Any psychological disorder can be analyzed by looking at its component parts and symptoms, and depression is no exception. In your case, two of the phenomena that most characterize it are lack of motivation and sadness, which are reflected in virtually all areas of life of those who develop depression.

The aim of this article is to help you recognise how depression expresses itself through demotivation and sadness , and how you intervene in therapy to reduce their strength.

The characteristics of depression

Depression is one of the mental disorders that most affect the population in Western countries , and it is estimated that in these nations the percentage of people who will develop it at some point in their lives is between 8 and 15%.

Unfortunately, however, many of these cases go undiagnosed, and some even fail to see mental health professionals because they cannot tell the difference between simple emotional distress and depression.

The truth is that the difficulties in correctly identifying emotions and feelings create problems with any mood disorder, and in the case of depression this psychological state is often “labelled” as simply sadness and lack of motivation. Although it is true that in a summarized way these two terms can cover a good part of the effects of this disorder, it must be understood that depression is more than that.

De-motivation and sadness as facets of depression

Let’s start by looking at how we can distinguish between simple demotivation and sadness and their “versions” in depression.

Sadness

Sadness that is not associated with a psychological disorder is a state of mind that is usually difficult to objectify, but which is usually expressed in a review of ideas of why the present is unfavorable to one and says negative things about oneself , as well as in a melancholy fixation on past moments that are considered better than the here and now.

This is a psychological state in which guilt and regret are very frequent and in which emotionally painful comparisons generally predominate: comparisons between oneself and others, between past and present, between past and (supposed) future, etc.

On the other hand, most people are able to identify the reason or reasons why they are sad : a bad result in an exam, a love break-up, the death of a loved one, the longing for a happy childhood that contrasts greatly with the present, etc.

In addition, sadness often goes hand in hand with crying and a feeling of strong fatigue, of being “out of it”, which leads to giving up on improving the situation, something that distinguishes it from other forms of negative emotionality such as anxiety. In any case, in the vast majority of cases the sadness fades away within a few days or weeks.

The sadness that comes with depression disorder has some differences that are worth knowing. First, it is longer and more consistent over time. It’s true that a person with depression doesn’t usually stay in exactly the same emotional state for several months, but overall it remains significantly low during this time . On the other hand, although one doesn’t always cry frequently, negative thoughts about the present and future are common, and a feeling of hopelessness arises, that nothing will change for the better.

De-motivation

De-motivation is often understood as a lack of willingness to participate in activities, and the inability to get excited about projects that should be important to the person. This psychological state translates into procrastination (the tendency to put off responsibilities that need to be attended to as soon as possible), frustration at not knowing what to do, and a passive attitude, so that it is others who have to take the initiative.

In depression, demotivation is more than just a lack of interest . In many cases, it consists of a real inability to feel pleasure and even anticipatory pleasure, and it is also very common to experience intense psychological fatigue. In this state, the person can only aspire to carry out the most important activities, and sometimes not even those: it is common to fall into hygiene problems, social relations with friends and often with the family are weakened, etc.

In turn, this lifestyle encourages feelings of sadness and hopelessness , so that the problem feeds itself… unless you decide to fight depression by going to the root of the disorder.

What do you do in therapy when faced with this low mood?

Psychology professionals are trained to train patients with depression in habits and thought patterns that weaken this mood disorder . The aim is to help them to generate situations by themselves that are capable of breaking the vicious circle of demotivation and negative thoughts, in order to gain autonomy and be able to experience happiness again. Moreover, all this without the side effects of drug treatments.

As an adult psychologist, I know that even though the feelings and emotions that cause a person with depression to suffer are unique and untransferable, that doesn’t prevent you from overcoming that state of mind through scientifically proven and effective methods. That process involves looking beyond the labels we popularly use to “sum up” emotions.

Bibliographic references:

  • Belloch, A.; Sandín, B. and Ramos, F. (2010). Manual of Psychopathology. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.
  • by Zwart PL, Jeronimus BF, by Jonge P, et al. (October 2019). Empirical evidence for definitions of episode, remission, recovery, relapse and recurrence in depression: a systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 28 (5): 544–562.
  • National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. Depression. (2009). The treatment and management of depression in adults (updated edition). National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 90. London: British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists.
  • World Health Organization. ICD 10. (1992). Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Mental and Behavioral Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Madrid: Meditor.