When people think of depression, they often picture someone who’s curled up in bed, crying, or completely shut down. And while it can look like that, depression often wears quieter disguises — ones that are easier to miss, especially in ourselves.
Here are some ways depression might show up that don’t always get recognized:
- Irritability or anger: Feeling snappy, short-fused, or easily overwhelmed by things that normally wouldn’t bother you.
- Emotional numbness: Instead of feeling sad, you might feel... nothing. A sense of disconnect or flatness that’s hard to explain.
- Over-functioning: Going into overdrive with work, caregiving, or constant “doing” to avoid slowing down and sitting with what’s underneath.
- Sleep and appetite shifts: Sleeping way more than usual, or barely at all. Eating to self-soothe—or losing interest in food altogether.
- Loss of joy: The things that once lit you up might now feel like a chore, or just... empty.
- Physical symptoms: Headaches, gut issues, chronic tension—depression doesn’t only live in the mind. It can take up residence in the body, too.
The truth is, depression doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like keeping it all together — until you’re alone. It might look like being "high-functioning" on the outside while feeling numb, disconnected, or overwhelmed inside.
If any of this hits close to home, know this: you’re not the only one. And you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
We’re here when you’re ready.
— The Sahana Wellness Team
