Depression or sadness: do you know how to differentiate?

Sadness and depression are two very different situations. While sadness is a normal and transient feeling generated by situations such as disappointment, unpleasant memories or the end of a relationship, depression is a disease that affects mood, generating deep sadness that persists for a long time and is disproportionate and may not have a justifiable reason for it to happen. In addition, depression can be accompanied by physical symptoms, such as decreased attention, weight loss and difficulty sleeping, for example.

Main differences between sadness and depression:
Despite having similar symptoms, depression and sadness have some differences:

Sadness: There is a justifiable reason, and the person knows why they are sad, it could be a disappointment or a personal failure, for example.

Depression: There is no cause that justifies the symptoms, it is common for the person not to know the reason for the sadness and to think that everything is always bad. Sadness is disproportionate to events.

Sadness: It is temporary, and lessens as time passes or the cause of sadness fades away.

Depression: It is persistent, lasts most of the day and every day for at least 14 days.

Sadness: There are symptoms of wanting to cry, feelings of impotence, lack of motivation and anguish.

Depression: In addition to the symptoms of sadness, there is loss of interest in pleasant activities, decreased energy, and others such as suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, and a sense of guilt.

Hope that this information can be valuable :)