Good Grief! Signs Sadness May Be Turning into Depression

Sadness that stems from grief can seem like symptoms of major depression, when it fact, it is something quite different, and these similarities can create quite the dilemma for various health professionals. But at what point does sadness cross over into depression?

In its criteria for depression, the previous version of the mental health manual, the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), gave many grieving a two-month pass on being diagnosed with depression.

According to Live Science, both forms of sadness can be experienced with a loss of interest or pleasure in the activities they normally enjoy, as well as changes in sleeping patterns, difficulty concentrating, fatigue and other symptoms.

Someone who is grieving typically focuses his or her thoughts on the person who has passed away and experiences waves of pain rather than the constant pain typical of depression. Research also indicates that in most cases the depression-mimicking symptoms associated with grief tend to lessen over time with the help of family and friends.  

"When there wasn't effective medication available for depression, I think people had a higher tolerance for grief," said Robin Rosenberg, a clinical psychologist and co-author of "Abnormal Psychology" (Worth Publishers, 2009). "But because there is medication available, some people feel that because we can do something that potentially alleviates the suffering associated with grief, we should."

Rosenberg points out that those in favor or removing the two-month "pass," otherwise known as the bereavement exclusion, can argue that allowing the diagnosis of depression among those in mourning could prevent or reduce suffering. Those on the other side worry about an over-diagnosis of depression and unnecessary prescriptions, as well as a reduced tolerance for grief as a natural process, Rosenberg said.  

Being diagnosed with a major depressive disorder has many repercussions and can affect how those diagnosed view themselves and their risk of subsequent depressive episodes, she added.