Sadness

• Sadness is an emotion
• Sadness is brief
• A specific reaction
• Temporarily changes your mood
• It is subjective

Depression

• Mental illness
• Persists much longer
• An abnormal general state
• Changes your life
• It is diagnosed

While a feeling sad is an integral part of depression, they aren’t the same. When you’re experiencing it, however, the difference between the two is hard to pinpoint. Sadness is a natural reaction to a problematic situation in life. It is an emotion that you feel in response to something that has happened. On the other hand, depression is a mental illness, rather than a passing feeling or emotion.

According to the DSM-5, you will be experiencing one of these two symptoms:

• A depressed mood throughout the day, most days.
• A significant loss in all or most activities throughout the day, most days.

In some cases, you will also experience four or more of the following symptoms daily or almost daily during a single two-week period:

• Unintended weight loss/weight gain, or a decrease/increase in appetite
• Observable delay in thinking and reduced physical movement
• A feeling of fatigue or energy loss
• A feeling of worthlessness or overwhelming guilt
• Difficult thinking/concentrating or indecisiveness
• Persistent thoughts of death, suicide attempts or contemplation

It is important to note that these symptoms should not be a result of any kind of substance abuse or other medical condition.

Like any other illness, it has a set of symptoms that help mental health professionals diagnose your condition. To help identify mental issues, therapists often refer to a standardised diagnostics tool: the DSM-5. Officially known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, the DSM-5 is the modern gold standard in diagnostic criteria and covers nearly 200 different mental health conditions.

Note: Depression can look different from person to person. For example, one common issue in men’s mental health is that it might show itself as anger rather than sadness. Men and women simply show symptoms differently. Likewise, older people might experience it differently than younger people. Ultimately, it’s tough to know with certainty, especially when you are caught in the middle of it. That is why it’s crucial to see a medical professional if something feels like it’s not right. Reach out to us for counselling for depression and put your mind at ease whether you are a perfect match for the symptoms listed above or not.

There is a common misconception that it is caused by having too much or too little of particular brain chemicals. In reality, however, it is caused by a wider scope of things. This includes physical factors like mood regulation in the brain as well as genetic predisposition. Though there is indeed a physical component, this condition is often pushed to the surface by stressful life events.

• Poor Mood Regulation
• Genetic Predisposition
• Stressful Events
• Childhood Abuse/Neglect
• Poor Lifestyle/Diet

Ultimately, the underlying causes and the identification of symptoms is a secondary issue. These technical factors are best left to experts who specialise in the field of mental health. When you are suffering from any mental health issue, the truly crucial matter at hand is treatment. Finding the right therapist and proactively working to improve the quality of your life is the most pertinent issue in front of you.

This is a common condition that affects a growing number of people. Cases in Singapore have been on the rise since 2020. Fortunately, our modern society is finally ready to discuss and treat it.

As it becomes more common, or perhaps just most commonly acknowledged, therapy in Singapore is becoming commonplace. A study by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found that 81.8 per cent of us are ready to seek professional help for mental health issues.