PLEASE READ THIS SMALL ARTICLE :) It's that time of year when SAD kicks in and its difficult to find the strength to function.........

Sadness Is not Depression

By Leonard Holmes Updated March 02, 2010

We all feel sad sometimes. Sadness is a normal emotion that can make life more interesting. Much art and poetry is inspired by sadness and melancholy. Sadness almost always accompanies loss. When we say goodbye to a loved one we usually feel sad. The sadness is even deeper if a close relationship has ended or a loved one has died.

Sadness also helps us appreciate happiness. When our mood eventually changes from sadness toward happiness, the sense of contrast adds to the enjoyment of the mood.

Here are some ways to experience normal sadness in a healthy way and to allow this emotion to enrich your life:

Allow yourself to be sad. Denying such feelings may force them underground, where they can do more damage with time. Cry if you feel like it. Notice if you feel relief after the tears stop.

If you are feeling sad, plan a sadness day.Plan a day or evening just to be alone, listen to melancholy music, and to observe your thoughts and feelings. Planning time to be unhappy can be actually feel good. It can help you ultimately move into a more happy mood.

Think about the context of the sad feelings. Are they related to a loss or an unhappy event? It's usually not as simple as discovering the "cause" of the sadness, but it may be possible to understand factors involved.

Sadness can result from a change that you didn't expect, or it can signal the need for a change in your life.Change is usually stressful, but it is necessary for growth.

Know when sadness turns into depression. Get help if this happens rather than getting stuck in it.

(ARTICLE TAKEN FROM mentalhealth.about.com/cs/d... )

HOPE THIS IS USEFUFL

I suffer terribly with it and have done nothing but cry for 2 days pretty much not constant but on and off and I do feel better for the release and glad to have listening ears to help me through it

Caring fluffies and all that jazz

XXXzebXXX

[pip_r]

Hey Zeb,

I'm so sorry you're having a bad time with feeling sad and that you've been crying for the last few days. You show such strength and humour in your posts that the sadness doesn't come through. I know it's hard, but you're stronger than you know and this will pass, I am sure. I think you're needing a number of fluffies yourself at the moment - sunny yellow ones to make you smile.

When I went to have cognitive behavioural therapy we discussed how it is human nature and absolutely normal to feel sad and grieve about the loss of the life I had. We spent a while talking about how to try accepting the sad feelings, but not letting them spiral downwards. It's not always easy, but I have improved significantly and don't get down nearly as much. I struggle with negative thoughts when I'm badly fatigued, but I'm lucky as my OH will tell me 'it's because you're tired' and help break the spiral.

Here for you missy.

Pip xx

[Hidden in reply to pip_r]

Thank you Pip that's a lovely message

I too went through the CBT its difficult to put into words to explain it and I thought the article would be useful as it goes into how to turn sadness around. Its fab that your OH is good with that, its important isn't it?

My OH is usually fab with it but he's more fatigued than me bless him We have to bounce each other to break the spiral but with me having a down time I don't have the energy to bounce. Oh dear Zebedee has lost her boing! LOL if you don't turn it around somehow then it is easier to sink into the 'black hole' as I call it and once in there its hard to get out

Thank you very much for your support hunny and fluffies are surrounding me with an abundance of comfort

[pip_r in reply to Hidden]

If you need, bounce off me xx

[Hidden in reply to pip_r]

What if my spring's broken hang on................... gniob! gniob! gniob!

hmnnn something not quite right here pip

any suggestions?

[pip_r in reply to Hidden]

I'm still trying to pronounce gniob

How about nicking (I mean borrowing) a bed spring. That'll get your boing back xx

[Hidden in reply to pip_r]

hahahah! BOING! thanx pip BOING! and smiling too

xxxx

[pip_r in reply to Hidden]

You can't boing and not smile Goes with the territory xx

[haribo36]

Thank you zeb for that article and iam so sorry to hear that you have had a difficult couple of days.I have suffered with a lot of sadness myself over the years and still do alongside the dreaded depression.I have been in that aweful black hole a few times and it is a scary place to be and extremely difficult to climb put of.I shall be sending you some of my fluffies from my fluffie petting zoo.If you stroke them they will be very therapeutic and iam sure they will help you emmensley.Lots of fluffies and hugs coming your way

[Hidden in reply to haribo36]

you are an angel haribo I trained you as a fluffmeister well

thank you xxxx cuddling them already

xxx

[haribo36]

Yes you have trained me well in the art of fluffie control,and you will be pleased to hear that I got my fluffie exam results back and have received an honours so iam very pleased.I will be framing my certificate and hanging it on the wall tomorrow lol

[Hidden in reply to haribo36]

xxxxx zeb xxxxx thank you for making me smile

[haribo36]

Your welcome!Iam glad that someone appreciates my silliness,always knew that one day it would come in good stead! Hehe

[wildwoman]

hi all, I have had SAD for several years, and to my mind its not the same as having sad feelings. As i understand it, SAD is caused by the body being unable to keep hold of serotonin during the winter months. For me, i`m supposed to get as much daylight into my eyes as possible, and i sometimes use a lightbox. Usually SAD causes antisocial behaviour with a real reluctance to go out anywhere - hibernation - . I think an important point is that SAD typically arrives in september and leaves in march, when, all of a sudden, life seems OK again, apart from the fibro of course. xx p.s i love all your sillinessesxx

[Hidden in reply to wildwoman]

Hi Wildwoman

thank you for your reply

yep, you are very correct and we've been preparing our fibro nests for a little while now I've said for approx. 15yrs that I was born to hibernate through winter.

The idea of the post was merely to show that sadness can be turned around before its get deeper into depression which is associated to SAD as the reduction of serotonin level leads to depression. The article is actually part of a discussion arguing that sadness and depression are not the same thing to which, I personally agree as depression is usually connected to chemical imbalances in the brain.

WE do try our bestest to be silly when we can as laughing is definitely a good medicine

xxxzebxxx

[wildwoman in reply to Hidden]

thanxxx, i didn`t mean to lecture, i just didn`t want folks to feel bad about themselves when it could be an imbalance in brain chemicals. The reason i can`t use your name is because that is the only letter on my laptop that doesn`t work! with love and best wishes and a lorra lorra laughs! xxxxxx

[Hidden in reply to wildwoman]

You weren't lecturing at all wildwoman and I'm chuckling a lot at that!

zeb