Many people, including some mental health and medical professionals, have the misconception that grief and depression are synonymous. This misunderstanding has led to some people being diagnosed with depression when they are really exhibiting normal manifestation of grief. While the fifth and latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the "bible" of diagnosing mental disorders, has been criticized for various reasons, it has included a very good description of how grief manifestations and depression can be differentiated. The following table delineates the differences:

Characteristic	Grief	Depression
Predominant Affect	Emptiness and loss	Persistent depressed mood and inability to anticipate happiness or pleasure
Timing	Likely to decrease over time (and with work), occur in waves, and be associated with thoughts or reminders of the deceased	More persistent and not tied to specific thoughts or preoccupations
Emotions	Positive emotions and humor possible	Pervasive unhappiness and misery
Thought content	Preoccupation with thoughts and memories of deceased	Self-critical or pessimistic ruminations
Self-esteem	Generally preserved, any self-derogatory ideation typically involves perceived failings vis-à-vis the deceased	Feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing
Thoughts about death and dying	Generally focused on the deceased and possibly "joining" the deceased	Focused on ending one's own life because of feeling worthless, undeserving of life, and unable to cope with the pain of depression

Depression is a serious mental condition. This description should be used only for informational purposes, and not as medical advice. If you believe you, or someone you know, is possibly exhibiting depression, s/he should be seen and evaluated by a competent medical professional.