It's okay to feel sad - Better Health Channel

Sadness often occurs at the same time as other feelings, such as anger, stress, guilt, grief, anxiety or hopelessness. Sometimes, the other feeling may be so ... SkiptomaincontentHealthymindHomeHealthymindIt'sokaytofeelsadActionsforthispageListen Print SummaryReadthefullfactsheetSadnessispartoftheupsanddownsoflife.Feelingsadcanpromptyoutomakechoicesthatimproveyourlife.Sadnessisnotdepression.Youcanlearntomanageyoursadness.OnthispageAboutsadnessYoumayfeelsadformanyreasonsSadnesswilleaseSupportingsomeoneelsewhoisfeelingsadSadnessisdifferentfromdepressionRemember…WheretogethelpEveryonefeelssadsometimes,justlikeeveryonecanfeeljoyful,angry,proudandplentyofotheremotions.Inotherwords,everyonehasfeelings,andthosefeelingsarealwayschanging.Sometimeswefeelhappy(suchaswhenwe’rehavingfun)andsometimeswefeelsad(suchaswhenwelosealovedone).Whateverthefeelings,itisrealandpartofliving.Anegativeemotionmayevenhelpyou.Ourworldfocusesonhappinessandtreatsunhappinessasanunnecessaryoruselessfeeling.Butsadnesscanslowyoudown,andmakeyoureallythinkaboutyourlife,yourfeelingsandthepeoplearoundyou.Itcanhelpyoukeepsightofyourrelationshipsanddreams.Inotherwords,beingsaddoesn’tmeanyouarenotcopingwithasituation.Rather,ithelpsyoucometotermswiththatsituationandmoveon.Itisanimportantemotionthatcanhelpyouadapt,accept,focus,persevereandgrow.Andthere’smoregoodnews:youcanlearntomanageyoursadness.AboutsadnessWeusedifferentwordstotalkaboutsadness:agony,anguish,brokenheart,hurt,sorrow,dejection,dismay,homesickness,distress,unhappinessandmore.Alltheseemotionscanoccurinresponsetoanegativeorunexpectedsituations,orlifechanges.Sadnessoftenoccursatthesametimeasotherfeelings,suchasanger,stress,guilt,grief,anxietyorhopelessness.Sometimes,theotherfeelingmaybesostrongthatyoudon’trealiseyouaresad. Sowhatdoessadnessfeellike?Itmaychangehowyoufeelphysically.Perhapsyouhaveastomachacheoraheadache,oryoucan’tsleep.Sadnessmayalsochangehowyoufeelemotionally.Perhapsyouareteary,grumpy,boredorfrustrated,orjustkeentoavoidotherpeople.Butrecognisingyoursadness,andunderstandingthatitisokaytofeelsad,isasignofastablesenseofwellbeing.YoumayfeelsadformanyreasonsLifeisfullofsituationsthatmaymakepeoplefeelsad:havingtroubleathome(forexample,familyfightsordomesticviolence)havingtroubleatschoolorwork,orfeelingpressuretheremovinghomelosingalovedoneorafriendbeingill,orcaringforsomeonewhoisillexperiencingchemicalchangesinyourbody(frompuberty,drugsormedicines)experiencingchangesinyourthoughts(forexample,developinganunhelpfulthinkingstylesuchasbeingself-critical,orlearningnewinformationaboutsubjectssuchaspovertyorterrorism).Whenyoufacethesesituations,youmayhaveunhelpfulornegativethoughtsaboutyoursadness.Andthosethoughtscanmakeyoufeelworse.So,tryadifferentapproach:trytoacknowledgeyoursadnessandthesituationthatpromptedit.Andgiveyourselftimetodealwithanyproblemsandfeelbetter.Youalsomaywanttocallonresourcesthatcouldhelpyou(suchasfriendsandfamily,apsychologist,oranotherhealthprofessional).SadnesswilleaseFeelingbettercaninvolvetakingonestepormany.Itmayhappenquicklyoroveralongtime.Justrememberthatemotionsebbandflow,andyoucanmovethroughsadnesstoamorepositiveemotion.First,acknowledgethatyouarefeelingsad.Sometimessadnessmayfeelmanageable,andacknowledginghowyoufeelisenough–afterall,itwillpassovertime.Sometimesyoumightwanttoactivelydosomethingtohelpmanageyoursadness.Youmaywanttotrysomeofthesetips:Haveconfidencethatthingswillimprove.Youneedtotrustthatyoursadfeelingswilllessenwithtimeandeffort.Behonestwithyourselfandthepeoplearoundyou.Talktosomeonewhomyoutrust.Dothingsthatyouenjoyandthataregoodforyou.Findwaystomakeyourlifemorepleasurable:listentomusic,goforawalk,readabook,callafriend.Istheresomethingyoucandoaboutthecauseofyoursadness?Tackleoneproblematatime.Itdoesn’tmatterifyoustartwiththebiggestorsmallestproblem,justmakealistandbegin.Ifthingsareoutofyourcontrol,talktosomeoneyoutrustaboutyouroptions,ortrytoworkonacceptingthesituationasitis.Thinkaboutwhetheryoursleepandeatingpatternsaregoodforyou.Helpsomeoneelse.Justimprovingsomeoneelse’slife,orbeingpartofacommunity,canliftyourspirits.Findacreativewaytoexpressyoursadness.Writingyourthoughtsinadiary,forexample,mayhelpyoufindanewperspective.Seekhelpfromaprofessional(adoctor,psychologist,orotherhealthprofessional).Youmayneedsupport,adviceorareferraltoaspecialist.Ifaprescribedmedicationmakesyoufeeldown,letyourdoctorknow.Andtalktoyourdoctorbeforetakinganynon-prescribedmedicationsorcomplementaryoralternativemedicines.Keepyourselfsafe.Ifyoufeelatriskofhurtingyourself,letsomeoneknowimmediately.SupportingsomeoneelsewhoisfeelingsadMaybeyouknowsomeoneelsewhoisfeelingsad.Beingsupportiveisn'talwayseasy,becauseit’ssometimeshardtoknowwhysomeoneissadandhowtheyarecoping.Herearefourbasictips:Askthepersoniftheyareokay.Justcheckingshowsyoucare.Listenwithoutjudgingandtrytounderstandwhytheyarefeelingthatway.Ifthepersonisreluctanttoasksomeoneforhelp(suchasaschoolcounsellor,aworkplaceHRrepresentativeoradoctor),youmaybeabletohelpbyofferingtogowiththem,findingthecontactinformationforthemtomakethecall,orevenbyfindingthemsomehelpfulinformationfromatrustedandcrediblesource.Reassurethemthatsadnessisavalidemotion,andcanbeovercome.Formoreideasabouthowtosupportsomeonewhoissad,readthetipsfrombeyondblue.SadnessisdifferentfromdepressionFeelingsaddoesnotmeanyouhavedepression.Butifyourmoodstartstointerruptyourlifeandhowyoufunction,thenyoumayhavebecomedepressed.Keydifferencesbetweensadnessandclinicaldepressionrelatetothecauseforthechangeinmoodandhowlongyouhavefeltthatway,andothersymptomsthatmightbepresent.Ifyourmoodrelatestoarecentevent,suchasarelationshipbreakup,thenyoumaywellbefeelingsadness.Butifthatbreakupwasmonthsago,oryoucanseenoclearreasonforyourchangeinmood,youcouldbedepressed,anditmightbehelpfulforyoutochattoyourGPaboutwhat’scausingyoutofeelthewayyoudo.Let’slookthedifferencesbetweensadnessanddepression.Sadness:ispartoflife’sregularupsanddowns,butitisnotconstantisacommonreactiontoanupsetorsetback,andisusuallynotacauseforworryisinterruptedbytimesoflaughterandcontentmentisanemotionthatcaninvolvenegativethoughtsbutdoesnotusuallyinvolvesuicidalthoughts.Depression:isalongertermfeeling(morethantwoweeks)ofseveresadnessororlossofinterestorpleasureinactivities,andothersymptoms.Thesesymptomsmayincludesleeplessness,lowenergy,concentrationproblems,pessimism,lossofhope,suicidalthoughtsandappetiteissues.hascomplicatedcauses,whichmayinvolvegeneticorbiologicalcomponents.Maybethepersonhasexperiencedatraumaticeventorpsychologicalstresscanleadtosignificantweightchangeorsleepdisruption.ismentallypainfulandcanbelifealtering.beyondbluehasachecklistforworkingoutwhetheryoumighthavedepression.Remember…Everyonefeelssadsometimes.Youcanlearntomanageyoursadness.FeelingsaddoesnotmeanyouareexperiencingdepressionIfyouhavebeenfeelingpersistentlysadformorethantwoweeksoryouhavelostinterestinmostofyourusualactivities,youmightbedepressed.Inthiscase,itisimportanttoseekhelp.WheretogethelpYourGP(Doctor)ConnectwithSANE’sfreecounsellingserviceonlineoron1800187263,between10am-10pmMondaytoFridayAEST/AEDT.SANEForumsarefullofpeoplewhowanttotalktoyouandoffersupport.headspaceTel.1800650890LifelineTel.131114KidsHelpLineTel.1800551800beyondblueTel.1300224636beyondblue’schatserviceandForumsSuicideLineTel.1300651251AustralianPsychologicalSociety–FindapsychologistserviceTel.1800333497(outsideMelbourne)or(03)86623300(inMelbourne)mindTel.1300ATMIND(286463)Beingsadcanbegoodforyou,BodyandSoul.'Insideout':amovieshowsuswhyweneedsadness,Everydayhealth. Isitdepressionorsadness?Learnthesigns,November2016,Healthline. Thispagehasbeenproducedinconsultationwithandapproved by: Thispagehasbeenproducedinconsultationwithandapproved by: GivefeedbackaboutthispageWasthispagehelpful?YesNoViewallhealthymindMoreinformationRelatedinformationAboriginalhealthservices ThefollowingservicesprovidespecialisedhealthcareforAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleinVictoria. Anger-tipstoresolvearguments Therearemanypeopleyoucantalktowhocanhelpyouovercomefeelingsofwantingtolashout. Anxietydisorders Anxietydisordersarecommonmentalhealthproblemsthataffectmanypeople. Assertiveness Itishelpfultoimagineassertivenessasthemiddlegroundbetweenaggressionandpassivity. Bisexuality Bisexualityiswhenapersonfindsmenandwomenphysically,sexuallyoremotionallyattractive. Thispagehasbeenproducedinconsultationwithandapproved by: ContentdisclaimerContentonthiswebsiteisprovidedforinformationpurposesonly.Informationaboutatherapy,service,productortreatmentdoesnotinanywayendorseorsupportsuchtherapy,service,productortreatmentandisnotintendedtoreplaceadvicefromyourdoctororotherregisteredhealthprofessional.Theinformationandmaterialscontainedonthiswebsitearenotintendedtoconstituteacomprehensiveguideconcerningallaspectsofthetherapy,productortreatmentdescribedonthewebsite.Allusersareurgedtoalwaysseekadvicefromaregisteredhealthcareprofessionalfordiagnosisandanswerstotheirmedicalquestionsandtoascertainwhethertheparticulartherapy,service,productortreatmentdescribedonthewebsiteissuitableintheircircumstances.TheStateofVictoriaandtheDepartmentofHealth shallnotbearanyliabilityforreliancebyanyuseronthematerialscontainedonthiswebsite. Reviewedon:20-12-2021