Difference Between Being Sad and Depressed

By: | Updated: Aug-13, 2022
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Sometimes, when we are alone, we find ourselves feeling sad. At times, we can be so down in the dumps that we feel like we can’t go on living. These are times when we might think about killing ourselves. Sometimes, however, when we are alone, we find ourselves just feeling empty and depressed. We feel like life is not worth living anymore. It seems like everything is against us and that nothing is going our way.

But are these two states of mind really the same? Can one really be depressed without being sad?

Summary Table

Being Sad Being Depressed
One of the most common symptoms of being sad is crying When we are depressed, it seems like our eyes will not shed tears
Our moods change from day to day and from moment to moment People who have depression will constantly have the same sad moods every day
A temporary emotion A persistent state of mind

Difference Between Being Sad and Depressed

What is Being Sad?

Being sad means that we are feeling down. We are not happy. We feel empty inside. We have no motivation to do anything and we are just not in the mood to do anything. This is what being sad means.

What is Depression?

Depression is a more serious condition than being sad. In depression, our mind is so overwhelmed by negative thoughts that we can’t think straight. This makes us unable to make decisions or even to function properly as a human being. It makes us depressed because we can’t live normally and because our emotions are all over the place.

The Similarities Between Being Sad and Being Depressed

When we are sad or depressed, we feel that nothing can make us happy anymore and we think we will never be happy again because of this. We believe we will never feel better than this again and our life will always be filled with sadness and pain forever. We think our life will never improve or get better ever again because of this feeling of sadness inside us all the time, no matter how hard we try to improve ourselves in every way possible to make ourselves happier in life.

Being Sad VS Being Depressed

Now, let’s take a look at the differences between being sad and being depressed.

The symptoms

One of the most common symptoms of being sad is crying. When we are sad, we usually feel like crying. However, when we are depressed, we don’t cry. When we are depressed, it seems like our eyes will not shed tears. Our eyes are dried up and dull.

Another symptom of being sad is being unable to sleep well at night. Sometimes, when we are sad, we can’t sleep because of the amount of sadness that has accumulated in our hearts and minds. In fact, many people find themselves crying when they cannot sleep at night due to the amount of sadness that they have inside their hearts and minds.

The moods

When we are sad, our moods change from day to day and from moment to moment according to the situations that arise in our lives at that time. However, with depression on the other hand, this is not usually how it works because most people who have depression will constantly have the same sad moods every day.

The scale of the sadness

Being sad can be considered a temporary emotion. This means that the sadness may last for a short period of time. If you feel sad for more than a few days, you might have depression.

On the other hand, being depressed is a persistent state of mind. It is an emotion that lasts for weeks or even months and it is an emotion that has no particular limit in time.

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