Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Sadness?Sadness vs. DepressionCan You Not Know You’re Depressed?SymptomsDiagnosisWhen It’s Not DepressionTreatments
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Sadness?
Sadness vs. Depression
Can You Not Know You’re Depressed?
Symptoms
Diagnosis
When It’s Not Depression
Treatments
Close
At a GlanceIf you’re feeling sad all the time, you might be depressed. But depression and sadness do not always go hand-in-hand. It’s possible to be depressed without feeling sad, and feeling sad can also be a sign of other mental and even physical health conditions.
At a Glance
If you’re feeling sad all the time, you might be depressed. But depression and sadness do not always go hand-in-hand. It’s possible to be depressed without feeling sad, and feeling sad can also be a sign of other mental and even physical health conditions.
If you’ve ever asked yourself why you feel so sad all the time, you might wonder if it’s possible that you’re depressed. Is it really possible to be depressed and not know it?
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re trying to figure out why you feel sad that can help you pay attention to what your sadness is trying to tell you.
I’m Sad But I Can’t Cry?
Sadness is a human emotion, but feeling low or “down and out” all the time is a sign that something is off with your emotional well-being.
Feeling sad does not necessarily mean you’re depressed—sadness is a common human response to all kinds of things that happen in life, like losing a loved one, facing a disappointment in your career, or even seeing a heartbreaking news story.
If you’re feeling sad most or all of the time, it could be a sign that you’re depressed.
Sadness and depression can hit you suddenly or come on slowly over time. They can berelated to a situationin your life or seem to happen forno “reason” at all. It can be hard to tell the signs of depression likesadnessorgrief. They’re also not necessarily separate experiences—sometimes, feeling sad is part of being depressed, and grieving can turn into depression.
The key difference is that sadness on its own usually does not keep going on and on like depression does.
Does Being Sad Mean You’re Depressed?
Can You Be Depressed and Not Know It?
Being sad all the time can be a sign that you’re depressed—but that does not mean it’s a clear sign. Here are a few reasons you might not pick up on the fact that you’re depressed: The following are some reasons why you may not realize that you are depressed:
Even when people think or know they’re depressed, denial andstigmamake it hard to accept and reach out for help.
2:12Some Common Causes of Depression
2:12
Some Common Causes of Depression
Symptoms of Depression Besides Sadness
If you’ve been having several of the followingsymptoms for at least two weeks, it’s possible you’re depressed:
Symptoms of Clinical Depression
How to Find Out If Sadness Is Depression
Whether you think your sadness could be depression or not, the only way to find out for sure and get support is to reach out to a provider. Your regular doctor can be a great starting point because they can talk to you about your symptoms and decide what way to go toward making a diagnosis.
For example, they might decide that the next best thing to do is run someblood teststo make sure that there isn’t a physical cause like wonky thyroid hormones causing your symptoms.
They might also ask you questions that are part of ascreening test for depression. Sometimes, they’ll just ask you questions in the office or have you fill out a paper or online form. The survey will ask you questions like how many days over the last 2 weeks you’ve felt “little interest or pleasure in doing things” or “down, depressed, and hopeless.”
If they think you’re depressed, they might feel comfortable talking to you about treatment. If not, or if they’re not sure that you’re dealing with depression, they might want you to see a provider who is trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
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How Depression Is Diagnosed
What If It’s Not Depression?
Depression is not the only mental health condition that can make you feel sad. If you feel sad all the time but do not have other signs and symptoms of depression, there are some other causes your provider might want to consider:
Can You Have ADHD and Depression?
Treating Sadness and Depression
If you’re feeling sad all the time and think you might be depressed, know that there are treatments for depression that can help. You may need to try more than one treatment or even combine treatments to find the most effective way to treat depression—and that’s OK.
Medications
Many providers will start trying to treat depression and other mental health conditions withantidepressant medication. Here are some different kinds of medications your provider might suggest trying if you’re diagnosed with depression:
Will I Have to Take Antidepressants Forever?
Psychotherapy
Your regular provider might refer you to apsychiatrist,psychotherapist, or anotherqualified mental health professionalwho specializes in treating mental health conditions. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are two of the most common approaches to treating depression.
You can either do therapy one-on-one or with a group:
There are also many online resources like self-guided programs or support groups that can be part of a depression treatment plan.
Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.
Get Help Now
We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.
Life Changes
Medication and therapy can help you start feeling better but you may also find that making some changes to your day-to-day life supports the work you’re doing in therapy and even boosts your mood.
You can experiment with making little changes in your life and see what helps lift the sadness from your days. You may find it hard to start and keep going, especially if you’re feeling very low. But remember: You don’t have to do it all at once. Setting small goals for yourself can help you build up to the changes you’d like to make without getting frustrated and overwhelmed.
