Many times we say: “I am depressed”, and we are not sure if this is the case or if we only feel sadness. What is the difference between depression and sadness?
Feeling sad is not the same as being depressed, learn to identify the symptoms, the solution and the treatment that can be provided to a person who really suffers from depression.
PQEB: What is sadness?
Dr. CATALINA: Sadness is an emotion that all human beings can feel. In fact, Sadness is the healthy emotional response to any situation that causes us pain or loss.; For this reason, it is normal for us to feel sadness after a love breakup, the loss of a job, an academic failure or the death of a loved one, to name a few examples.
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PQEB: Is feeling sadness the same as feeling depression?
Dr. CATALINA: No. Sadness is a normal emotional response, depression, on the other hand, is a condition that affects people’s mental health and is much more than feeling sad or low in spirit.
PQEB: Do we misuse the expression when saying: “I am depressed”, without knowing if it is true and, perhaps, we only refer to being sad?
Dr. CATALINA: Yes, sadness is not comparable to depression. Unfortunately, the use of the expression: “I’m depressed” or “what depression” has become popular when we want to talk about moments in which we feel low in spirit or sad about something. However, this has led to downplay the real disorder and even causes people who really suffer from it to not be taken seriously.
PQEB: What is depression?
Dr. CATALINA: Depression is a disorder of the emotional state. This means that It is not simply a low mood or a moment of sadness. It is a condition in which the person feels extreme sadness, discouragement, demotivation and great difficulty in feeling pleasure when doing activities that they normally find pleasurable. Also, it presents highly negative thoughts and a hopelessness of life.
PQEB: What symptoms do you have?
Dr. CATALINA: Not all people experience it the same, but the most common symptoms are:
• Low mood most of the daymaintained for an extended period of time.
• Significant decrease in interest and the pleasure found in activities that once were.
• Changes in diet and weight. There may be a decrease in appetite causing the person to lose weight or the opposite may occur and cause the person to gain weight.
• Changes in sleep patterns. The person may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep or, on the contrary, may sleep much more than usual.
• Feelings and thoughts of worthlessness and not deserving things.
• Feelings or thoughts of excessive guilt.
• Difficult to focusthink clearly and make decisions.
• Recurring thoughts of deathsuicidal thoughts and/or life-threatening behaviors.
PQEB: What levels exist and how to differentiate them?
Dr. CATALINA: Depression can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. This classification depends on the intensity of the symptoms and the impact they have on the person’s life.
The more the symptoms interfere with people’s daily lives with their social, work, and family relationships, the more serious depression is understood to be. It is important to be clear that Only a professional can accurately define the diagnosis and intensity.
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PQEB: Can you identify if a person has depression? How is it done?
Dr. CATALINA: What we can all keep in mind is that, if we notice that a friend, family member or acquaintance begins to show sadness, disinterest and lack of spirit and, in addition, this begins to affect their daily life, they may need support from their inner circle, validation and possibly professional help.
PQEB: How to help someone suffering from depression?
Dr. CATALINA: The most important thing is NOT to JUDGE. Unfortunately, it is very common to hear things like “but you have everything”, “you don’t have to be sad” or “think positive and you will see that everything will improve”, but this is not that simple.
In most cases the best thing you can do for the other person is to let them know that you support them, that you are there to listen to them and that they are not judged. It is important to allow her to speak and listen carefully; Sometimes all she needs is to talk. Then, if he or she asks for an opinion, you can give it to him or her.
If the person feels very bad, you can help them by encouraging them to consult with a professional. There are people who are afraid to consult, but many times the best thing to do is to talk to an expert.
PQEB: What words or phrases should not be said?
Dr. CATALINA: Avoid judging and invalidating other people’s emotions. We all have the right to feel sad and we can have an episode of depression, so we should generally avoid expressions like: “don’t feel bad”, “you don’t have to feel that way” or “you shouldn’t cry”.
We should also avoid comparisons like: “there are people who have a much more difficult life and it is fine, you should be grateful” or “you have many good things, you should not feel sad.”
Gender stereotypes such as: “men don’t cry” or “you shouldn’t feel that way” should also not be maintained. And, finally, we must avoid messages that promote stigma around mental health such as: “that’s crazy” or “only crazy people go to a psychologist.”
PQEB: Does it have a cure?
Dr. CATALINA: Depression can be managed with adequate support from mental health professionals. All cases are different, some people have a single episode that is managed and does not recur. For other people it becomes a chronic condition that requires support from psychology and psychiatry for longer periods.
The important thing is to know that with psychotherapy and, if necessary, medications, depression can be managed and does not have to limit anyone’s life. In the end, it is like any other health condition, it must be attended to, but with adequate support it is possible to live an ordinary life while having depression.