Depression — It's Far More Than Feeling Sad

Feeling sad is part of the human condition. From grieving loss to watching your favorite team lose the championship game, humans can be sad for a variety of reasons. And the emotion can be both natural and beneficial in helping you to process your feelings.

Depression, on the other hand, is sadness on a much more serious and clinical level. 

Unfortunately, all too many people can attest to this — about 29% of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. As alarming, major depressive disorder also affects slightly more than 20% of teens.

All told, depression numbers are at all-time highs in the US right now, which is why our behavioral health team at LaSante Health Center wants to touch on this important topic. 

In the following, we look at key signs of depression and, more importantly, how we can help you break free from this cycle of sadness.

Key signs of major depressive disorder

Let’s start with highlighting the difference between sadness and depression. To start, sadness is normally temporary and usually comes in waves that increasingly lose their strength. This might happen over the course of minutes, or months if you’re grieving a loss. 

This type of sadness is very real in the moment, but life does go on around it and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

With depression, the sadness is pervasive and part of a much larger mood regulation disorder that can lead to persistent issues with:

• An inability to find any happiness
• Feeling empty
• Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism
• A loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Increasing isolation from family and friends
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Lack of focus
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in sleep
• Physical pain, such as body aches and headaches

You might see more reckless behavior and impulsivity issues, especially in adolescents with depression.

When is it depression?

It’s safe to say that many of us have exhibited most of the symptoms we describe above at some point in our lives. With depression, these symptoms persist for at least two weeks on a daily basis and show no signs of improving. 

We also want to point out that depression affects people differently. The above symptom list isn't a checklist, but a list of possible side effects, and not everyone with depression develops all of them. Most people develop 3-5, or more, of the symptoms in different combinations.

The bottom line is that if the symptoms are disrupting your ability to function and enjoy life, the odds are good you’re dealing with depression.

Why seeking help for depression is so important

Most patients come to see us after months of feeling depressed, if not years, and our goal is to get patients to seek help earlier. Depression doesn’t usually go away on its own and, if it does, it can take a while and greatly impact your life in the meantime.

Instead of ignoring the problem, we strongly suggest seeking our help at the earliest signs of depression, which can help you or your loved one break free from the persistent cycle of sadness sooner. 

As an added bonus, we offer comprehensive telehealth services for depression so you can receive expert care from the comfort of your own home. 

A great first step is to sit down with one of our providers, who will evaluate your mental health. To get that ball rolling, please call our Brooklyn, New York, clinic at 718-395-5071, or use our online booking tool to set up an appointment. You can also visit our urgent care center as a walk-in. 

Our team proudly serves the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.