abuse.

Helping A Relative With Smiling Depression

Any person suffering from a mental health issue requires mental and physical support from their family. This little effort of helping out a friend in need has a much bigger impact on the person combating from smiling depression.  Some other ways to support a struggling person includes:

  • Taking the person suffering from a depressed smile to a medical checkup or atleast helping them in arranging a cab/transport.
  • Avoid being judgemental instead try to accept, empower, and support the sufferer.
  • Prevent from passing on comments linked to suicide even as a joke, but the best thing is to help the sufferer get in touch with a professional in case they show signs of suicidal ideation.
  • Making efforts in offering food, if the sufferer has a child, then offering them child care and lastly, performing the house chores can mean the world to the smiling depression patient.
  • Monitoring the changes in a person’s behavior.

If you have a strong feeling that something is wrong with your friend if he/she is not answering your call or even backs off from a hangout plan, then make the first move by reaching out to them. Feeling lonely and having lowered self esteem is a very common sign that a person suffering from smiling depression usually experiences. Therefore, being a closed one the first thought should be always to urge them to reach out to some mental health professional as soon as they can.

Read More: Understanding The Connection Between Male Depression And Emotional Affairs

Summary!

Depression can be shattering for every person struggling from it. And the worst happens when they think that they will be judged or that people do not understand them or their pain. As a result they start showing signs of smiling depression. The primary identification of smiling depression is that the sufferer does not make it visible to others that they are depressed by hiding their depression signs and concealing them with a fake laughter or cracking jokes. If smiling depression is left untreated, it can lead to different other mental health issues such as acute stress, panic disorder, OCD, mood disorder, bipolar, and psychosis. Orange Coast Psychiatry is the best telepsychiatry stop for your signs of smiling depression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the effects of smiling depression might be hidden but the impact of these signs is long term and distressing as it can also lead to suicidal ideation.

The most common and widely used treatment approaches are interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

You can always start off with small steps such as offering them food, providing them with childcare services, and checking if they require anything.

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Richard Samedra.

PMHNP-BC

Richard Samedra, PMHNP-BC, is a Board Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. He brings over 12 years of experience in the mental health field, working with clients facing a wide range of acute and chronic mental health conditions. His journey began as a Licensed Vocational Nurse and Charge Nurse at Westminster Therapeutic Residential Treatment, where he supported clients dealing with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. Richard’s dedication was centered on helping these individuals improve their mental health and transition to a lower level of care, whether that meant returning to their families, a board and care facility, or a sober-living environment.

Motivated by a growing passion for mental health care, Richard pursued his Registered Nurse (RN) education at Saddleback Community College and later transitioned to La Palma Intercommunity Hospital Behavioral Health. In this role, he specialized in geriatric psychiatry, working with older adults experiencing conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety. This experience solidified his commitment to mental health, leading him to work at Bellflower Community Hospital, where he provided care for patients experiencing severe psychiatric crises, including suicidal ideation, manic and depressive episodes, substance use disorders, and exacerbated schizophrenia symptoms.

Inspired by the impactful work of PMHNPs at Bellflower, Richard enrolled in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Azusa Pacific University. To broaden his expertise, he worked full-time at College Hospital Costa Mesa while completing his studies. There, he gained comprehensive experience across various units, including adolescent, acute men’s and women’s, stabilization, and detox/med-surg. Now, as a PMHNP, Richard is committed to leveraging his diverse background and knowledge to provide compassionate, comprehensive care to those in need.

Richard currently practices as a Nurse Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Orange Coast Psychiatry, where he is supervised by Dr. Montgomery.

 

Shaheena Gazipura

PMHNP-BC

Shaheena Gazipura is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with over 9 years of dedicated experience in both inpatient and outpatient mental health care. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Shaheena began her career working on an adult psychiatric inpatient unit before transitioning to the geriatric psychiatric inpatient unit at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. In addition to her clinical work, Shaheena also serves as a Nursing Clinical Instructor, guiding the next generation of nurses through their mental health rotations at a large community college.

