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Article Series: Depression
I'm Depressed. It Sucks. Help Me.
What
Are The Differences Between Clinical Depression and Sadness?
It’s normal to feel sad when faced with stressful
or emotional situations, but how can you distinguish feelings
of sadness from clinical depression symptoms? The answer is
complex. Sadness or “the blues” might disappear soon after
the onset, perhaps a few days later. Clinical depression will
usually last for two weeks or longer and cause noticeable changes
in your lifestyle.
During periods of sadness or stressful situations, you might
be able to pull yourself out of the mood by talking to a trusted
friend, getting away for awhile or simply taking better care
of yourself. Clinical depression is signified by feeling like
you’re in an unfathomable abyss that you can’t climb out of
no matter what you do.
You may become upset when friends or family attempt to cheer
you up or reach out to you in some other way and have feelings
of irritability, stomach problems, changes in sleep patterns
or an inability to cope with even the most menial tasks or
dilemmas. Clinical depression might mean that you have thoughts
of death or suicide, that life just isn’t worth living anymore
or that you’re worthless and don’t deserve anything good.
Women experiencing these symptoms usually don’t have as difficult
a time reaching out for help, but men might consider it a sign
of weakness to admit that they’re depressed. They may lose
perspective and attempt to live with the debilitating symptoms
rather than asking for assistance. Clinical depression isn’t
something that can be worked through without help.
The most solid clarification of the differences in sadness
and clinical depression is that sadness is fleeting and the
feelings usually disappear after you cope with whatever problems
are causing the distress. You go on living with sadness, working
every day and dealing with the lingering thoughts that are
causing the “blues.”
Clinical
depression simply persists until your life becomes a living
hell. Well meaning friends and family might tell you
to “snap out of it,” or “get over it,” but you just can’t make
that transition. Turning to drugs and alcohol or other medications
to feel better, even for a limited amount of time, is a choice
that could harm you or affect the rest of your life in a negative
way.
Prescription drugs for a medical condition might also be causing
clinical depression as it chemically changes your body’s makeup.
If you suspect that prescription medications might be the cause
of your depression, speak to your physician about changing
the dosage or the type of prescription you’re taking.
If you’ve tried everything to make your depression go away,
but feel locked into the emotional roller coaster of sadness
and despair, you may have clinical depression. Clinical depression
can be treated with a number of options that you can discuss
with your doctor.
Click here to learn exactly how to eliminate your depression and experience relief and happiness. Stop struggling and put yourself on a better path in life today. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation. Also, here is a complimentary guide to get you started (PDF format).
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2010
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