Readers Respond: The Difference Between Clinical Depression and Ordinary Sadness

Let's help those who are seeking to learn just what clinical depression is. Please share your comments below about how your experience with clinical depression has been different from ordinary sadness. Share Your Thoughts

Living With Depression

Everything you've ever done wrong is stuck in your head, playing over and over again. Every embarrassing, painful moment. Over and over. When you aren't numb, you can only pick up pain, sadness, despair, anger. Happiness? What a strange word - what does it mean? You're being smothered, trapped under a heavy black blanket. It's hard to move, to breathe, to feel. What do you mean "when did it cover me up"? Hasn't it always been here? Won't it always be here? Pain is the easiest thing to feel. Often, it's pain or nothing at all. And when you draw blood, watching it is like watching all of the anxiety and fear and sadness and all of the utter despair drain out of you. It's bad, they say, to do this. And you feel guilty. But you won't stop. Your friends, your family, whoever says it's worth it. You'll feel better. But will you? You're just so tired. Nothing you try has ever worked, and now you're too tired to try anything else. Is a life spent in constant misery really worth living?

—Guest winterwolf

really sick of it

i've been depressed for 30 years and recent events have made me move to stop this shit. haven't ever seen a doc as that wouldn't work for me anyway because the things i've done to people who love me won't stop haunting me. really I've had enough of this shit. i also know when the time will come, i'm a completely lost case. Others should try the medical route, but personally i'm not worth the effort.

—Guest sick of this shit

just saying

...not sure why I write here. I hate me. I eat some pills. I don't like whining... Sometimes suicidal, once I remember I was almost happy.

—Guest Iam 9876?

A misunderstood disease

For sufferers of the disease is hard to describe and for others is hard to understand. I am 22 and i am depressed since I was 16/17. It's hard... We try to snap out everyday and we just can't... Sometimes people don't understand, even when we make strong efforts to explain. I just can't remember how is normal sadness, I only know what is being sad every day, every moment... Sometimes I want to fall asleep and don't wake up, because when i am sleeping i am not feeling this emptyness, this meaningless life... We have to pretend that everything is OK and put that meaningless and false smiles on the face. The time continues to pass and suffering does not end. Sorry for the bad english. I am portuguese.

—Guest lost_soul

Another is Pain

There is too much anger and hatred to let out but what I did was I remained quiet and calm. It is not me. I smiled and yet I know it was not I meant. Another is called pain in my life when every single person I love then turned to be my hate. I wanted to scream and yet I just face at people when I know it's really sad. but the only thing I can do now is express it although I am already tempted by violence. as far as I could do being be able to let it out is the best remedy because someday I am gonna let people show the real me.

—Guest | cout |

My experience

It is horrible, I noticed no one else has mentioned the irritability. I am so sensitive I get overly upset with people over simple little things. I obsess also on mostly negative things that have happened in the past. Sometimes there is a heavy feeling or a feeling like things that are happening are not real. Plus some of the symptoms others have mentioned like not being able to sleep but not wanting to get out of bed in the morning and strong feelings of guilt. It's hereditary for me, My family has a long history of alcohol abuse and suicide though I have felt like suicide and attempted it once when I was younger. The only reason I would want to do it is to not feel this way anymore. I would never do it because of my family. I am lucky enough that Zoloft helps me with very few noticeable side effects. Problem is sometimes I forget to take it when I am feeling better and forget how much I need it.

—Guest joyce3001

Why?

I have been clinicly depressed for two years, and I am only thirteen. The difference between depression and regular saddness is that depression doesn't go away, and you have no reason to be depressed. It is an empty feeling in your stomache, that nothing can fill, it's a lingering dread, hanging over your head as you put on your happy face and go on with your life. Depression is something that you just don't want. It makes the sweetest person you could meet, and turn them into an unreachable soul, that's unwilling to talk to anyone. It makes you hate yourself, and others around you. Why did this happen to me? I honestly do not know, but I wish it hadn't. Depression sucks.

