Am I sad, or do I have depression? Understanding the difference.
Feeling sad or depressed is not the same as having depression. But increasingly, these phrases are used interchangeably without acknowledging the importance of understanding the difference.
The phrase “I’m depressed” seems almost trendy for some years now.
Depression rates have indeed increased tremendously in the last decade and even more so after the pandemic. However, the tendency to self-diagnosis and its consequences has also risen.
The importance of really knowing what we are talking about when we say we are sad/depressed or having depression has to do with finding the best way to relieve whatever the case.
Being depressed vs Having depression
When we say we are depressed, we mean we are sad, feeling down, or discouraged. To realize this, we only need to ask ourselves why we think this way and examine what has happened lately. We will be able to identify some causes for mood swings, sadness, or frustration.
So, being depressed is the natural reaction to events that have caused us emotional pain, for example, sadness over a loss or frustration at things that didn’t go as we expected. And, by the way, experiencing changing emotions doesn’t mean we are bipolar.
In short, we are dealing with passing emotions for which we can find a cause and do not interfere much with our daily lives.
While, if we have depression, we cannot recognize the cause of our sadness. We lose interest or pleasure in daily activities. We are tired and without energy all the time and have difficulties sleeping. We also experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Depression is a clinical condition that affects our quality of life and our daily functioning in all areas: physical, personal, social, professional, etc.
Feeling sad
When we feel sad or discouraged, we must remember that these are normal emotions, like happiness or enthusiasm.
Today, it is difficult to tolerate sadness, and there is little room for mourning. The phrase is always, “We have to move forward.” And it’s true, but we cannot move forward without first acknowledging and giving space to all our emotions, being happy or sad.
In brief, the secret is that we can fully enjoy the happy moments and enter and exit the stages of sadness.
If we are having trouble recognizing what is happening to us, we should not hesitate to seek professional help. We can thus prevent things from getting more complicated.