How You Know the Difference Between Sadness and Depression Sadness, depression, feeling down, not up for it — these are some of the phrases that are very often used interchangeably. However, only one of these words or phrases mean that you are suffering from depression. That word is depression. Thanks to pop culture and its extremely free usage of the word “depression,” we often misconstrue sadness as also a mental illness. But, you don’t need depression therapy if you are just feeling sad, or not up for a day at work. That essentially means that your mood is different, and that it is temporary. Here is an easier way to understand the difference between “feeling down” and “depression.” If a tub of ice cream can fix it, you are not suffering from depression. Depression is a form of mental illness which requires treatment, and in some cases, medications. Yes, a tub of ice cream helps in every case, but helping and fixing are two completely different concepts. Mood swings that people suffering from depression go through are a lot more severe than your average mood swing. The key is to know when you are just “feeling sad” and when that sadness takes up a permanent place inside your brain. Before we dive deep into the different signs of depression, it is worth noting that depression, and level of depression varies incredibly from person to person. There are no set guidelines to detect depression in every individual ever. However. Some signs are a lot more common than others and more often than not, can help understand whether a person needs depression help. One of the most common signs is weight loss or change in appetite. Now, worth noting again is that sudden weight loss or change of appetite can also occur because of other factors like stress. Hence, the key here is to dial back the sequence of events and understand the cause of it. More than that, if you are someone who knows this person, just have a conversation with them. Understand their pain, their problems and see how you can help. Often, people suffering from a mental illness never gather the courage themselves to seek help. Hence, a support system is extremely important. Another common telltale sign of depression is a loss of interest in daily activities like former hobbies, socialising, and more. Now, just because someone dislikes socialising does not mean they are depressed. It must be a sudden change from their normal behavioral pattern. In such cases, it is worth heading to a therapist for help. Because like we mentioned above, a tub of ice cream can help you, not fix you. Depression counseling in Mumbai is extremely commonplace, and in fact it is a lot more feasible across major Indian cities. So, if you feel like you know someone who is showing signs of depression, talk to them. Ask them what they are feeling and offer to help them out. Sometimes, just knowing that you have someone to lean on can help a great deal.
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