Depression and unhappiness may seem to go hand in hand, but they aren?t the same thing. They do not always exist for a person at the same time. Unhappiness is not being happy, being sad, or being unsatisfied with life. Having a ?low mood? defines both unhappiness and depression.
The difference between Unhappiness and Depression lies in the duration, additional symptoms, and the cause or trigger. Usually, unhappiness has a reason you can pinpoint. You could be sad over losing a job or breaking up with a significant other. You might not be satisfied in life for any number of reasons but working to change that helps lift your mood.
Unhappiness tends to be short in duration and to lift by doing things to change your situation. Unhappiness could last a few hours, or it may come and go as you work to make things better.
Depression is different. It?s a state of chronically low mood, sometimes of hopelessness and despondency that can last for days or longer. It doesn?t always require a trigger. In some instances, some people seem to have everything they want and yet are still depressed.
This is because depression can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It?s an illness or disease, not a mood or state of mind. It doesn?t respond to the usual attempts to alleviate sadness and unhappiness.
The symptoms of depression go beyond just being unhappy. They include loss of interest in things you enjoy, weight loss or gain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, inability to concentrate, feeling worthless or guilty, loss of decision-making ability, and many times recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. That?s a lot more than just being unhappy!
One of the criteria to identifying depression is the length of symptoms. Some people can lapse into a short period of depression following a major life event, such as the death of a loved one, but usually bounce out of it in quick order. Major depression involves symptoms lasting at least two weeks. For some like me, they can last many years.
If you?re depressed, you can do everything right to make yourself happy, from working on your goals to supporting your mindset. You can eat right, exercise, meditate, and work on your relationships. But it won?t be enough. This is due to the nature of the illness. This was me. I found a therapist I worked with for a couple years.
Does any of this sound like you? If so, then you might be depressed instead of just unhappy. Depression is not something you treat yourself. You need help. Please go see a doctor or licensed therapist to get treatment.
Sometimes therapy is all you need. In other instances where there is a chemical imbalance it may require medication until you resolve or change your environment or diet to correct these imbalances. If the chemical imbalance cannot be corrected by lifestyle changes, the medication may be more long-term.
If you are contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). And always remember that you?re valuable and have worth!
