How do I know if I am depressed or just sad and worried?
Feeling down or worried is a normal part of life. We all go through periods of sadness, stress, grief or worry in response to difficult life events or situations. But how can you tell if your sadness has crossed the line into depression?
Depression is more than just a low mood - it's a serious medical illness that affects how you feel, think and handle daily activities. Unlike normal mood fluctuations, depressive episodes last for weeks or months and can become progressively worse without treatment.
Here are some signs and differences that can help you determine if you may be depressed rather than just feeling temporarily sad or anxious:
Duration of Symptoms
Sadness or worrying related to specific life events usually improves after some time. But with depression, the low mood, lack of interest in pleasurable activities, and other symptoms persist for weeks or more without relief. Depression can continue for a long time if left untreated.
Intensity of Symptoms
While everyone experiences sadness or worry at times, depression is more intense, unrelenting, and disabling. The emotional pain and hopeless, guilty thoughts of depression are far out of proportion to the triggering event.
Effects on Daily Life
When you're sad or worried, you may feel down but can still carry on with your daily activities. Depression often significantly interferes with normal functioning. Even small tasks seem daunting. Some people are unable to get out of bed or care for themselves during severe depressive episodes.
Loss of Interest
A sad mood is normal, but people who are depressed lose interest and pleasure in activities they used to enjoy, including sex. People who are sad but not clinically depressed are still able to find joy in some aspects of life.
Changes in Sleep Patterns
Temporary sadness or anxiety may disrupt your sleep, causing insomnia or restlessness. But depression can lead to major changes in sleep patterns - either insomnia or sleeping too much. Excessive sleeping can make depression worse.
Changes in Appetite
People who are sad or worried may lose their appetite temporarily. On the other hand, significant changes in appetite or weight loss or gain can signal depression. Some people with depression eat more and crave carbohydrates for the temporary emotional lift.
Low Energy Levels
Everyone feels tired or sluggish occasionally. But depressionFatigue saps your energy, making even minor tasks difficult to complete. People with depression often feel completely exhausted even after sleeping excessively.
Feelings of Worthlessness
Depression can lead to feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, guilt, and self-blame. While sadness may cause low self-esteem, depression makes negative thoughts about oneself feel like established facts.
Trouble Concentrating
The stresses of sadness or worry may make it hard to concentrate. But depression can impair the ability to think, speak, and move with normal speed and clarity. Ordinary decision-making becomes extremely difficult.
Thoughts of Death or Suicide
For some people, sadness and stress can lead to thoughts of death or suicide. But recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thinking, or actual suicide attempts point to clinical depression. People with depression may believe their loved ones would be better off without them.
Here are some national resources for those struggling with suicidal thoughts or feelings:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
24/7 free and confidential support
Call 1-800-273-8255
Chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Crisis Text Line
Free 24/7 text line staffed by trained counselors
Text HOME to 741741
The Trevor Project
Support for LGBTQ youth in crisis
Call 1-866-488-7386
Text START to 678678
Veterans Crisis Line
Connects veterans and their families to qualified responders
Call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1
Text 838255
Chat at veteranscrisisline.net
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free and confidential treatment referral service
Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
New easy to remember 3-digit dialing code
Launched nationwide July 2022
I urge anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts to reach out to one of these resources or a trusted loved one for help and support. Treatment and counseling can help overcome despair and rediscover reasons for living.
If you see yourself or someone you care about exhibiting several of these signs for more than two weeks, it may be depression rather than normal sadness. Other symptoms of major depression include:
- Agitation, irritability or a sense of restlessness
- Lack of motivation and feelings of hopelessness
- Physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues or chronic pain that don't respond to treatment
- Withdrawing from social activities and relationships
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering details
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
- Moving or talking more slowly
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Seasonal Affective Disorder
The winter blues are real. Some people experience the symptoms of depression mostly during the fall and winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. This is called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. It is a kind of depression that recurs each year as sunlight decreases. Symptoms include:
- Low energy and increased need for sleep
- Weight gain and increased cravings for carbs
- Withdrawing from social engagements
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feelings of sadness, worthlessness or irritability
Light therapy with a special lamp that mimics natural daylight can effectively treat seasonal depression. Antidepressant medication and talk therapy can also help.
Normal Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorders
Mild worry and fearfulness are normal human emotions that rise and fall in response to stress. Anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks and phobias involve more persistent, excessive, and distressing anxiety symptoms.
Here are some ways to distinguish normal anxiety from an anxiety disorder:
- Duration - Anxiety disorders produce constant or recurring anxiety. Normal anxiety ebbs and flows.
- Intensity - Anxiety disorder symptoms are disproportionate to the triggering situation.
- Effects on Daily Life - Disordered anxiety interferes with work, school, social activities.
- Triggers - Normal anxiety is triggered by an immediate threat or concern. Anxiety disorders can arise without provocation.
- Physical Symptoms - Anxiety disorders often cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, trembling, sweating, numbness.
- Irrational Fears - Phobias or panic attacks cause avoidance of harmless objects or situations.
- Obsessive Thoughts - Uncontrollable worrying about minor matters is common with anxiety disorders.
If anxiety is causing persistent distress or disrupting your ability to function, you may need help managing extreme worry or fear. Consult a mental health professional to determine if anxiety-reducing interventions might help.
When to Seek Help for Depression or Anxiety
Wondering if your sadness or stress has become a more serious issue like clinical depression or an anxiety disorder? Ask yourself these questions:
- Are my symptoms persistent and lasting nearly every day, rather than occasional?
- Are my symptoms severe enough to interfere with work, relationships or daily activities?
- Are my symptoms getting worse over time rather than improving?
- Have I experienced thoughts of death, self-harm or suicide?
- Am I using alcohol or drugs to cope with emotional pain?
- Is it difficult to carry out basic self-care and responsibilities?
- Are my symptoms making it hard to feel joy or connect with loved ones?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, it is advisable to consult a mental health professional. A psychiatrist, psychologist or other licensed counselor can provide an expert assessment and create a treatment plan.
Traditional face-to-face counseling with a therapist provides proven benefits for depression and anxiety. But for some people, accessing online therapy is more affordable and convenient. Key advantages of online counseling include:
- Cost savings - Online sessions are usually less expensive than in-office therapy.
- Convenience - Teletherapy allows appointments from home at flexible hours.
- Accessibility - Online counseling removes transportation barriers to mental health treatment.
- Privacy - The anonymity of teletherapy may encourage some to seek help.
- Options - More therapists offer remote services, increasing choices.
- Frequency - Online counseling makes it easier to schedule more regular sessions.
- Effectiveness - Studies show teletherapy can be as beneficial as in-person therapy.
For mild to moderate depression or anxiety, teletherapy provides a convenient way to access professional mental health treatment. Connecting with a therapist online can help you determine whether your sadness or anxiety has crossed over into a clinical condition requiring treatment.
Seeking Help
Life brings inevitable periods of sadness, grief, stress, and worry - those down feelings usually pass with time and support. But if your depressed mood, anxiety, or other symptoms persist or intensify, you may need clinical intervention to renew emotional wellness. With professional treatment tailored to your unique needs, you can feel positive, relaxed, and hopeful again.
