Feeling of sadness

Psychologists say that normally people have only 6 basic emotions, which are happiness, anger, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust. What is sadness? Sadness is characterized by a low mood or feeling down, often in response to something that was disappointing or discouraging, or caused other negative feelings.

Sadness is associated with increased activity of the right occipital lobe, the left insula, the left thalamus the amygdala and the hippocampus. The hippocampus is strongly linked with memory, and it makes sense that awareness of certain memories is associated with feeling sad.

Sadness can happen on its own, but is usually relieved by the passage of time, self-care activities, or doing something the patient enjoy to cheer himself up.

The 5 Stages of Grief is a theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. It suggests that we go through five distinct stages after the loss of a loved one. These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, and author of the internationally best-selling book, On Death and Dying (1969).

Along with the emotional baggage it carries, extreme sadness can cause distinctive physical sensations in the chest: tight muscles, a pounding heart, rapid breathing, and even a churning stomach. Severe sadness and stress, such as grief, can even lead to an elevated risk of heart attack. And aside from these acute symptoms, depression is known to exacerbate overall chronic pain.
Feeling of sadness

Emotional signs of stress

Stress can be defined as a real or interpreted threat to an organism in a biological or a psychological sense. It results in physiological or behavioral responses When faced with a threat, whether to body physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response.

The specific signs and symptoms of stress vary widely from person to person. Some people primarily experience physical symptoms, such as low back pain, stomach problems, and skin outbreaks. In others, the stress pattern centers on emotional symptoms, such as crying or hypersensitivity.

Emotional signs of stress
• Fear
• Depression or general unhappiness
• Anxiety and agitation
• Hopelessness
• Helplessness
• Moodiness, irritability, or anger
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Impatience
• Nervousness
• Guilt
• Loneliness and isolation
• Other mental or emotional health problems

While awareness about the impact stress can have on emotional and physical health seems to be present, many Americans continue to report symptoms of stress: Americans report irritability or anger (42 percent); fatigue (37 percent); lack of interest, motivation or energy (35 percent); headaches (32 percent); and upset stomachs (24 percent) due to stress. A smaller percentage report having a change in appetite (17 percent) and sex drive (11 percent).
Emotional signs of stress