Depression "hidden" inside successful people

"I locked myself in the bathroom and slapped myself repeatedly in the face to wake up, then put on a smart suit, met partners and employees, and became a perfect person that day," Dat shared with Dr. Tran Thi Hong Thu, Deputy Director of Mai Huong Daytime Psychiatric Hospital, on April 2, when starting a psychotherapy session.

Since the end of 2023, when the real estate market showed positive signs, Dat has been busy with meetings, market surveys, recruiting employees, and signing contracts. He often leaves home at 6 o'clock and returns late at night feeling tired and exhausted. However, the man cannot sleep, or thinks vaguely, boredom creeps into his restless sleep. The next morning, he is forced to put aside his feelings of weakness and discouragement, playing the role of a confident, energetic director "to motivate the entire ship of hundreds of employees".

This prolonged condition negatively affected his health as well as his family, causing him to seek treatment at Mai Huong Daytime Psychiatric Hospital. Dat shared that his success in his career with a large fortune did not bring him satisfaction and happiness. On the contrary, he often criticized himself, felt a lack of energy, and felt empty. He was even often irritable and distant from his wife and children, even though the children were at an age where they needed to be close to their parents.

Ha Linh, 32 years old, also feels unhappy despite being the founder of a famous fashion brand, loved and followed by many people on social networks. When alone, she often turns to alcohol and stimulants to relieve her feelings of loneliness and depression.

"It's hard to understand, even though I have achieved my ambition to become famous, I don't feel happy at all. On the contrary, I always feel miserable, depressed, and stuck in life even though I inspire many people every day," Linh said.

Dat and Linh's condition is increasingly common in modern society, and is called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) by Dr. Thu, describing people who appear successful but struggle with their mental health.

Major depressive disorder is characterized by intense and recurring feelings of sadness and hopelessness; loss of interest in activities that one enjoys; isolation from relationships; constant self-criticism; frustration and frustration with minor failures; lack of energy; and a feeling of emptiness despite normal functioning.

"Sometimes being rich or famous is a big pressure in life, they have to struggle to fight the feeling of loneliness in their own world," said Ms. Thu, believing that this is the main reason why many successful people suffer from hidden depression. The dangerous thing is that these people cannot share with relatives and friends because they want to maintain their image.

On the other hand, some people experience childhood trauma such as violence, abuse..., but are not healed, which also affects their mental health. Another group has strong personalities, wants to express themselves, has a high ego, is perfectionist..., works to the point of physical and mental exhaustion, leading to depression.

According to Medical Daily, depression is the leading cause of suicide. Every year, about 850,000 people die from this disease, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO). Depression and anxiety disorders are currently prevalent in Vietnamese society with an estimated 6 million people suffering from the disease, according to statistics in 2022.

Dr. Thu believes that stress is an inevitable part of modern life, it is important to recognize that you have a problem and evaluate this situation from a positive perspective. From there, everyone should learn and practice coping skills to help balance their psychology, avoid chronic stress, which is at high risk of leading to other serious diseases. The skills recommended by doctors are meditation, exercise such as jogging, healthy eating, finding hobbies, meeting friends, volunteering... In severe cases, you should see a psychiatrist for treatment with medication and behavioral psychotherapy (CBT).

For people with hidden depression, it is important to acknowledge and express their feelings, and even ask for help from relatives, friends, and colleagues. People should not hide their illness or show off a successful, strong image while their inner self is broken. "Being listened to, shared, and understood will help people with hidden depression relieve their psychological burden, thereby finding many positive solutions for themselves," said Dr. Thu.

*Character names have been changed