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Verified by Psychology Today

[Seth J. Gillihan PhD+]

Seth J. Gillihan PhD

Think, Act, Be

Depression

Why Depression Can Make It Hard to Know You're Depressed

These four factors often obscure the symptoms of low mood.

Updated April 29, 2024 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

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THE BASICS

• What Is Depression?
• Find counselling to overcome depression

Key points

• Depression often develops in ways that make it hard to recognize.
• The negative bias of depression can feel like an accurate view of oneself rather than a symptom.
• Ongoing mental health stigma leads some individuals to seek explanations that don't include depression.
• Early diagnosis means less suffering and impairment.

[Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock+]

Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock

It's often not easy to tell that you're depressed, especially in the beginning of the condition. The syndrome doesn't tend to show up all at once as the full suite of obvious symptoms; instead, symptoms generally appear in fits and starts and may progress insidiously. While it might be clear in h