Shaheena is a passionate advocate for mental health, believing that it is a fundamental pillar of overall well-being. She is committed to reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and strives to provide comprehensive, compassionate care that honors each individual’s unique experiences and challenges. Her goal is to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where patients feel empowered to work alongside her in achieving their mental health goals.

Outside of her professional life, Shaheena enjoys exploring new culinary experiences, staying active through exercise, and planning her next travel adventures.

Shaheena currently practices as a Nurse Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Orange Coast Psychiatry, where she is supervised by Dr. Barrios.

Clint Nacar

PMHNP-BC

Clint Nacar, PMHNP-BC is a Board Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Mr. Nacar graduated from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Currently Mr. Nacar works in an inpatient psychiatry unit at a leading academic medical center in Los Angeles, Renewed Mental Health Group, and Orange Coast Psychiatry

Mr. Nacar brings over 7+ years of experience with the mental health population. He works to help patients take control of their mental health through patient education, psychotherapy and medication management. Mr. Nacar’s areas of focus include: Depression, Anxiety, Adjustment Disorder, Bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mr. Nacar treats children ages 6+, adolescents, and adults, offering both in-person services and telehealth at Renewed Mental Health Group.

With the collaboration of each patient, Mr. Nacar strives to develop individualized plans of care addressing each patient’s unique situation and concerns. He also encourages each patient to take charge of their mental health through a holistic approach while also employing the latest evidence based practices in treatment.

Clint is one of our most experienced Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners at Orange Coast Psychiatry and is 103NP Licensed in the State of California.

Cristian Cuevas

PMHNP-BC (Fluent in Spanish)

Cristian Cuevas, PMHNP-BC, is a highly skilled board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with over seven years of experience in inpatient psychiatry and mental health.

A California State University Long Beach graduate, Cristian also earned recognition as a board-certified psychiatric mental health registered nurse. With a wealth of expertise in adult psychiatric care across the lifespan, Cristian has successfully diagnosed and treated a diverse range of mental health disorders.

Additionally, his specialized experience in child and adolescent inpatient populations further enhances his ability to provide comprehensive and compassionate mental health care.

Cristian Cuevas is the Lead Nurse Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Orange Coast Psychiatry and is supervised by Dr Barrios.

Griselda Hernandez

PMHNP-BC (Fluent in Spanish)

As a licensed Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with a robust background in psychiatric and substance abuse nursing, Griselda provides compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges. The core of her practice focuses on promoting holistic wellness, fostering resilience, and empowering patients in their recovery journey. Specializing in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of adolescents with various mental health disorders, Griselda strives to create a therapeutic environment where patients feel valued, respected, and supported.
“My approach is grounded in years of diverse experience, including work in psychiatric units and medical detox units for both adults and adolescents. This extensive background has equipped me with the skills and knowledge to manage complex psychiatric and substance abuse conditions effectively. I am committed to staying updated with the latest advancements in psychiatric care, integrating cutting-edge therapies and best practices into my treatment plans. Collaboration is key to my practice; I work closely with multidisciplinary teams, families, and community resources to provide coordinated and comprehensive care tailored to each individual’s unique needs.”
Griselda holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization in Psychiatric-Mental Health from West Coast University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Additionally, she is fluent in the English and Spanish language, enhancing her ability to connect with a diverse patient population.
Griselda currently practices as a Nurse Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Orange Coast Psychiatry, where she is supervised by Dr. Barrios.

Dr Barrios

Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Dr. Carlos Barrios is a Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with over two decades of experience in mental health care. His expertise in telepsychiatry has allowed him to serve patients across California and beyond. In his practice, Dr Barrios integrates metabolic and functional methodologies, focusing on guiding patients toward medication independence and emphasizing the connection between physical and mental health.
Outside of his professional life, Dr Barrios is passionate about kettlebell training, which helps him maintain my physical and mental wellness. He cherishes visiting his family in Guatemala, to reconnecting with his cultural roots and rejuvenating his spirit. Dr Barrios is also deeply involved in transcendental meditation and rucking, practices that not only provide him with tranquility but also keep him grounded and connected to nature. These hobbies reflect his commitment to a holistic approach to health, both personally and professionally.