Sadness can come slowly or as a huge slap in the face. Types of sadness include grief, unhappiness, regrettable, feeling worthless and useless. People can confuse ordinary misery with clinical depression. The primary difference is the intensity and persistence of symptoms as well as the effects on one’s ability to function in everyday activities. The physiological effects of being sad include decreased metabolism, decreased energy, lower levels of serotonin, and often a vitamin D deficiency in those with depression.
As with all emotions, there are healthy and unhealthy ways of expressing/coping with sadness:
Unhealthy -pretending you’re fine, putting a smile on for others, being ‘strong’, not wanting to cry because it’s considered ‘weak’.
Healthy -allowing the sadness to occur, crying, writing, art, talking to a friend/family/counselor, and positive self-talk.
Positive Self-Talk
How we talk to ourselves has a huge impact on how we perceive the rest of the world. One common symptom of depression is being very negative in our heads. Imagine waking up in the morning and your first few thoughts include “ugh, I have to get up…I have to go to work…I hate my job…today is going to suck.” These are perceptions of your life. You might have your dream job, but when depression hits, the ability to get out of bed becomes the hardest thing you do all day. Challenge these negative thoughts with realistic statements. Really, you get to get up because you are alive. You get to go to work because you have a job and can support yourself. If you really do hate your job, it’s time to change more than your thoughts. Finally, instead of assuming the day will be horrible, focus on the little things that go well. Maybe your coffee tastes just right or you miss the morning rush hour.
Sadness, while not the most enjoyable emotion, is a necessary one. Without sadness, we would not feel the spectrum of other emotions. It may suck in the moment when feeling sad, but as many songwriters, movies, and cliches reiterate, it will not last forever.
“It can’t rain all the time” -from the movie, The Crow
