What is the difference between sadness and depression?

There are many unknowns in the world right now, and you are starting to feel their impact.  Everything feels never ending and you have been feeling down lately.  The only thing is that you do not know if you are sad or depressed.  In this article we will take a look at the difference between sadness and depression and when it is time for professional help.

What is sadness?
Sadness is a common and normal human emotion.  Sadness is triggered by an event or experience that is challenging, hurtful, or discouraging.  The characteristic to know about sadness is that it can be thought of as a response to such an event or experience.  This also means that our sadness to a particular event or experience will subside once we have adjusted or come to terms with that change.  

What is depression?
On the other hand, depression is not just an emotion.  Depression is an abnormal emotional state, a mental illness that affects every part of our lives - our thinking, our feelings, and our insights.  It is chronic in nature and when we are suffering from depression, we are sad about everything, not just a particular event or experience.   Often times everything is going well, and you should not be feeling sad or down, but you still feel horrible and sad about everything. Depression becomes the lens by which you see your entire world.  Everything becomes less enjoyable, less pleasurable, and less worthwhile.  Depression can leave you feeling numb without the ability to experience joy, excitement, and connection with others.  It can also leave you physically drained without energy to complete basic tasks such as hygiene or even eating.

When is it time for help?
If you are unsure whether what you are feeling is sadness or depression, it is affecting your day to day, and you think you might be depressed, it is important to seek the help of a professional.  Depression is common and there are many treatment methods that may benefit you. 

If you live in Austin, Seeds of Change Counseling would be honored to help.  We offer a free phone consultation to see if our counselors would be a fit.  Call us now at 512-676-5813.