I. What is “smiling depression”?
”Smiling depression” is a condition in which the patient feels pain, depression, sorrow and sadness deep inside but outwardly behaves as if nothing is wrong, with a “smile” on his face. This “smile” does not come from the true feelings of the heart, but from the “need to work”, “need to save face”, “need for courtesy”, “dignity and responsibility”. “, “the need for dignity and responsibility”, “the need for personal future”.
II. Common people
1. Service industry and administrative personnel.
”Reach out and do not smile” is the beauty of a smile; “smiley face” is the beauty of a smile; “kind and warm” is the charm of a smile …… The benefits of smiling are innumerable. But the smile should also be appropriate, as of the fall of 2005, German researchers on more than 4,000 air hostesses and medical staff and other employees conducted a questionnaire survey. The results showed that because service workers in these professions often force themselves to make friendly and cordial expressions, symptoms such as frustration and depression can occur over time.
A year ago, Hong was transferred to the international flight team for her excellent performance and had a bright future. But at some point, Hong came home to her parents with a cold face, ignoring them, asking more questions without a good look, and even badmouthing them. More often than not, they shut themselves in the house, listless, long and short sighs. But as soon as a cell phone rings, Hong immediately glows, laughing, friendly and cordial.
Ms. Zhang returned from childbirth last March and found a job as a business manager in a foreign trade company, earning a lot more than her husband, who was very proud of his wife. But only half a year, the husband found that his wife returned home on the lethargy, see the family is also indifferent, and began to think that his wife is working too hard to cause, rest a few days will turn good. But day by day, he found that his wife’s mood just can not be raised. But when she received a phone call from a colleague or a customer, she immediately became dignified and generous again, laughing loudly. Mr. Zhang could not understand how: why his wife in the unit and at home is like two people?
The new situation that often occurs in urban white-collar workers belongs to the “smile depression”. “Smiling depression” is common in those who have higher education, considerable status and successful career, especially senior management and administrative staff. Of course, there is also a case of major depressive patients with suicide attempts, in order to achieve their suicidal purpose, they consciously hide their pain and put on a happy face, so as to avoid the attention of medical personnel, relatives and friends. Those who are highly educated and have a considerable status of successful career people, especially senior management and administrative staff.
Like Ms. Zhang and Ms. Chen, depression due to ‘smiling’ is generally common in the service industry and administrative staff, ‘smiling’ is their professional need, and patients, despite feeling extreme pain, depression, sorrow and sadness deep inside, outwardly The patient’s external appearance is as if nothing is wrong, and he or she is “smiling”. This “smile” is not a true feeling from the bottom of the heart, but a “need for work”, “need for face”, “need for courtesy”, “need for dignity and responsibility”. “, “the need for dignity and responsibility”, “the need for personal future”.
Psychological health should benefit from the unity of the person’s inner emotions, but this is not from the heart smile, out of professional needs of the smile violates the natural nature of man, sad and angry when still maintain a smile, is in the distortion of their emotions, a short time is still within the human capacity, a long time will cause damage to the inner emotional compensation mechanism, which will lead to a psychological crisis, over time will appear frustration and depression and other symptoms. Although the smile is a lubricant for interpersonal relationships, we need to smile in life, but the appropriate smile is conducive to physical and mental health, while long-term suppression of professional smile will directly affect a person’s mental health.
2, women.
According to statistics, 65% of the depressed patients are women. The reason why there is such a high rate is closely related to the physiology and psychology of women. Compared with men, women are generally more sentimental, weak, lack of self-confidence, these feminine traits, to a certain extent, become the root cause of the onset of depression and triggering factors. In addition, women’s special physiological factors, such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause, make them feel even more stressed.
As a branch of depression, smiling depression also basically follows this pattern, with the slight difference that smiling depression is commonly found in professional women with higher education, status and successful careers, most typically in the service industry. “Smiling depression” is a pain that is invisible to the naked eye and is gradually spreading in the office. Everyone has mood swings in life, but the nature of their work has “obliterated” this normal physiological phenomenon. In order to work, for the sake of customers, their emotions must always remain high, full of energy.
3. Pre-suicide precursors of major depression.
In order to achieve their suicidal purpose, patients with major depression consciously cover up their painful experience and put on a happy face. In order to achieve their suicidal purpose, they will be very cooperative with doctors’ treatment and family care, so as to avoid the attention of medical staff, relatives and friends. Sudden “improvement” and “brightening” of mood in patients with major depression may be a dangerous sign and should be highly guarded against suicide. These “smiling” patients, after the “smile” is more profound loneliness and isolation. Their behavior is performative in nature and lacks internal consistency with their emotional experience, making it difficult for them to express their “true self”.
III. Assessment
For people with smiling depression, it is like being lost in a dark forest, very confusing and frightening. In fact, smiling depression is not scary, as long as you have the courage to face it, you can win the battle. But you should not underestimate it, and you should not run away from it, as it will not help to solve the problem. You can do the following test, which is designed by the famous American psychologist Dr. David D. Burns, a set of self-diagnosis of various kinds of depression, including smiling depression, you may want to take the right number to see how many points you can score.
Please score the items that match your mood: None 0 Mild 1 Moderate 2 Severe 3
1.Do you feel sad or sorrowful all the time?
2.Do you feel that there is little prospect?
3.Do you feel worthless or think you are a failure?
4.Do you feel overwhelmed or sigh that you are no match for others?
5.Do you blame yourself for everything?
6.Are you hesitant in making decisions?
7.Have you been in a state of anger and dissatisfaction during this period?
8.Have you lost interest in your career, family, hobbies or friends?
9.Do you feel down and out and have no motivation to do things?
10.Do you think you have aged or lost your charm?
11, do you feel loss of appetite? Or can’t help but overeat?
12, do you suffer from insomnia? Or feel weak all day, lethargy?
13.Are you losing interest in sex?
14.Are you often worried about your health?
15.Do you think life is worthless, or life is better than death?