Are You Depressed, or Just Sad?
We need to move beyond simple checklists for diagnosing and assessing depression
This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression.
Depression causes confusion and pain. It dulls the mind. It kills thousands of Americans each year through suicide. But it also bleeds into physical ailments, increasing the likelihood of serious accidents or of developing life-threatening conditions like heart disease or dementia. If you have a major illness like diabetes or cancer, depression elevates the likelihood that you’ll succumb to that condition. Depression blurs distinctions between mind and body.
One pervasive, if minor, way that “depression” causes confusion and pain is the contrast between the precise medical definition and the broader, everyday usage.
Maybe you really were depressed when your team lost the playoffs, you didn’t score those Taylor Swift tickets, or your local shop was out of your favorite double chocolate espresso banana chip mocha fudge swirl ice cream. But more likely you were just temporarily upset, disappointed, or irritated. Referring to those feelings as being “depressed” trivializes the pain and significance of clinical depression.
