The Difference Between Being Sad And Depressed

It’s a word we throw around a lot: depressed. “All the pizza pockets were eaten and now I’m so depressed.” No, you’re not depressed. You’re disappointed or feel sad. There’s even a difference between depression and when something is depressing. When you see or hear something depressing, it makes you feel down or sad. When you are depressed, you have a mental illness. To try and clarify even more, depression is an illness, not an emotion. 

Because the word is used so freely, it can make it hard for someone actually struggling with depression to reach out for help and talk about it. Either because they feel people won’t take it seriously or they even wonder themselves if they are actually depressed or simply having a rough day.

We have put together some of the differences between depression and sadness. The more we know about recognizing depression, which is a serious mental illness, the better we can get at treating it and helping others live the full and happy lives that they deserve.

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1. How long it lasts.

When you’re sad, it may be for few hours or a day or two. When someone is depressed, there are certain symptoms that last at least two weeks.

2. Loss of appetite.

When you’re bummed out, you may not want to eat but then eventually you’ll have a meal or get a craving and snack. Those with depression can go days without eating properly and sometimes they don’t eat at all.

3. How much are you sleeping?

When sad, many of us want to curl up in a ball and sleep away the feeling. With depression, you can sleep all day and never feel energized. Or you can’t seem to get to sleep and feel restless, tossing and turning all night long.