Member-only story
Depressed People Aren’t Always Sad: Recognizing the Three Types of Depression
I’m depressed today, but I’m not sad. This is a different kind of depression — the kind where you have no energy, no ambition, no desire to do anything whatsoever.
There are at least two other kinds of depression. I know because I’ve experienced them. I’ve been struggling with depression on and off for about 25 years.
Depression as Sadness
The first is the weepy, crying kind. You feel sad. Maybe you know why; maybe you don’t. How is this different from just being sad? It’s not much different.
Maybe You’re Sad for a Reason
If you know why you’re sad, the dividing line is usually one of degree. Does the amount of sadness you feel match the thing you’re sad about or does it seem excessive?
If someone close to you just died, you’re probably sad. That’s normal. It’s called grief. It’s when that grief goes on longer than it should that you might want to consider whether you have crossed over into depression. (How do you tell? That’s a topic for another article.)
