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Depression vs. Sadness: Understanding the Differences

Published: February 2, 2023 Updated: February 17, 2023
Published: 02/02/2023 Updated: 02/17/2023
Headshot of Eric Patterson, LPC
Written by:

Eric Patterson

LPC
Headshot of Lynn Byars, MD, MPH, FACP
Reviewed by:

Lynn Byars

MD, MPH, FACP
  • What’s the Difference Between Sadness & Depression?Differences
  • Symptoms of Depression Vs. SadnessSymptoms
  • Can You Be Sad Without Being Depressed?Sad Not Depressed
  • Can You Be Depressed Without Being Sad?Depressed Not Sad
  • When Should You Seek Help?When to Get Help
  • Treatment for DepressionTreatment
  • How to Find a TherapistFind a Therapist
  • Final Thoughts on Depression Vs. SadnessConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Depression vs. Sadness InfographicsInfographics
Headshot of Eric Patterson, LPC
Written by:

Eric Patterson

LPC
Headshot of Lynn Byars, MD, MPH, FACP
Reviewed by:

Lynn Byars

MD, MPH, FACP

Differentiating depression vs. sadness is essential. Depression is a damaging mental health condition while sadness is a natural part of life. Harm arises when someone cannot identify whether they’re experiencing sadness or depression. However, symptoms can be limited by taking preventative action in the form of psychotherapy.

Would you like to speak with a supportive therapist about your sadness or depression? BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp

Visit BetterHelp

What’s the Difference Between Sadness & Depression?

There are major differences between sadness and depression. Perhaps the most significant difference is the effect of depression compared to the effect of sadness.

Here is the difference between depression and sadness:

  • Depression: this mental health condition is always a problem. It frequently requires professional attention to diagnose and treat.
  • Sadness: while uncomfortable, sadness is not necessarily a problem. People can use their sadness as a way to notice a problem or as motivation to make changes. Sadness is a natural state that everyone experiences during their life.

Symptoms of Depression Vs. Sadness

It’s important to know the difference between the symptoms of sadness, an emotion, and depression, a serious mental health condition.

Here are some key differences in symptoms of sadness vs. depression:

What Is Sadness?

Sadness describes a specific emotional state, but it is not too different from other emotions or feelings. Sadness is typically undesirable, but it’s not a sign that a person is doing something wrong or somehow failing. Sadness can act like a warning system to alert the individual that an issue needs to be addressed like a “check engine” light in a car.

Signs of Sadness

When a person feels sad, it can serve as a sign to notice the emotional change and target sadness. Sadness could be a result of some other intense and unwanted feelings like anger, anxiety, or hopelessness, so a person may have to address those to reduce the sadness.1

When people are sad, they might exhibit these signs:

  • Feel like nothing is fun
  • Feel numb
  • Cry often
  • Look for ways to cover up sadness
  • Fight with their loved ones
  • Not follow through with plans
  • Feel more pessimistic
  • See the worst in situations

What Is Depression?

Depression is a serious and common group of mental health conditions. Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents the typical expectation of depression with its power to make people feel sad, apathetic, and unmotivated

Symptoms of Depression

Someone with depression will note several symptoms of depression that last for at least two weeks significantly interfere with their ability to function well at home, work, and school.

A person’s depression symptoms will shift and change over time, meaning that their symptoms during one depressive episode may not match those of the next. Severity of symptoms will change, as well, with some episodes being quite severe (i.e., crippling depression), while others could be mild.2

Common symptoms depression include:2

  • Low mood, which can present as sadness or increased irritability
  • Low motivation to engage in pleasurable activities
  • Low energy
  • Noteworthy changes to sleeping routine
  • Depression & weight gain
  • Feeling like thoughts or actions are very slowed down or sped up
  • Difficulty thinking clearly, focusing, and making healthy choices
  • Increased feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Suicidal ideation

Help For Depression

Talk Therapy – Get help from a licensed therapist. Betterhelp offers online therapy starting at $60 per week. Get matched With A Therapist


Virtual Psychiatry – Get help from a real doctor that takes your insurance. Talkiatry offers medication management and online visits with top-rated psychiatrists. Take the online assessment and have your first appointment within a week. Free Assessment

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp and Talkiatry.

Can You Be Sad Without Being Depressed?

You can be sad without being depressed. Many people who are depressed are sad, but not all sad people are depressed. Depression is a complex and multifaceted condition that involves a long list of physical and psychological effects.

Though MDD is common and widely recognized, it is not the only type of depression. Other forms of depression can result in various outcomes that intensive MDD symptoms or create wholly new symptoms. It’s also possible to have double depression, which is multiple types of depression at once.

Can You Be Depressed Without Being Sad?

In some cases, a person could have depression without feeling sad. Depression and anger are also closely connected. With MDD, a person could note only irritability, marked by having a “short fuse” or bad temper, vs. feeling sad. This is especially true with depression in men. Men are more likely to experience anger and aggression connected to depression.3

When Should You Seek Help?

Mental health professions can assist in helping you understand whether you’re experiencing sadness or depression—this is one reason why it’s important to seek help early instead of waiting until symptoms get worse. Depression is always a problem that people must work to prevent and treat. Even with the best treatments, depression can persist, so people should work to remain invested and patient with services.

If you’re not sure if you’re sad or actually dealing with depression, you’ll need to do some self-assessment. If you’re unsure of how you’re feeling, it can be helpful to ask a close friend or family member if your behaviors have changed recently and if they think you’d benefit from professional help.

