Depression vs. Sadness

How can you tell when you are beginning to feel depressed or if you are just feeling sad? I think I maybe becoming depressed but its hard for me to tell most the time. As in, its more easier to tell that I am maniac than depressed. Any advice?

Can you think of anything you'd be sad about? Death of someone, for instance? I think sadness is more of a reaction to something that's occurred.

Are you experiencing signs of depression such as losing interest in things or wanting to take to your bed?

I don't find sadness to be a component in my own version of depression. Rather, it's hopelessness. The feeling that nothing will ever get better, that I'll always be in pain (both mental and physical) and that no one will ever love me unconditionally as my husband did. I feel like lead---it's as if I weigh 1000 pounds and can barely even lift my arms above my head. Everything is just too much effort, even stupid things like fixing myself a bowl of Cheerios or taking a shower. But for me, sadness has nothing to do with it...I don't cry any more than usual, and except in severe episodes I can enjoy some things.

Thanks for this thread!
This is a great question!

I have often confused these two. I have done so even just last week. I was feeling very sad about a loss in my life and I had jumped to the conclusion that I was getting severely depressed. For me, sometimes prolonged sadness (possibly complicated grief) does lead to depression.

I like the explanation offered by BipolaRNurse.

It's a treat to have you here and participating as you have been doing!
Much love to You!

I can't think of anything that is making me sad right now. I am starting to lose interest in a couple of things however I have been trying to keep myself busy. I have been oversleeping also on top of taking a nap during the afternoon. I think that its either the weather beginning to make me depressed or that my baseline is a tiny bit depressed or sad. I mean I just came out of a hypomaniac episode so I think that is causing alot of this.

I’m dealing with a sadness/unhappiness right now ... it’s really about coming to terms with my physical health /chronic pain, my husbands also and the distinct likelyhood that my husband will die before me due to his health and how I will manage financially as my income will drop by half and we barely scrap by now.

Depression for me is just lying in bed wishing the roof would collapse and end my non stop bleak not even the flicker of a match in the distance just dark and mentally painful.

I tend to perceive sadness as being a reaction to something. If you can think of a reason why you feel that way, then it's probably more that.

Depression is more like feeling like crap for absolutely no reason. I always tend to feel a combination of worthlessness, guilt, hopelessness, or sometimes apathy. May feel like a burden or a bad person. Couple that with the fatigue and lethargy that comes with it.

Good stuff above. Personally, I think there are basically two things here. There's dictionary 'sadness,' which is basically a state of unhappiness or sorrow. And then, there's dictionary 'depressed,' which is the state of general unhappiness, despondency, or sadness. Kind of the same thing, really. That's the first thing.

But then there is also clinical depression. which today is most often defined by the DSM 5, one component (of many) of which is sadness. That is the second thing. Sadness, in combination with these other things, several mentioned above, can add up to a state of what we usually call clinical depression, if the right criteria are met.

Anyhoo, that's how I think of this. And I will just say lastly, I am no psychiatrist, but having sadness plus anhedonia plus sleep changes is sort of starting to me to sound like a bit of a clinical depression-type situation. So I would pay close attention to what is happening. You definitely do not want it to get out of hand. I hope you feel better soon!

To me sadness can be a reaction to something unpleasant t In your life real or perceived. Depression is when I am feeling down and hopeless despite the fact that I don’t really have a distinct reason to be.

Good question. I am struggling with which is which at this very time. I tend to think that sadness can be an aspect of depression...yet they can also be separate, for sure. I only know that when I feel depressed I feel sad.

@~Christina:

"my non stop bleak not even the flicker of a match in the distance just dark"

That's very sad and i'm sorry that you feel that way. But it does seem poetic! Are you just having a dark moment? You don't usually come across as feeling that way. Or is this the "real you" and you're just putting on a brave face the other times? You're so supportive around here, it's amazing that you can still give so much if this is truly how you feel. An inspiration! I am reminded of the Natalie Merchant song "Kind and Generous":

"You've been so kind and generous /

I don't know how you keep on giving /

For your kindness i'm in debt to you /

For your selflessness my admiration /

For everything you've done /

You know i'm bound /

I'm bound to thank you for it!"