If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
How to Boost Your Mood When You’re Feeling Low
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Francis LE, Kypriotakis G, O’Toole EE, Bowman KF, Rose JH.Grief and risk of depression in context: the emotional outcomes of bereaved cancer caregivers.Omega (Westport). 2015;70(4):351-379. doi:10.1177/0030222815573720Lokko HN, Stern TA.Sadness: Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(6). doi:10.4088/PCC.14f01709Park K, Yang TC.The long-term effects of self-esteem on depression: The roles of alcohol and substance uses during young adulthood.Sociol Q. 2017;58(3):429-446. doi:10.1080/00380253.2017.1331718Baylor College of Medicine.Expressing depression across different cultures.NIH.Depression in women: 5 things you should know.American Thyroid Association.Hypothyroidism.Pullen RL.Mental status changes with corticosteroid therapy.Nursing made Incredibly Easy. 2021;19(1):55-56. doi:10.1097/01.nme.0000723400.84384.2bLeMoult J.From stress to depression: Bringing together cognitive and biological science. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Published 2020. doi:10.1177/0963721420964039Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions.Hage MP, Azar ST.The link between thyroid function and depression.J Thyroid Res. 2012;2012:590648. doi:10.1155/2012/590648
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Francis LE, Kypriotakis G, O’Toole EE, Bowman KF, Rose JH.Grief and risk of depression in context: the emotional outcomes of bereaved cancer caregivers.Omega (Westport). 2015;70(4):351-379. doi:10.1177/0030222815573720Lokko HN, Stern TA.Sadness: Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(6). doi:10.4088/PCC.14f01709Park K, Yang TC.The long-term effects of self-esteem on depression: The roles of alcohol and substance uses during young adulthood.Sociol Q. 2017;58(3):429-446. doi:10.1080/00380253.2017.1331718Baylor College of Medicine.Expressing depression across different cultures.NIH.Depression in women: 5 things you should know.American Thyroid Association.Hypothyroidism.Pullen RL.Mental status changes with corticosteroid therapy.Nursing made Incredibly Easy. 2021;19(1):55-56. doi:10.1097/01.nme.0000723400.84384.2bLeMoult J.From stress to depression: Bringing together cognitive and biological science. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Published 2020. doi:10.1177/0963721420964039Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions.Hage MP, Azar ST.The link between thyroid function and depression.J Thyroid Res. 2012;2012:590648. doi:10.1155/2012/590648
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Francis LE, Kypriotakis G, O’Toole EE, Bowman KF, Rose JH.Grief and risk of depression in context: the emotional outcomes of bereaved cancer caregivers.Omega (Westport). 2015;70(4):351-379. doi:10.1177/0030222815573720Lokko HN, Stern TA.Sadness: Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(6). doi:10.4088/PCC.14f01709Park K, Yang TC.The long-term effects of self-esteem on depression: The roles of alcohol and substance uses during young adulthood.Sociol Q. 2017;58(3):429-446. doi:10.1080/00380253.2017.1331718Baylor College of Medicine.Expressing depression across different cultures.NIH.Depression in women: 5 things you should know.American Thyroid Association.Hypothyroidism.Pullen RL.Mental status changes with corticosteroid therapy.Nursing made Incredibly Easy. 2021;19(1):55-56. doi:10.1097/01.nme.0000723400.84384.2bLeMoult J.From stress to depression: Bringing together cognitive and biological science. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Published 2020. doi:10.1177/0963721420964039Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions.Hage MP, Azar ST.The link between thyroid function and depression.J Thyroid Res. 2012;2012:590648. doi:10.1155/2012/590648
Francis LE, Kypriotakis G, O’Toole EE, Bowman KF, Rose JH.Grief and risk of depression in context: the emotional outcomes of bereaved cancer caregivers.Omega (Westport). 2015;70(4):351-379. doi:10.1177/0030222815573720
Lokko HN, Stern TA.Sadness: Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(6). doi:10.4088/PCC.14f01709
Park K, Yang TC.The long-term effects of self-esteem on depression: The roles of alcohol and substance uses during young adulthood.Sociol Q. 2017;58(3):429-446. doi:10.1080/00380253.2017.1331718
Baylor College of Medicine.Expressing depression across different cultures.
NIH.Depression in women: 5 things you should know.
American Thyroid Association.Hypothyroidism.
Pullen RL.Mental status changes with corticosteroid therapy.Nursing made Incredibly Easy. 2021;19(1):55-56. doi:10.1097/01.nme.0000723400.84384.2b
LeMoult J.From stress to depression: Bringing together cognitive and biological science. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Published 2020. doi:10.1177/0963721420964039
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions.
Hage MP, Azar ST.The link between thyroid function and depression.J Thyroid Res. 2012;2012:590648. doi:10.1155/2012/590648
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