Difference Between Depression & Moodiness

Being clinically depressed is not the same as feeling down for a little while. It can be easy to confuse the two, especially since people use the term "depression" to describe both clinical depression and simple moodiness.

Common Symptoms

• Some symptoms of depression and moodiness are similar. If you are depressed or moody, you might feel sad or irritable. You may cry at the drop of a hat or snap at people for no good reason.

Clinical Depression

• If you are depressed, you may have very low energy. Sleep disturbances are common, either insomnia and sleeping much more than usual; you may also experience appetite changes followed by unintentional weight loss or gain. Clinical depression is marked by a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, from hobbies to sex. Unexplained physical pain is common. You may feel as if your life isn't worth anything, which can lead you to think about dying.

Onset and Duration

• Moodiness is often dependent on circumstances. It's normal to feel down when negative things happen to you. Depression may strike for no reason or may occur after a major life trauma. While moodiness comes and goes, depression lasts at least two weeks.

Effects

• If you're just moody, you can still do all the things you did before. Depression can rob you of your ability to care for yourself or your children and seriously hinder work and personal relationships. It can therefore lead to serious negative consequences such as divorce or job loss. Untreated depression can even lead to suicide.

Treatment

• Treatment is not usually necessary for moodiness. Depression can be treated with talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both.