Can I be depressed and not know it?

You can, if you feel ok, while you're busy, or surrounded by people, but then find yourself having destroying thoughts when you're alone, feeling sad for no apparent reason, crying yourself to sleep, not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, not eating enough, eating too much. You don't need to be always sad to be depressed.

Short answer: Yes. Especially if you have been depressed for a very long time, or if you slid into depression gradually. I didn't realize how long I had been depressed until I started talking about my feelings and experiences with other people. Only then did I realize what parts of my life were not "normal" and had been affected by my depression. See, I was still able to do life - I passed my classes, I played sports, I was a "successful" person. However, I was struggling. I attributed my struggles to things I did (notably, self harm) and not to any diagnosable problem. I told myself I was "fine" and that I was "over dramatic" and I continually invalidated my own feelings to the extent that I truly believed the problem was my bad personality traits and not a mental illness. Only after many years when things deteriorated to the point that I eventually reached out to a psychiatrist to try medication. The psychiatrist gave me a diagnosis and I realized I had depression and anxiety. Because counselors (which I was seeing) don't diagnose people, I managed to not realize I was depressed or anxious in any diagnosable manner for years. So, yeah, you can most certainly be depressed and not aware of it. If you think you might be struggling with depression, it's best to talk to your GP, a psychiatrist, or a counselor. They will be able to help you figure out what is going on and how you can best get support and find resources to help you feel better and manage these difficult thoughts and emotions. I hope things get better for you soon!

For some people, depression's primary symptoms are actually physical. These can range from changes in appetite, sleep patterns, stomach aches, head or body aches, feeling run down or tired, and general malaise or pain. If you have physical issues like these that have been ongoing, make an appointment with your doctor and mention what's been happening; it is possible, though not extremely common, to have symptoms like these be the only manifestation of depression.

It took me a year to finally understand I have depression. I didn't feel sad, but I felt angry. Look up symptoms of depression online. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Yeah that can easily be mistake,you could probably think you overly emotional but thats not the case

Yes absolutely. Depression isn't always noticable or visible. Although it can be judged over a period of time or by others in some time. We may be happy but from within it might be hurting us unknowing. Its always good to keep track of us.

Of course. Personally, looking back on myself there were many signs that I was depressed but no one ever noticed. When I still tiny I would ask my mom if I should still be alive since I didn't think I deserved to be. Even though I was always around people I had spouts of sadness and tried to isolate myself. As I grew older I grew more and more tired and isolated myself more and more. I thought I was just going through a phase. Even when I started cutting and had many suicidal thoughts I thought it was normal fo everyone to think of death and self-loathing every single day. No one ever told me what was what. You can be depressed but not aware of it, it's due to the stigma and lack of awareness.

Some people just explain that they are just mostly tired or sad, when in fact, they are depressed. Being depressed usually means that you have very poor self image. But finding information online, or seeking professional help, you can find out if you really are depressed or not.

Sometimes we might not realize that we are depressed. Such as losing a football match to your brother. But it might affect your feelings for a loooong time! Something sad happened to me when I was 12 but I never realized that it was depression!

Absolutely. Depression doesn't present the same for everyone. It is typically described as "sadness", but depression it self can either be secondary to other conditions, or, exist on its own with symptoms such as the loss in enjoyment of actives you once enjoyed, extreme tiredness, or simply lack of feelings at all. I personally have experienced all of these things and it pretty much took swallowing my pride to admit to myself that I was most definitely depressed.

Yes, it is very possible to be unaware you are depressed. That emotion could become your "status quo", so to speak, and just become "normal" for you.

Yes, you can be depressed without a doctor even finding out about it. It is hard but sometimes come out of it

When I was in the hospital there were a lot of people who just decided that they were depressed. They thought "I'm sad, I must be depressed." And of course, they took the antidepressants and they felt better...but then there were the kids that came in and the psychiatrist would talk with them and they discovered that they were depressed. Like they had no idea, they never even thought that depression was a possibility because they always 'felt so happy,' as they said. Like, it just really depends on the person. Depression can strike in anyone, and a big percentage of us will suffer from it at some point.

When you think about how you feel.... yes you can. If you are so mindful that you choose not to buy into your emotions, you may not be very aware of them. Just like pain.. if you are focused on something else you forget you even have pain. Bipolar is a good example.. people need this skill as sometimes emotions can be chemically driven ie an imbalance in the brain. If they buy into their emotions all the time, then life gets really rocky. If they decide to ignore their emotions and live their life they way they want, then certainly they can lose awareness. Sometimes people can be mildly depressed and not really aware. This happens when people do not know the symptoms of depression. There are many rating scales around.. the Kessler K10 is a short scale you can use to see if you are possibly depressed. If you are worried, its a good idea to talk to a mental health specialist about it.

I'm sure that's possible. Sometimes, at least in my case, I can almost trick myself into believing I'm happy when I'm really very troubled. I smile and go about my day and sometimes forget that it's a persona that I'm putting on. So yes, I do believe one can be depressed and not realize it.

Certainly! Depression is a double-edged sword that way: it barks at us and beats us down so much, and for so long, and often in such subtle ways, that we may not even realize we have been resigned to it for years. Additionally, because of society's stigma that people with depression are weak, flawed, different, or defective, we may not want to admit to ourselves that we are depressed, because naturally we want to be brilliant, beautiful people, not broken pieces. But it is possible to be a brilliant, self-sufficient, strong person - and have depression! The two are not mutually exclusive. As soon as we realize we can be amazing and still have depression, it becomes easier to see the signs of depression within ourselves. The more honest we are with ourselves, the easier everything in our lives becomes. The first step to managing our depression is acknowledging that it is hiding there. Go you!

Most symptoms of depression can be brushed off with excuses which makes it harder to differentiate between depression and just having a moment - educate yourself about the symptoms and be aware of your emotions - I know that it took me 2 years before I realized I had depression, and it took longer to realize the severity of it, but make sure to never falsely diagnose yourself, talk to a professional

It always amazes me how long it took me to figure out I was depressed...Statistically, between 8% and 12% of us will experience a period of depression before the year is out, according to the Office for National Statistics. But many will never be diagnosed. Despite increased awareness of mental health issues, people can live with a range of symptoms without ever realising they are depressed – Keep an Eye out for the usual suspects like low moods, constant tiredness, poor appetite and inability to concentrate in general..In addition, if you’re depressed you may simply be less motivated. “You know everything ends in failure, so there’s no point..We might just mistake all that as a phase or a bad days..However it is quite possible to not realise we're depressed and more often than not it's because we are reluctant to accept it...

Yes, sometimes it take people years to realize, and sometimes people may not want to admit they are. There is nothing wrong with being depressed, as it is a real mental illness.

Yes. It actually happens a lot. People are not always in touch with their moods and emotions. Sometimes you can be depressed but feel like nothing is different.