How to tell the difference between feeling sad and being depressed

Did you lose your job or a loved one recently or are you going through a breakup? Any of this will definitely cause extreme sadness which is very normal. It is a natural reaction to such painful occurrences.

No matter how strong you are, we all go through sadness at one point in our lives. Whatever your situation may be, you will cry, get upset and in some cases suffer some pain.

Sadness is one of our basic emotions that comes with feelings of unhappiness and feeling low. These feelings may vary in intensity from person to person and from time to time. It’s a reaction to a particular situation.

Although sadness and depression may look similar, they are quite different.

Depression lingers and lasts longer while sadness is transitional. Sadness, however, can turn into depression and depression often manifests itself with feelings of extreme sadness.

To better understand both, here is how you can tell a difference between the two. 

One is an emotion

As stated earlier, sadness is a human emotion we all know how it feels like. Even young children know how this feels from a fall, or first day at school. It is not a bad thing and if anything, it should not be avoided.

Depression on the other hand is a mental illness and has more impact in your life, others and life in general. Everything you look at is negative and it becomes hard to enjoy life.

You no longer enjoy the things you used to, you’re unmotivated and your body feels like it is shutting down.

One can be diagnosed

Sadness can be separated from depression with a number of techniques from your doctor. Unlike sadness which can know you are feeling, depression at many times requires a proper diagnosis.

To determine if you have depressions your doctor will ask several questions concerning the symptoms you are experiencing, the severity and how long you have been feeling that way.

In certain instances, a physical exam and lab tests may be carried out. If this happens in your case, make sure you disclose any medication you are on, supplements or drugs which may trigger depression.

One lasts for a short time

When they say time is a healer, this applies to sadness. It fades with time. During moments of sadness there are days you will be fine and even manage to break into a smile or laughter after hanging out with a friend or after receiving some uplifting news.

Depression on the other hand persists for more than two weeks or longer and it practically defines your whole day.

It impacts your life by impairing your social, occupational and other areas of functioning such as sleep and concentration. Your body feels like it is shutting down.

One is a reaction

Sadness is a reaction you will experience during somber times and is caused by a particular event. It is also very healthy and nothing to worry about.

Depression however can occur for no apparent reason or can be triggered by certain risk factors such as trauma, low self-esteem, substance abuse or family history of mental illness.

Unlike sadness which fluctuates from day to day, depression does not. It is a downward spiral into hopelessness, isolation, low self-esteem and at times could lead to thoughts of suicide as you begin to feel like you have no control over your life anymore.