Tausi Insider

Given how we use the words “sadness” and “depression” in everyday life and in pop culture, it can be hard to differentiate one from the other. Even though they might seem similar, they’re not. Experts say it’s like comparing a single star to a constellation. Understanding what separates sadness from depression is important, as it can help people know w hen to seek professional help and prevent needless suffering. Experts who spoke to TausiInsider described sadness as a normal emotional state that all people experience in their lives following a loss, disappointment, or other upsetting events. Depression, on the other hand, is a mental health condition characterized by a persistent sad mood or loss of enjoyment for most of the day and nearly every day for at least two weeks, according to Dr. Kathryn Gordon, a clinical psychologist and author of The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook . One of the biggest differences between sadness and depression is how long the person’s experience persist...

Photo : Mariana Serdynska ( Shutterstock ) The days are getting shorter and with the darker days, some people feel their mood getting darker, too. While some people thrive in the spirit of the cozy season, getting their hygge on , others find themselves feeling sad, withdrawn, or even depressed during the winter months—even children are not immune from the “winter blues.” We spoke with Dr. Hansa Bhargava, chief medical officer at Medscape Education about what to do if your child seems more down than usual this winter. The difference between winter blues, SAD, and depression SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder , is a condition that creates a feeling of depression associated with a season, usually but not always winter. Children can get SAD , but a diagnosis usually comes after symptoms have been occurring seasonally for at least two years. Depression, or Major Depressive Disorder , is another diagnosis, and is a persistent feeling of sadness or despair. Adults and children can al...

Photo : fizkes ( Shutterstock ) Grit, or the drive to persevere despite setbacks, is a favorite subject in the teaching world. It’s not that grit doesn’t exist—we can certainly describe this trait in others, or in ourselves. But there is a popular idea that grit is the most important thing, that it makes all the difference between underachievers and star students. That’s a huge oversimplification, of course. For one thing, we have to ask ourselves what kind of obstacles we’re putting in students’ way that they need so much grit to overcome them. Educators have pointed out that it’s easier to say something is wrong with a student (not enough grit) than to fix the problems they are actually encountering. And even when we look at grit in terms of personal traits, another educator observes that “most people do not persevere at things because they are good at persevering, they persevere because they find things that are worth investing in.” https://www.tausiinsider.com/stockholm...