Depression is Not Sadness





And it is. But the truth is that sadness actually has very little to do with depression, except that it is one of its many possible symptoms.



So, depression doesn’t necessarily mean sadness to us. (And, a gentle reminder to non-depressed folks: being sad doesn’t mean you’re “depressed,” either.)




What he’s saying is that people don’t kill themselves because they’re sad. They kill themselves because they have an illness that, among other things, makes them feel sad. It also makes them feel like their life is worthless, like they’re a burden to others, like death would be easier, and all the other beliefs that lead people down the path to suicide.




7 thoughts on “Depression is Not Sadness

  1. So nice to see someone have the words to explain it. Often trying to explain one’s feelings, especially ones borne of unusual circumstances (like depression) is like trying to explain a rainbow to a blind-from-birth person. Who speaks a different language than the explainer… Okay, weird metaphors aside. I’ve never actually read the exact definition of depression, but I know that when I was depressed it wasn’t constant sadness. During the depression I was sad for the usual reasons, like a relative dying. The depression manifested mostly as fear and hopelessness, anhedonism towards some things (but not all!), apathy and total lack of energy. I’m just lucky no one was stupid enough to tell me to “cheer up” because I would probably have cussed up a storm at their face.

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  3. Wonderfully written. It’s frustrating to try and convey the feeling, or lack there of, of true depression. And it’s even more frustrating when they give you the old, “Ah, just smile, man!” Sometimes I wish it were that easy.

    Winter is coming up and this is usually when my symptoms become worse. It doesn’t help that my best friend passed away January 2011. Just makes the Fall/Winter times even harder on so many levels. After she passed, insomnia was an added symptom. It’s amazing how one can function on very little sleep.

    Glad this was written. I’m going to check in here some more to see what you’re writing.

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