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When you're feeling down, it can affect every aspect of your life, especially when you're facing acute stress events such as the death of a loved one, emotional breakdown, and intense conflict. This sudden sadness will make many things more complicated.
Although there is no obvious difference between sadness and depression. But it's well known that depression causes more symptoms than sadness, and depressive symptoms can also last longer and are often difficult to alleviate without treatment.
Whether you live in depression or sadness, there are ways to improve your state and well-being, including self-help strategies, medication, and psychotherapy.
Then again, what's the difference between sadness and depression? Below, Professor Rong Xinqi, an expert in new concept psychology, will give you a look at the differences between the two.
Depression and sadness
Grief can make people feel overwhelmed and make day-to-day operations difficult. But as challenging as it can be, grief is a common and natural part of human life.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines grief as a state of unhappiness that usually occurs after loss. There are many types of loss, including the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job.
Depression may include feelings of sadness, but experiencing depression also means having more symptoms – all of which can affect your body, emotions, and spirit.
While sadness is an emotion, depression is a clinically diagnosed mental illness.
symptoms
Depression and sadness have some common symptoms. Because of the overlap between them, it is generally difficult to define both.
Knowing "Am I depressed or sad?" The answer to that question may require a conversation with someone you trust or a mental health professional. The following checklists may also provide guidance to help you think about your own experiences.
When you are sad and sad, you may experience:
Crying;
Insomnia or drowsiness;
Loss of appetite or eating more than usual;
Suddenly like smoking or drinking heavily;
Loss of interest in pleasant activities, etc.
Symptoms of depression may include many of the same symptoms as sadness, but depression usually persists and includes many more. May include:
Feeling sad or empty;
Pessimism or despair about the future;
Feeling guilty or worthless;
Irritability;
Lose interest in activities you used to enjoy;
Lack of motivation;
Appearance of sleep disturbances;
Changes in appetite;
Difficulty concentrating
Have thoughts or acts of self-harm or suicide;
There are no other physical symptoms such as pain, abdominal pain, headache, or digestive problems.
Depressive symptoms may also occur in some cases, such as seasonal changes (seasonal affective disorder) or during or after pregnancy (postpartum depression). Sometimes, depression is part of another mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder.
In order to get the right treatment, you need to seek help from a professional (psychologist or counselor). They can help you determine what is causing your symptoms, and they may also refer you to a mental health professional for further evaluation.
diagnosis
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), grief is not a clinical diagnosis, but depression has specific diagnostic criteria.
To reach a diagnosis of depression, you must experience at least five of the following symptoms almost every day for most of the 2 weeks:
Depressed mood;
Loss of interest in the activity;
Significant weight loss or change in appetite;
Sleep too much or too little;
Inability to sit quietly or move slowly;
Fatigue or low energy;
Have a sense of worthiness and guilt;
Inattention or inability to make decisions;
Recurring death or suicidal thoughts, although these may not happen every day, etc.
At least one of the five must be "depressed or uninterested," and they must interfere with your life and not be explained by other medical conditions.
Chronic grief disorder
If you have a chronic grief disorder, you may have experienced, for example, the death of a loved one or an emotional breakdown in the past year. You may experience some symptoms almost every day for most of the day for at least 1 month.
Symptoms may include:
Can't believe the facts that have happened;
Feeling like a part of it is dead;
Avoid reminding of bad things that have happened;
Difficulty resuming daily life;
Strong emotions such as bitterness and sadness;
Emotional numbness;
Intense feelings of loneliness;
It feels like life is futile or meaningless.
This can also happen in children and adolescents, but there are ways to cure it.
Methods of treatment and response
If you develop depressive symptoms, mainstream treatments include medication (antidepressants), psychotherapy, or a combination of both.
Depression is highly treatable, with up to 80%-90% of people responding well to treatment.
If you suffer from severe depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) – a brief electrical stimulation of the brain may be recommended.
If you live in sadness or depression, there are a few self-care strategies you can try to help improve your symptoms, including:
Acknowledging your feelings and knowing that it is okay to feel sad;
Prioritize your feelings and happiness;
Pay attention to your emotions and how your activities affect them;
A balanced diet;
Exercise and strive to stay active;
Keep in touch with friends and family, etc.
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