# Visibly depressed/ dead eyes



## Anxietyriddled

I've dealt with depression many years now and I'm worried that It's to obvious to fake happiness for social purposes now. Maybe I'm being a little paranoid but it just seems like people can "pickup" my depressed/ suppressed vibe. They can see the hollowness in my eyes. I've lost some thing in myself. That natural glimmer of happiness, that enthusiasm for things. Can any one relate? or give advice?


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## DragnoticChaos4231

I'm going through the same thing, but I don;t have any tips or ideas as I am searching for some myself.

Just to let you know your not the only one.


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## Dave2

i think i have this, i have started walking into and around town this past couple of days as i also need to lose weight.

before when i was sat in the house i really told myself i couldnt do the walk, the first time i done it it made me feel alot better about myself, also, bumping into people in the street that i hadnt seen in years and speaking to them for 5 minutes was a real confidence booster for me. i feel alone and ashamed when i sit at home, when i go for a walk it makes me feel good.

my aunt noticed yesterday that i looked a little happier, maybe this is what she was referring to?


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## StrangePeaches

yeah.....when i try to smile at people....i feel like my mouth in shaped like a smile, but my eyes are just probably to empty and emotionless.


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## ACCV93

Hmm. I've thought that before. But thankfully when I smile it looks genuine... at least I think lol. yeah now that I think about it my face does NOT give away how I'm feeling.


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## probably offline




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## Elad

I've had this problem growing up particularly in highschool, although I don't want to say my eyes are dead because it makes me sound like Michael Myers or some other psycho. People don't seem top pick up on it anymore, which I'm guessing is a result of being more sure of myself and relatively happier. I think when people are very depressed its pretty apparent, but even more so when dealing with social anxiety issues because of how involuntary facial expressions and actions can be.


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## Amorphousanomaly

When people tell you to smile, it's so annoying. If I had a reason to smile, then I would. >:l


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## tehuti88

The high school guidance counselor called me to his office once and we looked through my old yearbooks.

He pointed out one from elementary school (pre-SA), and my smiling, sunny photo. Then he pointed out one from junior high (post-SA) and my forced, barely-there smile and sad eyes.

"Right around this point," he said, "you lost your smile."

I hadn't even known until then that it actually showed.


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## Anxietyriddled

When I say "dead eyes" what I mean is usually when people have been exposed to distressing situations like military people who have killed or seen death , trauma doctors, abused children etc They have a certain expression or maybe more like a lack of expression.


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## tehuti88

Anxietyriddled said:


> When I say "dead eyes" what I mean is usually when people have been exposed to distressing situations like military people who have killed or seen death , trauma doctors, abused children etc They have a certain expression or maybe more like a lack of expression.


This is called the "thousand-yard stare."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand-yard_stare


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## Implicate

This has been a problem for me for the majority of my life, and I'd say on about 50% of my trips into the outside world I encounter some form of "Smile!" or "Don't look so down", and more often than not I feel like I am in a decent mood when this occurs. 

My solution has been to wear sunglasses as often as possible, and also to stop wearing eye make up as to not attract attention to my eyes. Not a healthy response by any means, but it has had some effect.


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## fightoffmydemons

I think we only hide our depression from other people so that 1. we dont get asked about our moods all the damn time and 2. it gets other people down, and we dont want our afflictions cause sadness in someone else. So my advice would be to just not think about it, thinking about how other people might be able to tell how youre feeling is just another problem to worry about. If you want to fake happiness to everyone, go ahead, but try not to further complicate it by wondering to yourself if its actually working.


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## flamingwind

I have this problem as well, I used to be good at faking it, now I just can't do it anymore. I look either mad or emotionless all the time


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## AlphaHydrae

I can relate. When my eyes are like that, people around me would becom e silent, so just to avoid all those unnecessary attentions I fake happiness in my eyes. But when I'm alone, my eyes are dead like fishes, like my heart they are so hollow. 

Don't worry, sometimes I think if I'm too paranoid or am I faking the hollowness or emotionless too. I mean I haven't killed anyone like that, doesn't even feel like I should have the right to have the 1000 yard stare. 

Suggestions eh,, it will go away and come back or go away at some point when you feel nice about something. Just let yourself be..


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## WTFnooooo

VickieKitties said:


> When people tell you to smile, it's so annoying. If I had a reason to smile, then I would. >:l


That tells you what they think a smile is, an influential gesture, not a consequence of happiness.

People that are constantly smiling, specially for more than 10 seconds without having said/heard anything new, like those who work on TV, are insane.


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## Anxietyriddled

fightoffmydemons said:


> I think we only hide our depression from other people so that 1. we dont get asked about our moods all the damn time and 2. it gets other people down, and we dont want our afflictions cause sadness in someone else. So my advice would be to just not think about it, thinking about how other people might be able to tell how youre feeling is just another problem to worry about. If you want to fake happiness to everyone, go ahead, but try not to further complicate it by wondering to yourself if its actually working.


It's not that I "want" to fake happiness. It's just that if you appear to be troubled, depressed or negative people are a lot more likely to avoid you thinking it will rub off on them. I've had people see my eyes and kinda give me that "whoa he must be having a hard time" look, then they just pity you and the chances of forming a decent conversation or relationship are that much lower.


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## Mindquod

That's me. I don't even bother trying to look happy when I'm at work, because it takes too much work and hurts both physically and emotionally. Customers comment and make jokes all the time about how I look bored or dead. It's annoying.


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## fredbloggs02

tehuti88 said:


> The high school guidance counselor called me to his office once and we looked through my old yearbooks.
> 
> He pointed out one from elementary school (pre-SA), and my smiling, sunny photo. Then he pointed out one from junior high (post-SA) and my forced, barely-there smile and sad eyes.
> 
> "Right around this point," he said, "you lost your smile."
> 
> I hadn't even known until then that it actually showed.


Interesting. It seems for most of us anxiety began at that time. I think you would find the same in my school photos.


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