Sadness vs. Depression: What's the Difference?

Sadness is one of the basic emotions. Just like the feeling of happiness, sadness is a natural response to certain situations that we experience in our lives. One may feel light sadness after watching a sad movie or extreme sadness after losing an important person — there are different degrees of sadness, and it can last for different periods of time.

However, no matter how long sadness lasts, it’s always followed by relief. Sadness goes away with time, and this is one of the main differences between this emotion and depression. Depression is more than just being sad — it’s a mental health disorder that requires proper treatment. If your sadness doesn’t go away and interferes with your everyday activities, you can take a depression test and discuss the results with a licensed therapist.

In this article, we will consider the difference between sadness and depression in more detail so that you can understand whether or not your feelings are healthy.

What is sadness?

Sadness is an emotion, it’s completely natural and normal. When we are sad, we feel unhappy, upset, or frustrated. Sadness can be a response to a variety of unpleasant situations, and its intensity may vary depending on the situation. This feeling is always temporary, and it has a transitory nature. Sadness can actually be beneficial because it helps us realize and accept the situation so that we can move on.

Most often, sadness is triggered by a loss of a loved one, being fired from a job, relationship problems, financial troubles, failing at exams, etc. No matter what happened and how long sadness lasts, it is always followed by relief. Yes, your mood might be low, you may cry or express frustration in different ways, but sadness will eventually go away. If it doesn’t pass with time, however, it might be a sign of depression.

Is it depression?

Whereas sadness is an emotion, depression is an illness. People with depression experience sadness on a regular basis, but this mental health disorder is about more than just feeling sad. It can have a severe negative impact on one’s quality of life, making a person unable to perform their regular activities.

Sadness might be one of the most obvious symptoms of depression, but it’s also accompanied by many other symptoms. Here are some of them:

• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and worthlessness;
• Anxiety;
• Pessimism and a feeling of helplessness;
• Loss of interest in things that used to bring joy, including hobbies, entertainment, and sex;
• Problems with concentration, decision-making, and memory;
• Lack of energy and fatigue;
• Changes in eating habits: lack of appetite or overeating;
• Irritability or restlessness;
• Suicidal thoughts;
• Various physical symptoms, including chronic pains and stomach problems.

If you experience some of the symptoms above when you feel sad, or if you often catch yourself thinking: “I hate my life,” it’s important not to ignore these symptoms and thoughts. Don’t wait until they just disappear because they may only worsen with time. Therefore, the best solution is to talk to professionals. Licensed therapists can help you figure out what triggers your symptoms and suggest effective coping strategies.

• If you consider self-harm or have suicidal thoughts, please immediately contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Are people with depression sad all the time?

There are many myths about depression. Perhaps, the most common one is that people with depression are always sad and never smile. The truth is that major depressive disorder consists of episodes that last for at least two weeks. Once an episode is over, a person may not experience any symptoms of depression at all.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 16.1 million adult Americans experience depressive episodes at least once a year. Such episodes can be more or less frequent, and they may also vary in duration and intensity.

However, major depressive disorder is just one of the several types of depression described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). For instance, persistent depressive disorder, also known as dysthymia, doesn’t involve periods of remission that follow episodes of depression.

While persistent depressive disorder may have less severe symptoms, these symptoms may last much longer. In this case, a person may be able to successfully perform their everyday activities and handle their regular responsibilities. However, even fun activities and experiences may not bring any joy so such a person may hold a generally pessimistic attitude and lack motivation.

Coping with sadness and depression

As we’ve already mentioned above, sadness is a normal feeling. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy to overcome. First of all, acknowledge your sadness and let yourself feel sad. You may want to spend some time alone so that you can process your feelings and reflect on your emotions.

Take a walk, listen to music, or watch your favorite comedy. Keep in mind that sadness will eventually go away and use this period to better understand what made you feel sad. Quite often, sadness is caused by events associated with changes in a person’s life. If you’re feeling sad because you need to change something, think of how you will do it and prepare a plan.

If you realize that you’re feeling sad for no reason or your sadness doesn’t go away with time and only becomes stronger, it can be a sign of depression. In this case, don’t hesitate to talk to a licensed therapist. While traditional in-person therapy might be a tricky option for people with busy work schedules, you can also benefit from using online therapy platforms like Calmerry. This way, you can get the necessary help remotely from the comfort of your home, with no need to drive to a therapist’s office.

Wrapping up

While sadness is definitely unpleasant, it is a completely normal and natural feeling. All of us feel sad from time to time. No matter how strong your sadness is, it will eventually go away, and you will be able to move on.

Given that sadness is a common symptom of depression, it’s important to understand the difference between these two terms. Whereas sadness is an emotion, depression is an illness. Along with sadness, depression also has many other symptoms.

The main 5 characteristics of depression are

1. Low mood and loss of interest in activities that used to bring joy;
2. Troubles with concentration;
3. Changes in eating habits;
4. Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness;
5. Suicidal thoughts in severe cases.

If you experience some of these symptoms of depression, don’t hesitate to talk to a licensed therapist. Learn more about talk therapy so that you will know what to expect from your sessions.