Be well my friend!

I know we both go through trying to live with physical limitations and chronic pain.

I don't mean to minimize your concerns within your own marriage/situation by telling you that I am concerned that the sudden and drastic change in my situation might "trigger" you some by driving some of these concerns home.

That said, I do realize that it's likely very many of us are in a very similar situation... or will be, maybe even unexpectedly.

We are each very vulnerable. We are especially vulnerable if we are totally medically disabled (cannot work). We are often then, at least somewhat, dependent upon our spouse's income and/or benefits... or we are living at poverty levels or below poverty levels.

Your concerns, ~Christina, are very real. I am so sorry you must consider such. a situation.

I am here for you in any way you find helpful.

Yet another beautiful post offered by our "whatever2013."

As I get older I feel more sad. My heart just feels heavy from things that have weighed on me for years that never resolve. I think it turns into depression when I hold onto sadness and I don’t accept things as they are and then focus more on what I have to be happy and grateful for.

My sadness right now is my really needing to have some radical self acceptance.. my chronic pain issues are just piling up. Fibromyalgia, PsA spinal stenosis, chronic fatigue.. coming to term with my husbands illness , always being on high alert is exhausting and I sleep so very little.

So things are more situational than anything.

But when/if I get depressed I’d honestly love the roof to just collapse on me and things be over with.

My bit on my profile is absolutely true. “
Me helping you gets me out of my own head”

Thank you my dear friend , just knowing you are here for me helps so much , we have spent many long nights talking and I really appreciate and love you it

Well guys thank you all for contributing! Christina I am so sorry that you are going through a rough time with your health and husband's health. I think all the sadness I am feeling and the anxiety I am having is starting to push me into depression however I am still able to experience other feelings. So maybe its not depression? I am so confused.

Have you tried journaling !? Or just pen and paper and just start writing what comes to mind . It can often gives us clues and we can take steps to hopefully stay away from Depression, the whole you wanna over sleep ? No get out of bed, don’t want to cook ? do it anyway ,, anything you want to do just do the opposite when it comes to fighting depression

Depression for me is a lack of energy, and possibly even a paralysis of not being able to get up to do anything. Sadness can accompany this.

I have had many years of tragedy, along with both a tremendous amount of deep sadness. Depression, too. Some of my depression was/is situational;some is an inherited mood disorder.

I am sure my sadness/grief exacerbated my depression and my depression exacerbated my sadness.

The question becomes: how to get through it, whether sadness and/or depression?

In my experience, it's critical to hone our coping skills. Meds, therapists can be very helpful and we do well to utilize anything helpful. Meds and therapist don't do it all though. It's ultimately up to us to make sure we are alright, we are functioning in a healthy manner, etc.

It's a pleasure to have you here with us, depressedIRL21! Thank you for this interesting thread! .

It definitely can be a very fine line. An offshoot of that is something I deal with a lot -- how much of my affective symptoms of my illness are internalized issues I impose on my environment and how much of it is my environment imposing on me? They definitely have root causes and can play off each other -- but for example, right now I am feeling insecure and unable to keep a job. Is it losing my job and having a hard time getting another that is the main cause of these feelings, or is it vice versa? I know the simple answer seems to be "it's all internalized", but that isn't necessarily true. Let's say legal issues are stacked up against you and are causes of a lot of your issues which in turn affect your mood. Again, lots of overlap and it probably doesn't do any good to split hairs.

I guess my point is -- focus on the how it affects you. Be it sadness or depression... if it's affecting your everyday, it's important to note and to try to find ways to remedy that. For both depression and sadness I have heard of a few tricks that seem to work (more effectively for just sadness, obviously, but it does help take the edge off of depression sometimes too).

1) Eat a few ounces of dark chocolate (releases endorphins and some other neurotransmitting chemicals).
2) Spend at least 15 minutes in the sun, or I light therapy works well too I think.
3) Find time in your day to distract yourself with something you enjoy -- watch cat videos on youtube, go for a walk, do a puzzle, etc.
4) Find a reason to laugh -- anything.

5) Journal -- just let the emotions, identified or not, flow. Written or typed , just let it out.

Some tricks obviously are better short term than others, but I hope I helped a little.