Are you just sad or are you already clinically depressed?

Normal sadness is transient; clinical depression is lingering

I was saddened and shocked when I saw CNN Breaking News announcing that the well-loved Hollywood actor and comedian Robin Williams succumbed to asphyxia as a result of suicide. He was said to have a lingering battle with overwhelming depression and anxiety that led him to seek solace in alcohol. 

This article is intended to show readers that sadness is different from clinical depression and to emphasize that clinical depression is an illness. Its symptoms can be controlled and abated by psychological and medical treatment with the help of a mental health professional.

Below is the differentiation between normal sadness and clinical depression:

NORMAL SADNESS

• Appropriate or natural reaction to a painful life circumstance.

• Transient emotional feeling that passes as a person comes to terms with his or her problems.

• Always with logical reason.

• Easily abated with emotional support from family and friends.

• A person experiencing normal sadness continues to cope with life.

• His or her level of functioning is not affected.

• His or her sleeping and eating patterns are not impaired.

• Daily routines are unaffected.

• There are no suicidal thoughts.

• No loss of energy.

CLINICAL DEPRESSION

• Physical illness with other symptoms aside from an unhappy mood.

• Lingers for weeks, months or even years.

• Not always with logical reason.

• Not easily abated despite an adequate emotional support system.

• A person experiencing clinical depression becomes overwhelmed and hopeless.

• His or her level of functioning is affected.

• His or her sleeping and eating patterns are impaired.

• Daily routines cannot be performed.

• With marked suicidal thoughts.

• With loss of energy.

Researches have shown evidence that suggest that clinical depression may be related to changes in the levels or activity of certain brain chemicals namely: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. These are the three main chemicals associated with mood that carry messages within the brain. In addition, changes with stress hormone levels have also been found in people with clinical depression. Likewise, researches have suggested that behavior can affect  the chemistry of the brain. It is said that long-term stress may cause changes in the brain that can lead to depression. 

A clinically depressed individual will require the help of professionals who can provide both psychological and medical remedies. Psychological treatments (also known as the “talking cure”) help individuals with clinical depression to change negative thinking patterns and improve their coping styles so they are more equipped to tackle their life’s stresses and conflicts. Psychotherapy and other psychological therapies will not only help a depressed person to recover, but can also help prevent the depression from recurring.

Let me mention some types of psychological treatments known to be effective in the treatment of depression: Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Behavior Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT recognizes that a person’s way of thinking (cognition) and acting (behavior) affect the way he or she feels. It also identifies the patterns of thought and behavior that are either making the person more likely to become depressed, or stopping him or her from improving once he or she becomes depressed. CBT puts an emphasis on altering thoughts and behavior by teaching people to think logically about common difficulties, helping them to change their negative thought patterns and reactions into a more realistic, positive and problem-solving approach.

Behavior Therapy focuses exclusively on improving and increasing the level of activity and pleasure in the life of a person suffering from depression. This therapy focuses  on encouraging the person to do activities that are rewarding, pleasant or produce a sense of satisfaction, in order to reverse the patterns of avoidance, withdrawal and inactivity that worsen his or her depression.

Interpersonal Therapy or IPT focuses on problems in personal relationships and the skills required to deal with these problems. This therapy is based on the premise that relationship problems have a big impact on a person experiencing depression, and can even lead to the cause. IPT recognizes patterns in a person’s relationships that make him or her more vulnerable to depression and allows him or her to improve his or her relationships and cope with his or her depression.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is a meditation group activity that teaches a person suffering from depression to focus on the very present moment. It focuses initially on physical sensations (like breathing) that would later be used to focus on feelings and thoughts. MBCT helps a person to stop his or her mind wandering off into thoughts about the future or the past, or trying to avoid unpleasant thoughts and feelings.

There are medicines that can help abate moderate to severe depressive symptoms together with psychological treatments.

If you are clinically depressed or if you have a family member or friend who has the symptoms of depression, consult a mental health professional who will assist and guide the depressed individual recover from the illness, maintain his or her mental well-being, move on from setbacks and prevent a relapse.

If you or anybody you know threatened to commit  suicide or is manifesting suicidal behavior, seek psychiatric help immediately.

(For questions on love, looks and relationships, please e-mail this author at nina.halilijao@gmail.com.)