Most people describe sadness as feeling empty. We have all lived it - it’s so common, in fact, that it can be hard to describe in words. But the let down that is often paired with a punch-in-the-gut sensation or tears (or both) is universally human.
With depression, feelings of lingering sadness or emptiness are compounded by physical symptoms. This can go in a downward direction - like low energy, low appetite, or low motivation - or depression can manifest as doing more of something, too, like over-spending or over-eating.
When we experience difficult feelings - anger, fear, stress, worry, loneliness, sadness, and so on - it really helps to have trusted adults to speak to. Those trusted adults have the life experiences and the access to resources kids and teens don’t.
