I feel sad a lot, unmotivated, and I often can't stop crying for many hours. But I sleep and eat decently and I also can smile or laugh sometimes. Am I depressed or just sad?

You don't have to have all of the symptoms of depression in order to be diagnosed with it. Feeling sad, lack of motivation, and crying are some of the major signs of depression. But many people have depression and are able to smile and laugh. It is important to check with your doctor if you are concerned you may have depression.

Author and public speaker Andrew Solomon describes the differences between sadness and depression very accurately in my opinion. He talks of grief, sadness, and depression, and the differences between these three similar feelings. If you have suffered some catastrophic loss (the death of a loved one, the death of a pet, a breakup, moving to another town, etc.) and you feel deeply sad about it, that feeling is grief. If, after a few months, you are still saddened by your loss, but you can still function in normal day-to-day life and still feel happy at times, then you are typically not depressed, and your grief will ultimately resolve itself given enough time. On the other hand, if after a few months of your loss, you are overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness, despair, and crippling sadness--so much so that it feels like a struggle just to get through your days--then you are probably experiencing depression that was triggered by your catastrophic loss. I really like this way of thinking that Andrew Solomon presents. It is totally normal to be sad, unmotivated, and alone sometimes. Even crying for long periods of time is normal--often this just means that you're a sensitive person with a big heart. But if such sadness is affecting you in such a way as to negatively impact all aspects of your life, then your sadness may be depression. I understand how hard it can be to distinguish the differences between sadness and depression. In everyday language, we tend to use the word "depressed" to describe both a boy that didn't get the toy he wanted on his birthday, and a girl moments before she takes her own life. Granted, these two feelings are related in a way, but they are related rather distantly. It's comparable to the difference between a house with an iron fence that occasionally gathers some rust that the owner has to polish away every now and then, and a house with an iron fence that is left to completely rust over the duration of many decades, such that the fence looks almost nothing like it once was.

If you're generally running on low-energy levels, cannot feel enthusiasm for tasks/hobbies that you would generally enjoy and can't remember the last time you were truly happy or content then you might have depression. You probably should to ask a professional who can know more about your everyday behavior about your symptoms to give you a better answer. I've heard about a term called 'walking depression' which has the symptoms you are portraying. Depression can come in any form and for any reason or length of time. You may have only have mild depression but you can and should treat it. Sites like these also help a lot in that respect.

Being depressed doesn't always mean that you can't feel good sometimes or have a heavy influence on sleeping and eating. These are just symptoms. You might eat more when you're depressed or not eat at all. You might sleep even more than you used to when you're depressed or you might turn into an insomniac. What your description is (sad, unmotivated and crying) can definitely be depression and probably is. Depression may or may not cause any change in your diet or sleeping habits. In fact. some people can be internally depressed while following their normal cycle everyday, so it's more of what happens on the inside than outside.

You have either depression, or bipolar depression. If you need someone to talk to, send me a personalized request! I'd love to help you.

It really doesn't matter if you call it depression or not. What matters is if it is a problem in your life. Do you struggle most days? Is it imparing your everyday life? Than you have a problem. We can't diagnose you trough the computer but if it is imparing your everyday life and/or you have it most days and it's troubling you. Than you should seek help. What it's called doesn't really matter but depression isn't excluded

I'd say you're depressed, but you shouldn't take an opinion from me, you should go to a doctor. Depression has different symptoms for everyone. Yours may be mild, but it still looks like it's there.

It depends. If you've been feeling this way for a long time (More than a week) and it isn't in result to a tragic event, you're depressed. If you are sad over a breakup. death, or other uncomfortable change, you're sad. Many depressed people can't seem to find out why they're sad. There's usually no reason...just a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression is a disease, sadness is a feeling.

Depression comes in many forms and change from time to time - its difficult to say you are a depressed or sad without a professional's opinion. You can depressed and still feel joy at times. Everyone has their own unique experiences of depression

You can sleep and laugh you are happy just don't make your brain feel that you are sad thats what i see just try to feel the happiness it will come for you