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Understanding the difference between depression and sadness

The word “depression” is one of the most commonly misused words in the english language.  People use it incorrectly when they are trying to explain feeling sad.  But sadness and depression are two very different things. Below, each is defined and key differences are highlighted to help illustrate how sadness and depression differ.

Understanding the difference between depression and sadness

Sadness defined: 

SADNESS is a normal human emotion that is characterized by a state (or states) of feeling unhappy.  It is not constant, meaning it comes and goes. One moment you can feel sad, an hour later after being with a friend you may feel happy.

Being sad is a healthy response to unpleasant life events. It’s valuable because it can help you decipher what you want or don’t want.  It also helps you feel and understand the reverse emotional state, which is happiness.

Sadness occurs in frequency on a scale that ranges from brief and fleeting moments of sad feelings to severe lengthy periods related to major life traumas. For example, the death of a loved one can make you feel sad for months.

 

Depression defined:

DEPRESSION is a medical condition that affects mood.  It’s unclear what specifically causes it, though experts agree it is a physical issue where a variety of factors related to both internal and external processes lead to a neurological chemical imbalance. The most current research suggests that individuals with depression have a 25% smaller brain region for regulating emotion (called the hippocampus).

It is often difficult for individuals who have not experienced depression to understand it, because it’s not something that can be seen or measured. It’s not like other physical ailments, like a broken leg.

Characterizing someone with depression as “sad”, suggests they have the ability to control their mood. That is not the case. They are physically unable to be happy.

 

Key differences:

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