Differences between Grief and Depression

Some symptoms are normal to grief and are commonly experienced. Some of the same symptoms - but to a greater extent – are also present in depression. Grief and depression are not the same.

Grief	Depression
Loss of energy or feeling tired frequently	Severe exhaustion that is not relieved by rest or sleep
Sleeping too little or too much	Wishing you would never wake up
Troublesome thoughts	Thoughts of death or suicide
An increase or decrease in appetite or weight	Compulsive eating with significant weight gain or severe loss of appetite with significant weight loss
Trouble thinking and remembering	Overwhelming feelings of guilt and worthlessness
Restless feelings and inability to sit still	Loss of interest in people and things one enjoys / Feelings of emptiness
Feeling nervous and edgy	Feeling very anxious and worried; high levels of fear
Tearfulness	Feelings of overwhelming hopelessness or helplessness
Ability to feel pleasure and recognize humor remains	Loss of sense of humor Inability to experience pleasure; emotional numbness
Preoccupation with the loss	Preoccupation with self rather than with loss
Sexual difficulties	Loss of sex drive
Spiritual distress and questioning; anger with God	Feelings of despair and abandonment
Although physical complaints such as headaches, body aches, digestive problems and other health concerns are often part of the grief process, we encourage you to follow up with a physician to rule out other causes.

Additional support is available through Pathways of Hope. Individual and group counseling services are provided at no cost by trained and licensed staff and are available to individuals, families and children. There is no timetable for grief; support services are available through Pathways of Hope at any time.
To contact Pathways of Hope:

• Call 937 258 4991 Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.
• Call 937 256 4490 or 1 800 653 4490 24 hours a day/7 days a week