What mask are you hiding behind this Halloween?
Halloween is an awesome holiday. Some of the highlight’s being; copious amounts of candy, scary movies, parties, a long weekend and of course the costumes!
Dressing up
But why do we love dressing up so much? For some it’s the fun of being a kid again. For others a chance to express their inner creativity and craftiness. But dressing up also allows us to wear a mask (either literally or just figuratively), role play, get into the shoes of a character and play pretend.
Masks
We all wear masks from time to time. Sometimes for fun like Halloween but other times it’s not so fun. Everyone can relate to pretending to like that awful Christmas gift to not hurt friends feelings. But what if you had to pretend all of the time? How could you tell if a friend felt they had to wear a mask?
Hiding behind a smile
Smiling depression is a term used for someone who is depressed, but doesn’t look it and often won’t admit it. To everyone else, they give no hint of their problem and can hold down a full-time job and enjoy an active social life. But underneath they could be suffering panic attacks, insomnia, low self-esteem and depression.
More common than you might think
Recently, comedian David Williams from the comedy show little Britain admitted he’s suffered with depression for much of his life. He is one of a long line of comedians who have battled depression including Stephen Fry, Ruby Wax, Lenny Henry, Ben Stiller, Jack Dee and Jim Carey. These comedians chose to mask their depression with a cheerful exterior.
Not healthy
But while hiding behind a smile can seem like the best thing to do in the short run it is actually the worst thing you can do in the long run. This is because by not recognising that you are going through a tough time you never deal with what is going on. This means that your tough time will last even longer and be more severe. By not opening up to others about what you are going through you are depriving your friends and family of the opportunity to help you and you are cutting yourself off from support.
What you can do
Open up; tell someone what you are going through. Speaking to somebody outside of the situation will help you release tension, see things from a different perspective and come up with new strategies to get through your tough time. If you are worried about a friend, make sure they know you are there for them and willing to listen if they need to talk.
Check out these articles about opening up and supporting a friend.
Is the mask you wear for Halloween the only mask you have?
Hi Dewi,
Getting through the holidays can be tough. There are lot's of reasons that people find particular holidays stressful. They can be particularly hard when it feels like everyone around you is happy and celebrating when we are going through a tough time.
If you are feeling down it's a good idea to talk to someone you trust about how you have been feeling. This will help you release tension, get things into perspective and develop strategies so that you can enjoy the holidays.
Treating yourself is a good idea and making sure we take time out to do things we enjoy is really important. You say that you don't have much money but there are lot's of things you can do for free that can help you relax during the holidays. Depending on what kind of things you like to do you could take time out to read a book, go for a walk or do some art work.
You can also check out these other holiday blogs from our site with heaps of tips for getting through holidays. The blogs are written for specific holidays but the tips can be applied to any holiday.
Being your own valentine:
Holiday survival guide
Getting enough sleep during the holidays
Planning, presents and pressures /
Does anyone else have any tips or advise for how they get through the holidays?
Roisin
Not liknoog forward to the holidays this year haven’t even got the money to treat myself to anything.
Hi Lucy,
Trying to figure out what you’re feeling can be really confusing. Sometimes it’s easier to pretend that everything is ok, even when it’s not. If you feel like you’re covering up your feelings, talking about it can really help. If you have a friend, a family member, a school counsellor (if your school has one) or a teacher you trust, try and open up to them. It might seem scary, but it can feel like a weight has lifted just by sharing your feelings and thoughts with someone.
Looking after yourself by making sure you’re eating right, getting enough exercise and getting the right amount of sleep, can really help us to feel better. If you want to read more on ReachOut.com about minding your mental health, click here.
Sometimes, talking to people we know and looking after ourselves aren’t enough to make us feel better, and we need the help of a professional. If you feel this is the case, your local doctor/GP could be a really good person to talk to. For more information on ReachOut.com about how your GP can help, follow this link
You might also be interested in the online course offered by HeadsUp.ie where you can access computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for free. If you do try it out let us know what you think. Follow this link to find out more
We hope you’re able to open up to someone; whether it’s someone you know and trust or your GP, to get support through this, so that you don't have to smile and cover up your feelings anymore.
Take care,
Fenella
Hi, the way some people feel - smiling and covering up their depression, is exactly how I feel sometimes! But I'm also not really sure if I'm depressed, I'm really confused about it. Could you help me please?