28 Parts of Depression That Often Get Missed

Like any invisible illness, there’s more to depression than meets the eye. This week — Depression Awareness Week — people are speaking up about the unseeable using the hashtag #WhatYouDontSee, a campaign launched by the Blurt Foundation.

Join the conversation by taking to Twitter, and check out a few powerful responses below. It’s about time we started talking about the “invisible.”

Here’s what people have said so far:

#whatyoudontsee the fear of being rejected by all those you love and hold close because you have this illness.

— MeandMyMHMatters (@Meandmymhmatter) April 18, 2016

#WhatYouDontSee all the ‘concessions’ needed in order to function. can’t do too much, too fast, or you risk crisis. one step fwd, two back.

— Just Mental Things (@mentalthings) April 18, 2016

#WhatYouDontSee My inner voice mocking me

— Annis Stead (@AnnisDoesPhD) April 18, 2016

#whatyoudontsee The feeling of shame & self-doubt is crippling. Total lack of self-worth. Feeling worse for the effect it has on close ones

— Jonny Rothfield (@JonnyRothfield) April 18, 2016

#WhatYouDontSee The absolute exhaustion after getting home from a normal day at work faking it for the outside world.

— Phil Robinson (@phildrobinson) April 18, 2016

@BlurtAlerts #WhatYouDontSee The times I’m told (& tell myself) that my situation is nothing compared to those with “real problems”

— Who? (@_MWho_) April 18, 2016

#WhatYouDontSee is how painful it is when people dismiss your problems or aren’t respectful of your feelings #DAW2016

— ⭐⭐️ Kelly⭐️⭐️ (@Anotherkellylou) April 18, 2016

#WhatYouDontSee is going through the side effects of medication – insomnia, dark thoughts, hot sweats, shaking, nausea & anxiety.

— Kimberley Giles (@LittleKimmyJane) April 18, 2016

#whatyoudontsee is the struggle, the pain, the exhaustion and absolute torture your mind puts you through. You are an empty shell.

— Stephen Le Quesne (@SLeQuesne) April 18, 2016

10.

#WhatYouDontSee the utter exhaustion. The hours spent in bed, wishing you could snap out of it pic.twitter.com/m6pL8qmpjI

— Charlotte (@_Littleun) April 18, 2016

11.

#Whatyoudontsee is how hard it is just to step outside the front door some days.

— Jo (@TheEejits) April 18, 2016

12.

when you are depressed it feels like there is a glass box stopping you from living your life or connecting with other people #WhatYouDontSee

— Kitty Wenham (@KittyWenham) April 18, 2016

13.

#WhatYouDontSee is how useless and pointless I feel. How inside I know I don’t deserve anything

— a l l i e (@hesyounggod) April 18, 2016

14.

You see me stop in the middle of the footpath but #WhatYouDontSee is that I’m fighting #depression and #stigma pic.twitter.com/5oJXZVTEi7

— Fiona Art (@FionaArt) April 18, 2016

15.

#WhatYouDontSee is the times I just wish I could pause life and simply reboot everything so I can prepare for the next day

— Adam Barker (@BarkerPodcasts) April 18, 2016

16.

#WhatYouDontSee is sometimes I cry on my way to school or work because I know I’ll have to pretend to be fine.

— Red (@natging13) April 18, 2016

17.

@BlurtAlerts #Whatyoudontsee is the daily battle of negative and intrusive thoughts constantly in my head #DAW2016 pic.twitter.com/ykWy1nVLEN

— Cupcakes and Anxiety (@CrazyCakeLadyK) April 18, 2016

18.

The niggling self doubts and critism going on in my head, even when writing this tweet I’m second guessing myself! #WhatYouDontSee

— Hannah Morton (@hannahbm_12) April 18, 2016

19.

#WhatYouDontSee is even when I seem fairly well, my mood can plummet any time, & need for self-care can take constant attention.

— Christine of Aaargh (@cdaargh) April 18, 2016

20.

#WhatYouDontSee is my brain chemistry & my life experiences, so you may never understand what brought me to this place.

— Erin Lidia (@erinlidia) April 18, 2016

21.

Self esteem in tatters, broken on the inside yet still having to wake yourself up and continue going so that nobody knows #WhatYouDontSee

— Padmè Am(y)idala (@L0werThanAmy) April 18, 2016

22.

#WhatYouDontSee is how difficult it is to listen to the right voices, the ones that want to help you, rather than the ones that stigmatise.

— Sarah Le Blanc (@LadyMirtazapine) April 18, 2016

23.

I’m taking part in #whatyoudontsee for Depression Awareness Week 2016…I am so proud to be part of @BlurtAlerts pic.twitter.com/6bEV0SACaz

— Amy Trevaskus (@Amytrevaskus) April 18, 2016

24.

#WhatYouDontSee is Me. You see the mask(s) I wear or you see your version of me, but you rarely see Me.

— JohnD (@zelandroid009) April 18, 2016

25.

#WhatYouDontSee was how it was to hear that I was just being lazy when I couldn’t voice how felt. Depression made me numb.

— Megan K. (@mentalmetanoia) April 18, 2016

26.

#whatyoudontsee Depression doesn’t just affect you mentally; my whole body feels like it’s made out of lead

— Rachel (@OpenMindMH) April 18, 2016

27.

#WhatYouDontSee how out of touch you become with friends, family, the news, anything else that would normally interest you.

— Sarah Le Blanc (@LadyMirtazapine) April 18, 2016

28.

people don’t ‘look’ depressed because it’s a freaking mental illness, not a facial expression #WhatYouDontSee #depressionawarenessweek

— +Chloe Whyte+ (@Chloe_Whyte) April 18, 2016

To learn more about the #WhatYouDontSee campaign, head here.