Sadness is a normal reaction to a loss, disappointment, problems, or other difficult situations. Of course, being sad is not a good thing but feeling sad from time to time is just another part of being human. In these cases, feelings of sadness go away quickly and you can continue your daily life routine. Other ways to talk about sadness might be ‘feeling low,’ ‘feeling down,’ or ‘feeling blue.’ A person may say they are feeling ‘depressed,’ but if it goes away on its own and it doesn’t affect your life in a big way, then it probably wasn’t the illness of depression. On the other hand, depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, the way you behave, the way you understand yourself, and the way you understand others and relate to things around you. It can also go by different names, such as clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or major depression. Depression can come up for no reason, and it lasts for a long time. It’s much more than sadness or low mood. Probably because of some trauma that a person faced. People who experience depression may feel worthless or hopeless. They may feel unreasonably guilty. Some people may experience depression as anger or irritability. It may be hard to concentrate or make decisions. Most people lose interest in things that they used to enjoy and may isolate themselves from others. Many lose friends as they’re not paying attention to anyone else during that phase. There are also physical signs of depression, such as problems with sleep, appetite, and energy and unexplainable aches or pains. Some may experience difficult thoughts about death or suicide. Depression lasts longer than two weeks, doesn’t usually go away on its own, and impacts your life. It’s a real illness, and it is very treatable. It’s important to seek help if you’re concerned about depression. Picture source: Pinterest