No one feels good all the time. But, depressed people’s joy is significantly compromised. There is a sense of emotional unease even when life is going well. They don’t necessarily express sadness. Instead, their emotions may externalize as anger, pessimism, or apathy.
Depressed people often have a short range of emotions. For example, if happiness is a 1–10 continuum, their feelings may range from four to six no matter how life is going. Getting promoted may take them to a six, and getting stood up may take them to a 4. They may never experience extreme sadness or happiness. Consequently, they may not even realize they are depressed.