Am I experiencing depression or grief?
It’s normal to experience sadness, tears, and emotional distress after the death of a loved one. The intensity of grief depends on many factors, including your personality, your family history, circumstances surrounding the death, and how your faith helps you cope with loss.
Grief is a natural response to loss, and it may initially present with symptoms similar to those of depression. However, grief does not require treatment.
Grief is often experienced in waves – sometimes you feel better and other times you may feel sad or overwhelmed. You can try stable or predictable routines and activities in order to maintain a sense of normalcy.
While symptoms of grief and depression can overlap, you don't necessarily have depression if you are grieving for a loved one. The key difference between the two is that grief does not require treatment. It's normal to experience sadness, tears, and emotional distress after the death of a loved one. It's also common for people who are grieving to be preoccupied with thoughts of their loved ones or feel as though they have lost their purpose in life since the death occurred.
At times, your grief may be so intense that it interferes with your ability to function at work or at home or makes it difficult to complete daily tasks such as bathing or preparing meals. When this occurs, consider seeking professional help from a counselor trained in bereavement support groups or individual counseling focused on healthy coping strategies after loss
Depression is a mood disorder that affects people of all ages.
People who are depressed feel sad most of the time, have trouble concentrating, and may lose interest in things they once enjoyed. Depression can make it difficult to complete daily activities like getting out of bed in the morning, going to work, or caring for children. Fortunately, depression is treatable with medication and/or therapy.
If you are unsure if you are experiencing depression or grief, reach out to your primary care physician or a mental health provider for an evaluation. Also ask for help from friends, family members, and clergy members who can support you during this challenging time.
Faith while healing
As a Christian, it's important to remember that God is always with you. And no matter what you're facing, He wants to help you through it. Many people turn to faith for strength in times of tragedy; however, some people feel that their grief could be considered a sin—something they worry could cause them to go against their faith.
If your faith is causing you more stress than comfort during this difficult season in life, speak with a clergy member or Catholic mental health professional about ways to find healing within your Catholic faith.
To manage your sadness with your faith:
Take care of yourself by eating right and getting enough sleep.
Read your favorite Bible verses out loud and meditate on them throughout the day.
Pray for others and ask them to pray for you as well.
Get outside if possible, even if it's just for 5 minutes at a time!
Find something new to learn every day (a new language, a new skill), or take up an old hobby again (like crocheting).
