Can I be depressed and not know it?

You can, if you feel ok, while you're busy, or surrounded by people, but then find yourself having destroying thoughts when you're alone, feeling sad for no apparent reason, crying yourself to sleep, not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, not eating enough, eating too much. You don't need to be always sad to be depressed.

Short answer: Yes. Especially if you have been depressed for a very long time, or if you slid into depression gradually. I didn't realize how long I had been depressed until I started talking about my feelings and experiences with other people. Only then did I realize what parts of my life were not "normal" and had been affected by my depression. See, I was still able to do life - I passed my classes, I played sports, I was a "successful" person. However, I was struggling. I attributed my struggles to things I did (notably, self harm) and not to any diagnosable problem. I told myself I was "fine" and that I was "over dramatic" and I continually invalidated my own feelings to the extent that I truly believed the problem was my bad personality traits and not a mental illness. Only after many years when things deteriorated to the point that I eventually reached out to a psychiatrist to try medication. The psychiatrist gave me a diagnosis and I realized I had depression and anxiety. Because counselors (which I was seeing) don't diagnose people, I managed to not realize I was depressed or anxious in any diagnosable manner for years. So, yeah, you can most certainly be depressed and not aware of it. If you think you might be struggling with depression, it's best to talk to your GP, a psychiatrist, or a counselor. They will be able to help you figure out what is going on and how you can best get support and find resources to help you feel better and manage these difficult thoughts and emotions. I hope things get better for you soon!

For some people, depression's primary symptoms are actually physical. These can range from changes in appetite, sleep patterns, stomach aches, head or body aches, feeling run down or tired, and general malaise or pain. If you have physical issues like these that have been ongoing, make an appointment with your doctor and mention what's been happening; it is possible, though not extremely common, to have symptoms like these be the only manifestation of depression.

It took me a year to finally understand I have depression. I didn't feel sad, but I felt angry. Look up symptoms of depression online. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Yeah that can easily be mistake,you could probably think you overly emotional but thats not the case

Yes absolutely. Depression isn't always noticable or visible. Although it can be judged over a period of time or by others in some time. We may be happy but from within it might be hurting us unknowing. Its always good to keep track of us.

Of course. Personally, looking back on myself there were many signs that I was depressed but no one ever noticed. When I still tiny I would ask my mom if I should still be alive since I didn't think I deserved to be. Even though I was always around people I had spouts of sadness and tried to isolate myself. As I grew older I grew more and more tired and isolated myself more and more. I thought I was just going through a phase. Even when I started cutting and had many suicidal thoughts I thought it was normal fo everyone to think of death and self-loathing every single day. No one ever told me what was what. You can be depressed but not aware of it, it's due to the stigma and lack of awareness.

Some people just explain that they are just mostly tired or sad, when in fact, they are depressed. Being depressed usually means that you have very poor self image. But finding information online, or seeking professional help, you can find out if you really are depressed or not.

Sometimes we might not realize that we are depressed. Such as losing a football match to your brother. But it might affect your feelings for a loooong time! Something sad happened to me when I was 12 but I never realized that it was depression!

Absolutely. Depression doesn't present the same for everyone. It is typically described as "sadness", but depression it self can either be secondary to other conditions, or, exist on its own with symptoms such as the loss in enjoyment of actives you once enjoyed, extreme tiredness, or simply lack of feelings at all. I personally have experienced all of these things and it pretty much took swallowing my pride to admit to myself that I was most definitely depressed.