Depression is something we often relate to sadness. We’ve heard people joke about calling their friend depressed when they’re mildly upset over something. In our daily life, calling a sad friend "depressed" is amusing and funny. Often because people think depression is sadness. But what most people don’t realise is that there is way more to depression than just sadness. Depression is not someone being sad for a few hours; it’s a mental health disorder that makes the victim feel helpless in every way. This is one of the most common and yet one of the most severe illness. Depression is one of the hardest mental illnesses to overcome and yet the most overlooked and joked about. Stop calling your sad friend depressed! World Mental Health Day 2019: What You Should NEVER Tell a Depressed, Suicidal Person.

Depression is a state of mind where you feel empty, and things don’t make sense. A person can have all the luxury in the world, but they can still get depressed. A person with depression often starts to feel like they lack in every field and self-doubt is at an all-time high. You might want them with you, but they don’t feel wanted in any place and situation, no matter how hard we all try to make them feel otherwise.

Sadness vs Depression?

Depression is a heterogeneous disorder in which a number of underlying presentations may share a common phenomenology but have different aetiologies, according to a study by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (UK). In simpler terms, depression is a mental illness that negatively affects how you feel. In its initial stages, it causes sadness and loss of interest in almost every activity. It can affect a person’s thinking and make it difficult for them to function. This can easily be mistaken for being sad or lazy. The symptoms may include loss of interest in everything, including things they have always loved, a shift in appetite, sleeping too less or too much, energy level, concentration, daily behaviour or self-esteem. Suicide is a lingering thought on a depressed person’s mind. A person may lose all hope and interest in everything. It’s worse than what we see, and only the person going through it knows how it really feels. Are You Depressed? How to Tell the Difference Between Sadness and Depression.

Seeing a loved one battling depression can be one of the most painful things ever. You know how wonderful they are, and you see the potential they have, but THEY fail to see it. Every minute you want to grab their shoulders and tell them they’re amazing. But you know that’s not going to help. Their inner demon is way bigger than your words, and he doesn’t let your words get to them. Every day you watch them go farther away from what they are and there's nothing you're able to do. You’ve seen them before they let their depression take over, and this sight of them will make your heart wrench. And no, giving them bogus advice like “just be happy” or “go out and have fun” will not help them. The best thing you can do for your loved one is to be by their side and listen. Be there for them even when they try to push you away. It might be challenging to always stand strong by their side when they’re trying their hardest to push you away, but this hurts less than knowing they’re suffering alone.

Depression can attack anyone, regardless of their age or sex. The biggest difference between sadness and depression is that sadness has a reason. The richest or the poorest can be depressed, and there’s no way to tell. A depressed person is not always gloomy or sad. I repeat, they’re not constantly sad. They can laugh, sing, dance, party and everything else when they’re with friends. Many times people with depression also have anxiety, and this stops them from going out. This leads to them sitting alone with their thoughts, letting their mind linger to the negative thoughts.

According to the World Health Organization, about 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. Severe depression can lead to suicide. About 800,000 people commit suicide every year and suicide is the second most common reason for death in 15-29-year-olds. Depression is the reason many people have lost their family members, their loved ones, and their best buds. If you’re still confused, DEPRESSION DOES NOT EQUAL SADNESS. You’re not funny when you post pictures of your friend looking sad and calling them "depressed", you're just ignorant. Stop calling your sad friend depressed!

(Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2019 05:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).