MHM 2022 - Depression is more than sad
People feel sad for all sorts of reasons. Your best friend is moving away, you didn’t get the raise you wanted, the person in front of you in line took the last donut, a loved one is very sick. These are all normal reasons to be sad, and sadness is a healthy and appropriate emotion to feel.
Depression, however, is more than sad. Depression is a mood that does have elements of sadness, but also has elements of hopelessness, irritability, loneliness, worthlessness, feeling trapped or overwhelmed. Doing basic things can feel like just too much effort. There doesn’t seem to be a way for things to get better. It’s so hard to really care about anything.
There may not be a “reason” for depression and that’s totally okay. There are a lot of things that contribute to depression. But because there often isn’t a “reason”, you may feel like you don’t deserve help. But depression isn’t something that needs a reason. Your feelings are valid and you are worthy.
