Being sad sometimes is a normal, natural human emotion. We’ve all experienced it and we will again someday. Sadness is usually triggered by a difficult, hurtful, challenging, or disappointing event, experience or situation. This means we tend to feel upset about specific things. It also means that we will get over the bad grade, or the argument with our parents, and the sadness will eventually go away.

While being sad sometimes is normal, being sad all the time is not. There is a condition called depression where people are sad all the time. Depression is an abnormal state, a mental illness that affects our thinking, emotions, perceptions, and behaviors in pervasive and chronic ways. When we’re depressed, we feel sad, but it does not necessarily take a difficult event, situation, loss, or change to trigger the emotion. 

Depression makes everything less enjoyable, less interesting, less important, less lovable and less worthwhile. When you’re depressed, you don’t have the energy to do anything, and it makes it hard to see the good things in life.

If you think that you have depression, it is important to talk to your doctor so it doesn’t get worse. Depression untreated can lead to addiction, self harm, and even suicide. If you really think you are in danger of hurting yourself, you should think about going to the hospital or E.R. They know how to get you the help you need. Another alternative is calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-1255.