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?

This reminds me of how I've felt through the past couple years. I cannot make a diagnose, of course, but there is something called "high-functioning depression" which allows you to do things and laugh and smile, while also having depression. I have it, and for a long time I thought I was just sad or overreacting. If possible, talk to a professional that can provide you more guidance about this, especially if you're concerned that you might be depressed. Depression presents itself in many ways, and they're all valid and very real. Feel free to message me if you'd like to chat some more, alright? Much love to you!

I am not a therapist, so it isn't my place to give a diagnosis, but any time feelings of less than normal, or any time we don't feel happy, it is a good idea to consider speaking with a licensed therapist. Sometimes there is more going on than being in a funk, or having a streak of bad luck. When low feelings persist for long periods of time, a therapist can help pull us out and back to feeling like ourselves again. Sometimes that only takes a few conversations, like speaking with a listener on 7 Cups, but being able to receive advice and a proper diagnosis.

In my opinion, you are depressed. Being depressed doesn't mean you're sad all the time. One key point in depression is the lack of interest in activities that you've previously enjoyed. If you feel like that, it's more likely that you are depressed than sad, because we can still do things we enjoy when we're sad. That's how we feel better a lot of the time! Depression often comes with difficulty eating and/or sleeping, but it doesn't always. Depression is classified as a mood disorder because it primarily affects your moods. Crying doesn't have to be an indicator of sadness either! Sometimes we cry because we don't know how else to let out our emotions, because we're overwhelmed, or it happens suddenly with seemingly no reason. These kinds of crying also come with depression. It's more the intensity of your depressed moods that suggest depression, rather than the frequency.

It sounds like you could be both sad and depressed. You might want to consult with a professional about your problems so that you can get medically treated and possibly get some much needed relief from your stressful life style. It can be extremely difficult trying to determine on your own what is really troubling you. Psych doctor can give you a test to determine if you have some depression issues. Once your evaluation and blood has been taking your doctor can determine if you need medication to treat you and to see if you therapy along with your medication.

Though it might be more difficult than it would be otherwise, depressed people can sometimes smile, and laugh, and sleep and eat well. You don't need to show all the symptoms of depression in order to be depressed, although sadness, lack of motivation, and crying are definitely some of the signs of depression. If this persists for over two weeks, then you may have to check with a doctor to see if you have depression. Generally, if these symptoms occur for two weeks or more, you may have major depressive disorder. It depends on the situation, though just in case, you should see the doctor.

I can't say for you personally if it is depression or just saddness; however I can say from my own personal experience that depression can show itself in many different ways. I have times when I can smile and laugh as well but then I have a depressive episode in which during those times I am down, I cry a lot. I am not motivated, I often may even find it hard to do the simple things like get out of bed. These episodes may last for a few days or even weeks but they do lift and I have time to smile again. So to answer your question. Only a professional can say for sure if you are experiencing feelings of depression or just sad.

Not every depression case has to look like a model textbook example. There're overall 9 criteria for major depressive disorder diagnosis in DSM 5. You have to meet just 5 of them to be diagnosed. Those must include either depressive mood or markedly diminished interest or pleasure in daily activities but it’s the only additional requirement. You don't even have to exhibit both depressed mood and diminished interest or pleasure; one of those 2 is more than enough. In addition, virtually every diagnostic criterion listed included expressions like "nearly every day", "most of the day" or "almost all". In other words, yes! You can definitely be depressed while not showing decreased appetite or sleep disturbances. These are just 2 criteria out of 9. The fact you sometimes smile or laugh certainly doesn’t mean you can’t have depression. The thing is most people don’t actually feel 100% depressed, tired unmotivated and down 24/7. The symptoms are sometimes stronger, sometimes milder, just as it goes for any other illness. And even if you didn’t meet all the required criteria from diagnostic manual, you can still be depressed. Your feelings are the most important thing here. Our diagnostic system isn’t based on biology but on observation, which makes it pretty imperfect. If we were able to diagnose depression based on (for instance) a MRI scan, many people may turn out to by depressed even though our current diagnostic system says something different. Finally, it’s important to mention that DSM allows doctors to add acertain specifiers to major depressive disorder diagnosis, including one called “with atypical features”. Having this kind of “atypical depression” means your mood is reactive, i.e. improves in response to positive events. So, in that case you’re generally depressed but still feel much better or even happy when you experience something positive, you can still be officially diagnosed.

I'd say that, if you're often crying for a long amount of time, that you're probably depressed. Having a depression can bring a lot of different symptoms, but you don't have to have all of them to be depressed. Not eating or sleeping enough are indeed symptoms that you may get, but not everybody get them. With that being said, being sad or unmotivated at times is completely normal, especially if something negative has happened in your life. The difference is that a depressed person might take a lot longer to cope with something negative than someone without depression. If however, you feel sad and unmotivated without any particular reason, you should probably ask a professional for help.

Sadness is a normal reaction to a loss, disappointment, problems, or other difficult situations. Feeling sad from time to time is just another part of being human. In these cases, feelings of sadness go away quickly and you can go about your daily life. Depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, the way you understand yourself, and the way you understand and relate to things around you. It can also go by different names, such as clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or major depression. Depression can come up for no reason, and it lasts for a long time. It’s much more than sadness or low mood. People who experience depression may feel worthless or hopeless. They may feel unreasonable guilty. Some people may experience depression as anger or irritability. It may be hard to concentrate or make decisions. Most people lose interest in things that they used to enjoy and may isolate themselves from others. There are also physical signs of depression, such as problems with sleep, appetite and energy and unexplainable aches or pains. Some may experience difficult thoughts about death or ending their life (suicide). Depression lasts longer than two weeks, doesn’t usually go away on its own, and impacts your life. It’s a real illness, and it is very treatable. It’s important to seek help if you’re concerned about depression.

I'm sorry that you're feeling sad. Often it's hard to pick yourself up and feel motivated. But I reckon the best way to do it is by surrounding yourself with things and doing stuff that you love to do. Listening to music, hanging out with your friends/family, and trying to enjoy life. You'll find it's easier to be less sad when you're comforted by other people and they'll be able to support whatever you're going through, and be a more lot happier. And know in your heart that things will get better. Focus on the positives in life, and journey forward into a happier one.