6 Differences Between Sadness and Depression

Welcome or welcome back to another Psych2Go video! Thank you all for the support you’ve given us. If you are curious about this topic, references are listed in the description below. Has anyone opened up to you about being depressed? If so, how did you respond?

Were you trying to be supportive by saying something like, “I feel sad too sometimes”? Although the effort to support is appreciated, a response like this means you might be one of the many who are unclear of the difference between sadness and depression. On the surface, they seem quite similar. However, there are a number of important differences between them. Depression is defined, as per the American Psychological Association, as a mood disorder characterized by persistently negative feelings and changes in one’s thoughts and behaviors.

Over 25% of the global population suffers from depression, making it the most common mental illness in the world. Over 25%! That means approximately one in four people. A little sobering, isn’t it? With that said, here are six important distinctions that may help improve your understanding of the differences between sadness and depression.

One Sadness is an emotional reaction; Depression is a mental illness. Much like sneezing and coughing can be due to an irritant like pepper, but you don’t have a cold; Similarly, you can feel sadness, but this doesn’t always mean a diagnosis of depression. Sadness is a part of the natural and normal spectrum of a healthy humans emotions that all of us experience at times throughout our lives. Feeling sad is a normal response to hurt or distress, and it also comes and goes, fading when the trigger is no longer present. Depression does not come and go.

It doesn’t come up only in response to hurt and distress. It is simply present. Depression is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses in the world, affecting over 16.1 million people in the US alone.

Two Sadness is brief; Depression is persistent.

Because sadness is only an emotional state, it doesn’t usually last very long Most people feel sad about something for only a few hours at a time and after that it usually fades on its own Depression doesn’t. Depression is chronic and a depressive episode can last up to months or even years at a time, especially if it’s left untreated. It’s a serious condition that requires psychological intervention from a mental health care professional before it can get better. Three Sadness is specific; Depression is vague. While sadness can sometimes seem to hit out of the blue, there’s usually a reason behind it.

Specific nameable events like failing at a task, disappointment in a job, or the loss of a loved one can elicit sadness. So while it’s easy to share and open up about what’s making us sad, the same can’t be said for depression. Unlike sadness, depression is not a reaction to a negative situation. A common difficulty is that those struggling with depression don’t understand why they’re depressed.

While it’s true that depressive episodes can occasionally be triggered by specific events in most cases, depression seems to develop for no reason at all.

Four Sadness is subjective; depression is objective. Sadness is a personal experience with the occurrence and measurements of severity dependent on the affected person’s perception alone. Depression requires a professional diagnosis. The persistent occurrence of a combination of symptoms like fatigue, loss of interest, misery, pain, or body aches among others needs to be present in order for a psychologist to say that someone has depression. Five Sadness has short-term effects; depression has long-term consequences.

Sadness, as mentioned before, is brief and it fades. So while you may call in sick for a day or decline invitations to go out once or twice, within a relatively short time like a week, you’ll start to get back to normal. You know your life hasn’t significantly changed because you still have your regular job and your life gets back on track. Depression can’t be taken so lightly as it affects all areas of a person’s life.

It can negatively and persistently impact everything from work performance to physical health to thought patterns.

You may find it hard to feel good about yourself, experiencing feelings of guilt, worthlessness and insecurity. This is why severe depression is often associated with self-harm and suicidal ideation. And, Six Sadness affects your mood; depression affects your life. When you’re sad, The normal reaction is to try to cheer yourself up with happy enjoyable distractions like going out with friends, doing that hobby you love or even opening up to someone as catharsis Even when the sadness feels overwhelming and all-encompassing, there are moments when you still laugh, have fun and feel truly happy with no hidden shadow. Struggling with depression especially during a downward swing however isn’t so easily dealt with.

It can be hard to find enjoyment in anything Where even things you love seem pointless. Your personal battery feels virtually empty with not even enough energy to perform normal daily functions like work, school, or showering. Depression also disrupts normal eating and sleeping patterns. All these factors combined mean you’ll likely end up staying in bed all day feeling empty, hopeless and alone. Knowing the difference between sadness and depression can do so much in helping your understanding of mental illness in general.

There are so many harmful myths and misconceptions surrounding depression like, “It’s a choice”, “It’s make-believe” and more.

So educating yourself about it makes you more compassionate and understanding to those who may be struggling with it. Including yourself. Does this video resonate with you? Is there someone you’d like to reach out to?

If you’re interested in learning more, watch our videos: “5 Hidden Signs of Depression” and “10 Things Depression Makes Us Do”. The links are in the description below. Please like share and subscribe! With your help, Psych2Go can help further understanding for everyone.

Until next time, thanks for watching!

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