By | Note: The information in this article is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All images and text presented are for general information purposes only. |
Do you think you are feeling sad for no reason? Well, that might not be the case. The feeling stems from the deniability of negative emotions that you are free to experience, just as the happy ones.
Sadness is a state of mind where you feel sad, disadvantaged, or sorrowful. The feeling can be due to any recent event that has caught your attention or a way for your mind to alert you of something bothering you.
Feeling sad is just as normal as feeling any other emotion. You may be sad that a show you loved has ended or a movie you loved will no longer be available on a streaming platform! There are several ways for you to feel sadness akin to other reactions that you can have.
So, don’t feel alienated if you are sad for ‘no reason.’
Do you relate?
How do I know if it’s not a sign of depression? This common question can come to us the minute we start feeling sad. Especially if you are a working professional, it is common to feel sad for no reason when you are not working in an environment causing burnout.
It is important to know that any mental health issue cannot come and go in a moment. So, to know if you have a mental health issue such as depression, you must first inspect if what you are feeling has been there for a long time or just a short while.
If you or someone you know needs professional consultation, here’s where you can find help:
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or
- TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
- Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you.
Why do I randomly get sad? It is a question that can cause you to worry about the symptoms of depression. Randomly getting sad can be a question that requires a professional’s answer, as there can be various dimensions to your feelings. Differentiating between temporary sadness and persistence is only possible with a mental health professional’s expertise.
Temporary sadness is a feeling we experience, for instance, when a favorite show ends! You are bound to feel that grief of not being able to see your favorite characters again! I can easily count how many times a sadness washed over me! That was when the curtain was brought down on some of the most entertaining shows.
A persistent sadness is surely due to more than just a show. Persistent sadness can be a reaction to something that you are not addressing. This happens when something bothers you for a long time, but you are still stuck on the same feeling.
It is necessary to differentiate between the two as it will help you get the appropriate help. Before we dive into the root of feeling sad, the following are the common reasons you can feel sad, but your rational mind tells you there’s “no reason.”
Causes of Feeling Sad for No Reason
Is it normal to feel sad for no reason? It does not do justice to human nature. When you think there’s no reason to feel sad, your body is showing opposing signs. There’s a high chance you feel this way because of underlying causes.
There are two main reasons why you may feel sad for no reason. One is the hormonal changes, and the other is the lack of sleep.
Hormonal changes
Hormones are proteins, steroids, or peptides in our bodies that help us perform activities. The hormones produced in the body alert the other systems to act accordingly. The hormones can also affect our emotional health, which can lead to different feelings that one experiences.
Menstrual cycle fluctuations
One significant example is fluctuation in the menstrual cycle. Hormones are responsible for the proper physiological functions, such as menstruation. To give you the gist, all the physiological functions are interconnected. In this context, the menstrual cycle is connected to the emotional health.
You may have heard or seen people who menstruate say that they’re PMS-ing. It is not made up! These are actual changes that a menstruating individual undergoes before their period starts.
Thus, you can get sad before and during your menstrual cycle, which makes it no cause for concern. It is something natural that your body is expressing. Thus, stopping it unless it gets too much would only harm your body’s natural process.
Postpartum depression
Another instance of change that can cause profound sadness that requires professional guidance is postpartum depression. If you are a working professional who is joining work immediately after giving birth or even after your maternity leave, then you are highly likely to experience postpartum depression.
Most people think it is made up; some think it only lasts a few days. It can strike up to a year later after giving birth. Thus, it is important and normal to seek professional help if you are a new mother who has been dealing with sadness.
Professional guidance is a non-judgmental way to process your feelings of sadness, resulting in a healthy way to deal with your emotions.
Puberty
Puberty is a natural process of growth and development that comes as a phase between 9-11 years and continues till you are in your teenage years. It is a complex stage in a person’s life, with many emotional and physical changes.
The various aspects of growing up in a society may reach young adults, who may experience sadness. This is also a very sensitive stage in a person’s life as they may develop mental health issues that can have a significant impact on them.
Two aspects of puberty can cause sadness in you. The first one is the changes you notice during this period and a standard you compare yourself with. Hormonal changes in the body can cause several physical changes, such as the appearance of hair on various parts of the body.
In this case, a male pubescent individual may not see an appearance of facial hair, but he notices it on the other guys his age. This may cause them sadness, which can be a ‘prestige issue’ for them, even if it seems trivial to adults.
This connects to the second reason that causes sadness in pubescent individuals – bullying. This cause of sadness in puberty can cause persistent sadness in the person being bullied, which can eventually lead to a mental health issue such as depression.
Lack of sleep
Sleep is an important part of human life as it acts as the system update that occurs overnight on your electronic device. Analogous to your phone performing housekeeping tasks that optimize its performance, sleep helps the body to activate all the housekeeping functions that can optimize our health.
For example, brain function improves with ‘good’ sleep. The body slows down and engages in cell and muscle repair, strengthening your immune system and improving circulation. These are just some of the body’s activities while we sleep.
This dictates the importance of sleep for us. Sleep deprivation is a condition wherein our bodies suffer from a lack of proper sleep. It does not send the sleep-wake cycle for a toss. It also causes many unpleasant changes, some of which can be detrimental.
One such example is sadness. Sleep deprivation can put us in a bad mood, which can cause sadness. Sleeping even less than 7 hours can lead to several health issues. The quickest way to experience persistent sadness is sleep deprivation.
Stress
Stress is one of the biggest thieves of joy! Everyone experiences stress relevant to their work stream or at least age. Someone in school will experience, at least academically, stress from their studies. For adults, especially those working in the corporate sector, stress can find many ways to creep into their lives.
Stress can lead to dysfunction in one’s coping strategy, making us resort to ways that our subconscious mind does not approve of. For example, stress can make us crave junk food, making us sadder than we initially were!
Other common causes of sadness that feel like it’s for no reason are grief and underlying health conditions.
Is there a Difference Between Sadness and Depression?
Despite popular belief, both are quite different. Sadness can be a sign of depression. However, it is not interchangeable with it. Depression is a long-term mental health condition that has several causes. From childhood trauma to the side effects of medications, there are many ways you can experience depression.
The signs of depression are:
– Feeling empty or sad
– You’re feeling helpless or hopeless
– You feel excessively guilty
– Feeling worthless
– Difficulty concentrating
– Having outbursts
Do these signs make it seem like they’re akin to sadness? Well, it’s not true. Sadness and depression are two very different emotions that you may experience. Sadness does not affect the different aspects of your life.
The feelings you have in depression affect your ability to perform activities. On the other hand, sadness is an emotion and not a mental illness.
When to Seek Help
Seeking professional help is essential when you notice the following:
– When you notice the duration of your sadness is longer than a day or two, especially if it lasts a week or more
– You cannot perform everyday activities, which leaves you feeling overwhelmed.
– If you can relate to any of the signs of depression mentioned above.
Seeking professional help is important to know what is causing you distress and how you will handle it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, feeling sad for no reason can turn out to be due to a lot of reasons. Acknowledging the feeling of sadness is the first step to helping yourself when you recognize the signs of depression and work to improve your management of sadness.
When you seek professional help, you are ensured that there is a proper channel through which you are coping with your symptoms. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms seek professional help.
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