This Thing Called Depression

Depression is a word we hear a lot.  “I’m depressed” “That’s depressing” “She is so depressed.”  But what does the word depression really mean and how is it different than sadness.

Everyone at some point experiences sadness. Sadness is an emotion that comes and goes and allows us to feel happiness.  It is something that we should embrace and allow ourselves to experience.  If we don’t experience sadness, we wouldn’t know what happiness is. Sadness doesn’t linger. If we allow time to feel sad, cry if we need to, take time for ourselves, and understand why we are feeling sad the feeling will pass.

Depression lingers and is different from sadness in the sense that it becomes more uncomfortable than experiencing sadness.  Depression affects our everyday living.  We have less energy, feel guilt, thoughts of suicide, difficulty concentrating, poor appetite and the list goes on.  Depression is something that you should seek treatment for.  It can have an impact on those around you.  Depression doesn’t just pass like sadness does.  We need to look at the underlying causes of it, and work towards feeling better.

With my help we can explore both issues of sadness and depression.  Contact me with any concerns you may have.