How to confirm whether it is depression or just sadness

Being sad is different from being depressed, since sadness is a normal feeling for anyone, being an uncomfortable state generated by situations such as disappointment, unpleasant memories or the end of a relationship, for example, which is fleeting and does not need of treatment.

Depression, on the other hand, is a disease that affects mood, generating profound, persistent and disproportionate sadness, lasting more than 2 weeks, and which has no justifiable reason for it to happen. In addition, depression can be accompanied by additional physical symptoms, such as decreased attention, weight loss and difficulty sleeping, for example.

These differences can be subtle, and even difficult to notice, so if the sadness persists for more than 14 days, it is important to undergo a medical evaluation, which can determine if there is depression and guide a treatment, which includes the use of antidepressants and conducting psychotherapy sessions.

How to know if it is sadness or depression

Despite sharing many similar symptoms, depression and sadness have some differences, which should be noted for better identification:

Sadness	Depression
There is a justifiable reason, and the person knows why he is sad, which can be a disappointment or a personal failure, for example	There is no cause to justify the symptoms, and it is common for people not to know the reason for the sadness and to think that everything is always bad. Sadness is disproportionate to events
It is temporary, and decreases as time goes by or the cause of sadness moves away	It is persistent, lasts most of the day and every day for at least 14 days
There are symptoms of wanting to cry, feeling helpless, demotivated and distressed	In addition to the symptoms of sadness, there is a loss of interest in pleasant activities, decreased energy, and others, such as suicidal thinking, low self-esteem and a sense of guilt.

If you think you may actually be depressed, take the test below and see what your risk is:

1. 1. I feel like I like to do the same things as before Yes No
2. 2. I laugh spontaneously and have fun with funny things Yes No
3. 3. There are times during the day when I feel happy Yes No
4. 4. I feel like I have a quick thought Yes No
5. 5. I like to take care of my appearance Yes No
6. 6. I feel excited about good things to come Yes No
7. 7. I feel pleasure when I watch a program on television or read a book Yes No

Depression due to grief

It is important to differentiate depression due to a case of mourning, after the loss of something or someone dear, as this is a situation that can present profound sadness that persists for several months or even 1 year, but which, has a justification, has oscillatory feelings and that worsen with the memory of the loss. Although grief is an adaptation response to loss, the person may not be able to recover, and it is very common for grief to become persistent and become depression, but this only characterizes depression if the person died more than 1 year ago.

How to confirm depression

To be depressed, a person must have at least 2 of the following major symptoms of depression for more than 14 days:

1. Depressed mood that is abnormal for that person, maintained for at least 2 weeks, present for most of the day, almost every day, and that is not influenced by circumstances; Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are normally pleasant; Feeling fatigue and decreased energy.

Other very common secondary symptoms in depression include:

• Loss of confidence or self-esteem; Feelings of excessive guilt or self-reproach; Sleep problems, especially insomnia, in which the person wakes up in the middle of the night and does not fall back to sleep, or excessive sleepiness; Recurrent thinking of death or suicide or any suicidal behavior; decreased concentration or ability to think, with indecision; excessive agitation or slowness in carrying out activities; Change in appetite, with decreased or increased weight; Loss of sexual desire; Depression worse in the morning; Weight loss (5% or more of body weight in the last month); Excessive irritability and anxiety.

The diagnosis of depression can be made by a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist or by a psychologist, who can classify depression according to its severity, which varies with the amount of symptoms present.

How to tell if depression is mild, moderate or severe

Depression can be classified as:

• Mild - when you have 2 main symptoms and 2 secondary symptoms; Moderate - when presenting 2 main symptoms and 3 to 4 secondary symptoms; Severe - when you have 3 main symptoms and more than 4 secondary symptoms.

After the diagnosis, the doctor will be able to guide the treatment, which must be adjusted to the present symptoms.

How depression is treated

Treatment for depression is done with the use of antidepressant drugs recommended by the psychiatrist and psychotherapy sessions are usually held weekly with a psychologist.

The use of antidepressants is not addictive and should be used as long as necessary for the person to be treated. Generally, its use should persist for at least 6 months to 1 year after symptom improvement and, if there has been a second episode of depression, it is recommended to use it for at least 2 years. Understand what are the most common antidepressants and how they are used.

In severe cases or those that do not improve, or after the third episode of depression, one should consider using the medication for life, without major complications due to prolonged use.

However, it is necessary to take into account that to improve the person's quality of life, it is not enough to just take anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs, it is important to be accompanied by a psychologist. The sessions can be held once a week until the person is completely cured of the depression. Exercising, finding new activities and looking for new motivations are important guidelines that help you get out of depression.