Sadness and grief are normal emotions everyone experiences now and then. Depression is different from this. The Center for Disease Control reports that almost 7% of US adults have moderate to severe depression which can manifest itself with feelings of despondency and dejection. When someone is feeling depressed, self-doubt creeps in and swiftly turns to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, dejection, or worthlessness and eventually leads to a lack of motivation to participate in day to day activities. While everyone feels sad now and then, when these feelings continue for days or weeks, professional help can offer resources for helping to lift you out of this cycle.