—Guest GuestNea

worst scenario

You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy! If you want to list the top ten worst things that have happened to you, this is an understatement. A relapse is worse and so debilitating. A senseless disease that threatens your body and soul. Sucked into a whirlpool or dark pit wondering when the light at the end of the tunnel would appear, if ever...

—Guest kim

In a Well

I have had depression for many years. Have been hospitalized many times and each time go in feeling horrible but come out feeling better. Then reality hits. I feel like I am in a well and just can't get out. There seems to be no one there emotionally that will help me. I hear "just snap out of it" and "what do you have to be depressed about"? I don't know what it is...I just know that it is painful inside and it has hurt me and my family members. I know my family doesn't hate me, but they don't show any support or try to understand how I feel or what my days are like. I have been having many panic attacks lately and I'm almost afraid to go out of my house. I see a psychiatrist and a counselor and I'm on several prescription meds. which I believe I have become immuned to. No one has walked in my shoes so they don't know how I feel. Sometimes I feel scared, lonely, tearful and sad. I would love to beat this and one day I hope I can (soon). It's been really rough.

—Guest SLG

Grief

I once read a journalist's interview that said her depression felt like the grief you feel when someone close to you dies, and you feel this grief everyday for no reason. That struck a note with me.

—Guest Emmaling

THE CAVE

my son took his own life 7 years ago. the ache, the pain, the guilt, the isolation i felt during the first few few years of that journey are in some ways similar but in other ways different from the ache and pain and isolation i feel from the clinical depression i also suffer from. i have a form of "shorthand" i use with a dear friend to say when am clinically depressed. i say that i'm "in the cave". i stay in bed, don't dress, or turn on the light. the day can be beautiful but i can't seem to leave my bed. i can't handle tv or radio. i can stand in front of my full refrigerator and cabinets and not see anything so i don't eat. i can't "turn my brain off" so i don't sleep. i feel hopeless. with the incredible grief i felt when scott died i eventually came to feel a "clean" sadness. there was some relief in tears. with counselling and loving friends and family i felt that i did the very best i could for my son. sunlight, other people and encouragement to eat and move helped me.

—Sumac333

What clinical depression feels like

A life sentence. I feel like the world is dark grey even when I am happy. I want to sleep even when I get enough sleep. I feel like crying or have a lump in my throat like I am going to cry, but I can't cry and don't know why. I take offence easily and have no patience. I feel like I am no good to anybody. And at its worst I feel like the people I love are getting so hurt by me that they would be better off if I wasn't here. Although I have had no actual thoughts of suicide, or attempts, I am told that this also is a sign.

—mattsmadre

A Heavy Weight

The morning I awoke to a major depressive episode I felt like there was a heavy weight pressing down on my head and shoulders. Years later it still feels like my face and head are covered.

—ryersbooks

Difference between sadness and

Their is a numbing that can lead(in my case)to cutting so I can feel something. Then that doesn't work. Sometimes I cannot move and sit catatonic, no energy , no desire. total fatigue, but cannot sleep, suicidal ideation, years ago I had a substance problem and the 30 second rush after I shot up cocaine was worth the bliss I felt, then I was 'chasing the dragon' and suicide was the only answer to the horrible crash after injecting all night...then that didn't work( mind you all this happened on meds and therapy) but I do have 10 years clean. However, my family is waiting for me to be cured. I don't know what the answer is now. I just turned 61 and have been living with this since I first attempted suicide at age 13...now poverty and health problems exasperate the depression and Borderline Personality Disorder. I have searched through the religions and lifestyles( yoga and meditation, etc)and the isolation fuels my desire to leave this hell...the only joy are my cats.

—Guest Carol Reins

Good book to read

The fealings associated with clinical depression are so hard to describe. For example, I feel like I need to cry but cannot (and have no real reason to cry) Or crying and not being able to stop. A good book to read which gives insight to what it feels like, is "Cracked Teacups" by B.E. Moore. After reading it I felt less alone in my feelings and family who don't really understand, are clearer after they read it. Just ORDER it online or at any bookstore. It really helped me and was easy to read.

—Chris3175