Difference Between Depression and Sadness
Difference Between Depression and Sadness
There is a blurry boundary between depression and sadness, and many of us tend to associate one with the other. So, what is the difference between the two? It turns out sadness lasts only several days, while depression lasts longer. With a flood of negative emotions eating away at you, you will feel like you’re stuck in a dark room where no one can hear you, and you will block out everything but the worst. How do we determine whether we’re sad or depressed? Here are 3 common signs.
First Sign: Sadness that doesn’t go away
If you think about it, there is always a reason why you feel sad. It may be a setback at work or problems in a relationship. Sadness is usually triggered by certain incidents, but it won’t last long. As soon as sadness is gone, you will see the beauty of your life again. Yet, depression is different. It affects your sleep quality, work, and even daily life. If the situation persists for longer than two weeks, you may be suffering from depression!
Second Sign: Loss of appetite and trouble sleeping
Sadness is just a process that lasts a few days to a week, but you can still sleep normally during this period. On the contrary, when you’re suffering from depression, your sleeping pattern will change as well. You may be drowsy all the time and still feel tired no matter how much sleep you get, or you may experience sleepless nights. Besides, your appetite will also be affected and you may feel nauseous whenever you see food. When you’re depressed, you will be giving up your basic needs of life without even knowing.
Third Sign: Constant low mood for no reason
When experiencing sadness, you will be able to track down the cause of your breakdown and look for a solution. And yet, when you’re depressed, you will feel negative about things around you and lose interest in everything, including activities you usually enjoy. You will be in a low mood constantly, as if you’re shrouded in darkness.
As long as you’re willing to move on, depression will never be the end
Thinking back, depression is closely related to sadness. When we’re unable to digest sadness, which results in the accumulation of negative emotions, depression may occur. However, is it true that we can’t get rid of sadness completely? Do we have to digest and get through sadness all on our own? Swiss psychologist Kubler-Ross mentioned that there are 5 stages in sadness:
Stage One: Denial/Isolation
After receiving sad news, the first thing we do is to deny that it happened. We may choose to isolate ourselves, so that we don’t have to face the cruel reality.
Stage Two: Anger
When we can’t lie to ourselves any longer, we will turn sadness into pain and project the frustration in our minds onto others or ourselves. Then, we will start blaming people or even be mad at ourselves.
Stage Three: Bargaining
After experiencing anger, we will try our best to make things better. Sometimes we pray to God, “If… I’ll…” And sometimes we hope that bad results never happen.
Stage Four: Depression
When we truly realize that things can’t be changed or reversed, pain will hit again. At this moment, we will become demoralized and vulnerable.
Stage Five: Acceptance
In the end, we will eventually calm down and realize that life goes on, and that there’s no need to trap ourselves in sorrow. We will learn to let it go and move on with our lives.
Apart from making use of these 5 stages to understand your situation and come up with a corresponding solution, you can also talk to us at JC Levelmind. Allow us to help put your sadness behind and find a way out. Sometimes a change of thoughts is already the beginning of your next step. When you first find out you have depression, you may think that the world is going to collapse, or that you will have to fight depression for the rest of your life. But in fact, depression is treatable. As long as you’re willing to reach out and ask for help, you will get better one day. And as long as you’re willing to move forward, depression will never be the end!
