Sad, singer Coco Lee passed away! Can girls who love to laugh also suffer from depression?

Last night, a sad news swept across major social media platforms. The popular Chinese pop singer and actress Coco Lee (CoCo) unfortunately passed away due to depression.

This made many fans very sad and shocked, because in everyone's impression, Coco Lee is always associated with confidence, smile, explosive rhythm and dashing dance moves, which seem to have nothing to do with the word "depression"!

Of course, the person is gone, and we have no intention and should not speculate on the cause of the disease. We can only wish him rest in peace. However, as a popular science media, we should still clarify a misunderstanding: people who love to laugh can also suffer from depression.

01

Will people who love to laugh not suffer from depression?

It is a common misunderstanding that "people who are sunny and smiling will not suffer from depression." Depression has its own diagnostic criteria and its own laws of occurrence and development. It cannot be simply judged based on a person's personality.

We often hear the word "depression" and are very familiar with it. It is a common mental illness, the main characteristics of which are persistent low mood, loss of interest or motivation in things we usually like, low self-esteem, and negative words and deeds .

But do only people who are depressed and have no motivation in life suffer from depression? Of course not. Some time ago, a patient who loved to laugh came to my treatment room. When I chatted with her while waiting for the consultation, my first impression of her was that she was a cheerful person. During the chat, she also gave people a very happy feeling.

However, when I looked at her medical records and evaluation results, I found out that she had been diagnosed with depression. Seeing this, you may be like the patient's family or friends, not believing that she actually suffered from depression. How could a person who loves to laugh suffer from depression? But can you be sure that the people around you who are always laughing and smiling are really happy? Could they be patients with "smiling depression"?

02

What is "smiling depression"?

"Smiling depression" is not a clinical diagnosis, but a popular term. It refers to when a person with depression hides his or her depressed side and wears a mask of smile, making people think that he or she is living a happy life, making the depressive symptoms more difficult to detect . Because most people have a stereotype about depression, they think that people with depression are depressed and have no interest in life. But in fact, these are just one of the symptoms of depression, and not every depressed person is pessimistic.

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03

Why do you smile when you are depressed?

Many adults are reluctant to show their negative emotions in front of others, so as not to appear weak or become a burden to others .

In addition, some adults have various reasons for hiding their depression. For example, they may think that their parents are so strict that they will not believe them, and they think it is impossible to solve the problem; their family members are busy with work and rarely have the opportunity to spend time together and chat. They are often alone, so they are used to hiding their worries in their hearts and pretending to be happy in front of others . Sometimes, when patients show pessimistic emotions in their expressions or behaviors, they will be asked by people around them, but after being asked, they have no effective way to solve the problem .

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Over time, they will feel that it is better to keep their thoughts to themselves and not let anyone know, at least they will not feel more upset because of being "questioned". Many times, they will be irritable, easily lose their temper, and even secretly make suicidal moves, but they will not take the initiative to reveal it before being discovered.

04

How to identify depression early?

We can judge whether we are suffering from depression through the following subtle characteristics in our daily life.

Appetite. A sudden change in appetite, with a loss of appetite or an increase in overeating.

Work and rest schedule. The work and rest schedule changes, staying in bed all day or often suffering from insomnia, or even having a reversed work and rest schedule.

Mentality. Feeling hopeless, guilty, and worthless about things.

Interests. Loss of interest in, or enjoyment of, things that you used to enjoy.

In fact, the symptoms of depression are not just what we generally know. In addition to low mood, loss of interest or motivation in favorite things, and negative thoughts, some patients with depression are difficult to observe.

In our daily lives, we should observe whether our family members or friends have some subtle clues of depression. Are there some people who appear optimistic on the surface but are very negative when they are alone? For patients with depression who love to laugh, they should be discovered and treated early so that they can return to normal life, study and work as soon as possible.

Produced by: Chinese Medical Association

Author: Wu Meitong Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center

Reviewer: Cha Caihui, Chief Physician, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center

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