To determine if you are sad vs. depressed, ask yourself questions like:

  • How am I feeling and how often am I feeling it?
  • How long have I been feeling this way and how intense has it been?
  • Is this feeling significantly affecting other parts of my physical, social, mental, and spiritual health?
  • Do other people notice my symptoms?
  • Did something happen to trigger my condition?
  • Have I been thinking about death, dying, and suicide?
  • Can I find happiness or pleasure in any situation?

Without diminishing the impact of sadness, depression is a much more serious and concerning condition. People may react in problematic ways when they are feeling sad, but issues like self-injury, aggression, and suicide are more strongly associated with depression than sadness.

Treatment for Depression

Since depression is a recognized mental health condition, no one would argue against a person with depression seeking formal psychological services to address their diagnosis. Sadness is not a disorder. It is a normal human feeling, so the notion of treatment is ambiguous. Knowing how to treat depression is more complicated.4

Here are types of treatment for depression:

Psychotherapy for Depression

Types of treatment for depression include depression therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). No matter the type of therapy, the person with depression will learn new ways to identify and address their symptoms of depression. Often, this involves changing thinking and behavior patterns to accomplish the desired goals.

Medication for Depression

A psychiatrist, primary care physician, or nurse practitioner can prescribe medication for depression to adjust the flow of chemical messengers in the brain to counteract the influence of depression. Medications are generally safe and effective ways to treat depression alone or in conjunction with therapy.

Many antidepressant medications require four to six weeks to become effective, so change will not occur immediately. Be sure to communicate any side effects or changes with the prescriber.5 It’s important to talk with your prescriber about the risks of serious side effects before starting any medication.

How to Find a Therapist

If you’re ready to speak with a therapist about depression, or would like their help to distinguish between sadness and depression, start your search in an online therapist directory. This allows you to narrow down your criteria by details like cost, location, and speciality.

Final Thoughts on Depression Vs. Sadness

Everyone will experience some level of sadness in their life, but true depression is more rare. No matter the person’s state, they should work to pay attention to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors while keeping the lines of communication open to loved ones. When symptoms grow too strong to manage, people should consult with mental health professionals to inform diagnosis and guide the recovery process.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

Talk Therapy 

Online-Therapy.com – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. Online-Therapy.com provides 45 minute weekly video sessions and unlimited text messaging with your therapist for only $64/week. Get Started

Online Psychiatry

Hims / Hers – If you’re living with anxiety or depression, finding the right medication match may make all the difference. Get FDA approved medication prescribed by your dedicated Hims / Hers Healthcare Provider and delivered right to your door. Plans start at $25 per month (first month)*. Get Started

Depression Newsletter

A free newsletter from Choosing Therapy for those impacted by depression. Get helpful tips and the latest information. Sign Up

Learn Anti-Stress & Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness.com – Change your life by practicing mindfulness. In a few minutes a day, you can start developing mindfulness and meditation skills. Free Trial

Choosing Therapy Directory 

You can search for therapists by specialty,  experience, insurance, or price, and location. Find a therapist today.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by Online-Therapy, Hims / Hers, and Mindfulness.com. *Hims / Hers Disclaimer: Subscription required. After first month, price is $85/month for a monthly subscription or $49/month for a three-month subscription ($123 for first order, $147 billed quarterly thereafter). Subscription automatically renews unless you cancel at least 7 days before renewal is processed.

For Further Reading

  • Books on Depression
  • Journal Prompts for Depression
  • Mental Health America
  • National Alliance on Mental Health
  • MentalHealth.gov

Depression vs. Sadness Infographics

What's the Difference Between Sadness and Depression

6 sources

Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • Better Health Channel. (n.d.). It’s Okay to Feel Sad. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/its-okay-to-feel-sad

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA.

  • National Institute of Mental Health. (2017, January). Men and Depression. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/men-and-depression/index.shtml

  • Canadian Mental Health Association (2015). What’s the Difference Between Sadness and Depression? Retrieved from https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/q-and-a/whats-the-difference-between-sadness-and-depression

  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (n.d.) Therapy. Retrieved from: https://adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/therapy.

  • National Institute of Mental Health. (2018, February). Depression. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know/index.shtml

update history

We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

  • Originally Published: February 20, 2021
    Original Author: Eric Patterson, LPC
    Original Reviewer: Lynn Byars, MD

  • Updated: March 31, 2022
    Author: No Change
    Reviewer: No Change
    Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity; Added “What’s the Difference Between Sadness and Depression?”, “Sadness Is Just One Symptom of Depression”, “Can You Be Depressed Without Being Sad?”.

  • Updated: February 2, 2023
    Author: No Change
    Reviewer: No Change
    Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity. Reviewed and added relevant resources.

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Headshot of Eric Patterson, LPC
Written by:

Eric Patterson

LPC
Headshot of Lynn Byars, MD, MPH, FACP
Reviewed by:

Lynn Byars

MD, MPH, FACP
  • What’s the Difference Between Sadness & Depression?Differences
  • Symptoms of Depression Vs. SadnessSymptoms
  • Can You Be Sad Without Being Depressed?Sad Not Depressed
  • Can You Be Depressed Without Being Sad?Depressed Not Sad
  • When Should You Seek Help?When to Get Help
  • Treatment for DepressionTreatment
  • How to Find a TherapistFind a Therapist
  • Final Thoughts on Depression Vs. SadnessConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Depression vs. Sadness InfographicsInfographics
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