Are you depressed or just sad!

Depression affects all aspects of a person s life. Feelings of hopelessness, sadness and guilt are characteristic symptoms of this condition. A depressed person is likely to complain of constant tiredness and loss of energy. He or she may also find it difficult to pay attention to tasks. All of this can make the person withdraw from his friends and family and further aggravate the situation. Do not ignore early signs of depression and expect them to go away on their own. The earlier depression is diagnosed and addressed the easier it is to treat.

Depression does not affect everyone in the same way. In cases of mild depression, the person may feel constantly sad and low but should still be able to follow their regular routine. On the other hand moderate to severe depression begins to interfere with regular life and may make the person stop going to work, eating regularly etc. Mild depression can be treated with counselling while severe depression may need medication and even hospitalisation. Hence do not wait for depression to worsen before seeking treatment.

While sadness is a normal emotion experienced by all of us, depression is a clinical term that can be treated and cured. When a person is feeling sad, it is only his emotions that are mainly affected while depression affects a person s lifestyle as a whole. Depression is also more persistent than sadness. For example, hearing a joke may temporarily lift your spirits when you are sad but for a person suffering from depression, this may have no effect. Being good to yourself and surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family can help deal with sadness and prevent it from turning into depression.

Depression should not be left untreated as it can trigger suicidal thoughts and hence be fatal. Treatment for depression takes different forms depending on the severity of the case. Some common ways of treating depression include counselling, medication, behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy. If you cannot see yourself talking to a therapist, try talking to a friend first to help deal with your depression.