Are You Depressed?

Understanding the Line Between Low Mood and Clinical Depression - And What To Do About It

We all have days when life feels heavy…when life feels hard. Those days when we lay on the couch, doomscrolling or rewatching episodes of Outlander. Maybe you’re tired all the time. Maybe you’ve lost interest in things you used to enjoy. Maybe you're wondering: Am I depressed?

It's an important question, and one you are not alone in asking. Feeling sad, exhausted, or even hopeless from time to time is a part of being human. On top of that, we live in a fast-paced society, and our persistent technology can disrupt our nervous system, pushing our “fight or flight” mode into overdrive, and impairing our connections with others. Without the benefit of a calm nervous system, our stress hormones ramp up – making joy harder to hang on to, and introducing (or exacerbating) irritability, detachment, and loneliness.

Sometimes, the feelings we experience can be a sign of a medical issue: conditions such as hypothyroidism or anemia, or mental health and substance use disorders, including clinical depression.

It is not always easy to separate the feeling of depression from the experience of a mood disorder. Part of the confusion comes from the way we talk about mental health in everyday language. “I’m depressed” might mean “I’ve had a rough day,” or it might mean “I can’t get out of bed.” The same word, very different experiences. Regardless of the cause, however, the feelings that you are experiencing matter, and they deserve care and attention.

A clinical perspective can help us clarify what a person means when they say, “I’m Depressed”. Today, let’s talk about the difference between the emotional experience of “depression” and the clinical syndrome of depression: a “Major Depressive Episode”.

The Feeling of Depression vs. the Diagnosis

Depression is both a feeling and a formal diagnosis.

When a person says “I feel depressed,” they may be describing an emotional state—what we might call the affective experience. This might show up as:

• Feeling emotionally flat or down for a few days

• Losing motivation temporarily

• Wanting to withdraw from others

• Crying more easily

• Struggling to find joy

• Anger and irritability

• Difficulty focusing

• Feelings of overwhelm

  
  

These states may change or shift when something in our environment or relationships changes. They’re real, they can be painful—and they can also be part of a normal human response to stress, grief, change, or burnout. These feelings can improve with self-care: reaching out to a support person, getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and getting out in nature are all options that might help lift our mood.

When Sadness Becomes Something More

Clinical depression, also known as Major Depressive Episode, is different. It's a DSM medical diagnosis that follows specific criteria. It usually includes some of the feelings above but lasts longer—at least two weeks or more—and affects your ability to function in daily life.

The DSM5 diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode includes:

• Persistent sadness or low mood

• Loss of interest or pleasure in most activities

• Sleep disturbances (too much or too little)

• Appetite or weight changes

• Fatigue or low energy nearly every day

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

• Difficulty concentrating

• Thoughts of death or suicide

• These symptoms typically appear most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or more.

If this list feels familiar, it's okay to reach out. You are not broken - you're carrying something heavy, and you deserve support.

Feeling down doesn't mean you have failed, or that you are a bad person. It means you are human. Our bodies and minds respond to loss, exhaustion, lack of sunlight, nutrient deficiencies, and long-term stress.

If you're grieving a loss or burnt out at work, it's natural to feel disconnected or overwhelmed. These experiences can mimic depression, but they’re rooted in specific, temporary life circumstances.

Physical illness can also mimic depression. And if these states linger or worsen, they can evolve into (or exacerbate) clinical depression. This is why it is important to reach out to a trusted medical professional - if you feel there is a problem, trust yourself, and let them help you sort out what might be happening in your unique situation.

If several of these symptoms are present most of the day, nearly every day, and are getting in the way of your work, relationships, or basic self-care, it’s time to reach out. If you are having thoughts of harm to yourself or someone else, please reach out right away. You're not weak—you're human, and support is available.

A Nursing Perspective: Healing in Pattern and Energy

Have you ever wondered, how do we make sense of what these symptoms are telling me? Here is where I have appreciated my psychiatric nursing lens, to help me make sense of these experiences. I have a particular affinity for – and appreciation of – the nursing theorists who have come before me. Martha Rogers was just such a person. She introduced the Science of Unitary Human Beings: people are whole, dynamic, and unique, and in constant interaction with the environment.

Not only are you an individual, you are a dynamic, energetic being – regardless of your calories burned on a given day. You are in an ongoing dance with the spaces around you, and you are interacting with those spaces on a chemical level as much as on a surface level.

This means that your body changes in ways that are both known and are unknown. And, when you experience body changes…you are not helpless – but you are also not to blame. Your low mood today may reflect a chemical imbalance – sometimes seen in clinical depression -and it may, also, be a response to stress, disconnection, genetic expression, or even a shift in the rhythm of your life.

You are not a machine with broken parts: you are a symphony of energies in movement. Your mood, your thoughts, your sleep, your sense of connection—all these form a pattern, and they are shaped by the patterns that exist in your life. Patterns can shift – they must shift, for healing to begin.

People are often innately aware of the circumstances that are impacting their lives. For example, a person may share how their low mood is connected to their sense of disconnect from family, or from nature. That pattern tells me something—not just about symptoms, but about what may be required for healing. Like Rogers, I believe it is important to see the person, the pattern, and the potential for change.

Self-Reflection Questions

Think about these questions:

• What’s happening in your world right now?

• How is your environment shaping your emotional field?

• What patterns are emerging in your energy, your movement, your relationships?

Labels – diagnosis – can be invaluable to a person. It can help them make sense of their experience. It can also be the start of contemplating a very important question: what am I going to do now?

Many options exist that can help you feel better. Medical interventions, such as medications, are one of those options and can be discussed with a prescribing provider. Reflecting on the patterns in your life can start to hint at additional means to help you on your path of recovery.

So... Am I Depressed?

Only a qualified professional such as a Psychiatrist, or a licensed Psychologist can offer a diagnosis—but you can listen to yourself, to determine how your emotions are affecting your day to day life over time.

Ask:

• How long have I been feeling this way?

• Is it getting in the way of my ability to function?

• Is this part of a larger pattern in my life?

• What helps, even a little?

What Support Might Look Like

If your answers raise concern, there’s no shame in reaching out. You don’t have to be at rock bottom to benefit from support. In Manitoba, there are many places to start – including with your health authority. You can also look at Shared Health’s Mental Health and Wellness Resource Finder: Mental Health Resource Finder - Shared Health

And if what you're feeling is more situational—grief, burnout, exhaustion—that matters too. You’re still worthy of rest, kindness, and care. Who do you have in your circle of support, that can offer you a listening ear?

Functioning doesn’t have to mean “working full-time” or “being cheerful.” It means being able to care for yourself, experience connection, and find moments of purpose. If even small goals feel out of reach — like getting out of bed or brushing your teeth—then it’s important to ask for help.

Even placing your hand on your heart and saying, "I'm feeling low today, and that's okay," can begin to shift your state of being, as you begin to connect and ground to your body's experience.

You Are Not Alone

Whether you’re navigating a rough patch or something deeper, you’re not alone. Your experience is valid. And healing doesn’t always begin with a diagnosis—it often starts with awareness, connection, and compassion.

You don’t have to “prove” you’re sick to get support. Feeling down is reason enough to reach out.

If you live in Manitoba and are unsure where to begin, I offer supportive consultations grounded in psychiatric nursing expertise. My approach integrates evidence-based strategies with a holistic view of healing and recovery.

Support begins with a conversation. Whether you're navigating symptoms or seeking clarity to identify the patterns in your life, you are worthy of care. Sometimes, the first step is simply saying: I’m not okay—and I’d like to understand why.

Mental Health Resource Finder - Shared Health