Suffering in Silence — What Is It?

“Suffering in silence” or “quiet suffering” is exactly what it sounds like — suffering through a mental health issue alone— where one does not reach out to friends, family, or therapists for help or support. That could include depression, anxiety, trauma, or some form of loss.

280 million people suffer from depression in the world. 21 million of that is in America. We walk past people every day who could be silent suffering.

Non-verbal signs of someone silently battling depression can include a withdrawal from work or school, eating too much or too little, substance abuse, faking emotions, and becoming a workaholic.

Verbal signs would include comments about a lack of a future, or little hope they have for themselves. Many people suffering use humor, including dark humor where they’re able to joke about depression, anxiety, and suicide. Humor can be used to tell people how you’re actually feeling. But then you can quickly deflect and say it was a joke when people press you.

Defense mechanisms are the number one ally for someone who is quietly battling depression. They’re able to weaponize it and deflect any and all things that get thrown…