Sadness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of unhappiness and low mood.
It is considered one of thebasic human emotions.
It is a normal response to situations that are upsetting, painful, or disappointing.
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
Sometimes these feelings can feel more intense, while in other cases they might be fairly mild.
Unlikedepression, which is persistent and longer-lasting, sadness is temporary and transitory.
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
Is Sadness a Feeling or Emotion?
Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor’s appointment.
Sadness is a normal human emotion that often occurs in response to upsetting, painful, or disappointing situations.
This emotion can vary in intensity.
Like other emotions, it is temporary and lessens with time.
Even when you are sad, you may feel okay at times and comforted by those around you.
You might feel better after crying or discussing your feelings with a friend.
It is the transitory nature of sadness that makes it different from depression.
Sadness is an emotion, whereas depression is a mental disorder.
Sometimes feeling depression is not a result of mental illness.
Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor’s appointment.
Causes
There are a number of factors that can play a role in causing depression.
Treatment for Depression
Depression is usually treated usingmedications called antidepressantsor through talk therapy.
Usually, the best treatment plans include both.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive therapy is a popular key in of psychotherapy for depression.
It teaches people to take their negative patterns of thinking and replace them with more positive ones.
This is helpful because our thoughts and what we say to ourselves impacts our mood and motivation.
If we frequently say negative things, we’re creating a mental environment relevant to depression.
Positive thinking, on the other hand, triggers positive emotions.
Finding ways to overcome sadness or depression can get you back to feeling like your normal self.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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Hecht D.The neural basis of optimism and pessimism.Exp Neurobiol.
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