Unseen Depression

Something is not nonexistent just because it isn't visible, known, or otherwise perceivable.  This applies to mental illness just as much as it does to deep metaphysics and epistemology.  Just because something doesn't seem to be there doesn't mean it is not present.  A person can seem happy, joyful, content, and at peace to external observers, when inside he or she is submerged in the difficulties of depression.

It is unfortunate that some will look at "high-functioning" people and conclude, fallaciously and without basis, that they must not suffer from anxiety, emptiness, lack of energy, or suicidal thoughts, or any of the other forms through which depression can manifest itself.  This can make it far more socially and emotionally difficult for someone who is thought of as too high-functioning to be depressed to publicly admit that he or she actually does have the condition.

After all, coming forward can be very difficult when people don't think others will believe them or offer support.  The same is true of things besides depression.  Those who feel pressured to minimize their acknowledgment of their own depression (or other mental illness) may have bought into the damaging--and false--idea that those with mental illness simply need to keep moving on, without addressing their problems adequately.

But mental illness is not something that people need to keep secret, and unspoken pains can hurt all the deeper because they are confined.  Isolation, even the emotional or social isolation that comes from not telling others about one's problems, can amplify the difficulties of things like depression.  Sharing knowledge of such things could either help relieve some of the stress or be the first step towards getting other forms of help.

I implore other Christians to be supportive and caring when helping those with depression.  For the Christians that struggle with it themselves, they have an additional resource in their relationships with God.  They can find a source of motivation and energy in their relationships with God that they will not find in their dealings with other humans.  Jesus said that he came so that people could "have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10), and God does not care any less about our mental and emotional health than he does about that of our physical bodies.  At the very least, Christians with depression can converse with God about their trials--he understands even when other people do not, and not just when our trials involve depression or other mental health issues.