Depressed or maybe just very very Sad??
A major impetus to writing this article was given by a shockingly big number of people believing that Depression is simply a somewhat deeper and longer state of sadness… An absolutely false and fundamentally inaccurate assumption… There is a hu-u-uge difference between Clinical Depression and the conventional feeling of sadness.
Now, let’s define Sadness. A sudden strike of blues? The unhappy sensation generated by some bad news? The non-sunny & non-smiling couple of days? They are all natural reactions to painful, disagreeable, unpleasant and offensive circumstances. Sadness is just another part of our lives… The black stripe in the zebra-like arrangement of human being existence. Breaking your arm, for instance, will probably make you madly sad but not deeply and irreversibly depressed.
Depression, however, is a physical and mental disorder, a serious medical condition often requiring hospitalization. The symptomatic of depression is in no case limited to ‘unhappy mood’. The average depression sufferer has difficulties in giving a logical explanation of his dark feelings. And no ‘cheer-up’ coming from a well-wishing friend or family member can make him escape the engulfing Black. Depression is like reaching the point of no return. From now on – all attempts at self-help are of guaranteed failure… and all the “brighten up, my friend” are as pointless as trying to turn back the tide.
Sadness is a transient condition that scatters like raindrops in a downpour…but only to evaporate as soon as the sun shows up. Depression, on the other side, reminds more of an eternal nightfall. The all-absorbing blackness of the heart. It can last for months or even years…
The sad person feels awfully bad but still capable, viable and willing to cope up, to deal with the living task. A clinical depressant feels terribly hopeless, lost, physically and mentally “disabled”. Among other depression-inherent behaviours are prolonged and severe apathy, depressed mood on a 24/7 basis, at least a 2-week long zombie-like image usually accompanied by multiple “I don’t care”, “I don’t want to”, “I don’t need” and “Whatever” attitudes. Besides, such mood should be in evident contrast to the person’s normal mood and impair the performing of his/hers usual day-to-day activities.
The are also a few non-depression but very depression-alike states. It is important to learn to distinguish them.
- A drug-, alcohol- or medication- issued depressed mood is not considered a major depressive disorder. Nor is the one provoked by a general health condition.
- Major depressive disorder cannot be diagnosed in patients with a history of bipolar disorder - i.e. manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes.
- A severe depressive mood can sometimes turn out to be a camouflaged symptom of the schizoaffective disorder.
- In all cases of bereavement (loss of dear and beloved ones) – major depressive disorder should be diagnosed only upon due analysis and witnessing of such persisting symptoms as functional impairment, feeling of total worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, psychomotor retardation.