How Does Depression vs. Sadness Feel?

Billions of people around the world experience sadness in their lives. But how can you know when it’s depression vs. sadness ? Recognizing the difference between the two can help you process both in a healthy way.

Sadness is a normal human emotion that everyone will experience on dark or stressful days. Losing a pet, the passing of a loved one or even failing that important exam you studied so hard for.

All these things, and similar experiences, can usually be dealt with by crying, venting or releasing frustration in one way or another, and the feeling generally passes or improves with time. 

It’s okay to feel sad. It’s part of life and with enough time and healing, you’ll get through it. 

Depression on the other hand, is a mental illness; and it’s quite different from sadness. Unlike sadness, depression is not necessarily due to a specific event.

Symptoms include feelings of discouragement, hopelessness, the need for isolation, a lack of motivation and a loss of interest in activities that you once found enjoyable. Some people may even experience suicidal thoughts. 

So it goes a lot deeper than feeling sad and needing to cry or vent. It’s a feeling of extreme heaviness that should not be shrugged off or dealt with alone. It should be diagnosed and treated by a mental health professional, with possible counseling and prescribed medication. 

It’s okay to feel sad. But knowing the difference between depression vs. sadness is of absolute importance, for yourself and your loved ones.

Interested in additional support tailored to you? Contact Nashville Brain Institute