People struggling with depression often confuse it with sadness, and sometimes people who are extremely sad and worried think that they are depressed. Top psychiatrists in Pakistan suggest that since depression is characterized by pervasive sadness, a lot of people find it hard to tell the difference between everyday sadness and depression. This can be a huge problem as the confusion can lead to self- misdiagnosis.
People who are actually depressed might forgo a treatment if they think they are just sad. Similarly, people who are sad might overreact to their emotional state if they think they are depressed. That’s is why it is crucial that you know the difference between the two as depression can have long-term implications that can affect people’s mental and physical health.
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Sadness Is One Of The Many Symptoms Of Depression
Sadness is a normal human emotion experienced by everyone. Difficult, disappointing, or hurtful experience or situation can trigger sadness. Basically, there is a reason behind sadness. This means that when the reason behind that sadness goes away or fades, and you accept or get over the disappointment or loss, your sadness also goes away. When people are feeling low, they might think they are depressed, but if that feeling goes away on its own and doesn’t affect life in a big way, chances are that it probably isn’t depression.
The Difference Between Sadness And Depression
Depression, unlike sadness, is an abnormal emotional state. It is a mental illness which impacts a person’s emotions, thinking, and behaviors in chronic and pervasive ways. A person suffering from depression feels sad all the time. Oftentimes, depression is not triggered by a loss, difficult situation, or a change of circumstances. It might seem that there is nothing wrong with a person’s life and they might even acknowledge that, but they just feel horrible for no reason at all.
Depression can affect all aspects of a person’s life, making everything less interesting, less enjoyable, and less important. Depression can also drain your energy levels and sap your motivation and the ability to experience pleasure, joy, satisfaction, and connection. Your bandwidth and mental capacity might diminish too. As a result, your mood might become volatile, and trivial things may spoil your mood and you may take a long time to bounce back from everything.
Being able to identify the difference between sadness and depression is crucial, as depression is not something that is just in your head and it may not be so easy to snap out of it. A person who is depressed is mentally unwell and expecting them to just let it go is not only inconsiderate, it can also make their symptoms worse.
Some simple things such as limiting the time spent on social media platforms, keeping a diary, and having a good diet can help stabilize your mood. However, mental illness is a reality like physical illness and requires proper treatment. Early intervention is important as it can stop the symptoms from worsening.
If you think you are experiencing depression and require help, visit a specialist doctor. You can book an appointment with a top Psychiatrist in Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.
