I'm sorry for the sad news you are getting.  May everything go peacefully and I'm hoping for the best.  You certainly have a valid reason to be sad and depressed.  Take care of you so you can take care of them. This is tough, with both happening at the same time.

co-exist and actually feed each other. Your situation has to be incredibly stressful and you're going to need all the help you can get going forward. You might try talking to your PCP and see what they recommend or seek out a therapist.

It's not an easy situation to watch someone you love die. And after they die is a whole new type of hurt. Make sure you're taking care of you. 

I'm sorry you are having to deal with such sad circumstances with your family.

That being said... a "valid reason" can cause depression.. if you need support from a counselor... or meds.. you should seek it.

And what youre going through is hands down more than a valid reason for your feelings. Just focus your energy on taking care of them and yourself too. Nothing else should matter. 

You can have clinical depression and you can be depressed because life sucks right now.

Clinical depression can occur when everything in your life is wonderful, but you're mentally in a funk that you cannot shake.

I have had seasons where I've been depressed (anxious and in a funk) for legit reasons, but it was situational. I am rarely depressed for no reasonable explanation.

Some people who go through a tough spot in life need counseling and meds for the short term. Both can be very helpful

((hugs)) Im so sorry this is happening - many best wishes to you and your family.

You can have both, just maybe at different times? Mine is all situational. 

With the added stressors of steplife, that just adds to the suck.

Short and sweet.

Sad is event/situation related. Depression is an encompassing state that may or may not have a specific event/situation associated with  it.

Just my layman's thoughts of course.

Mom is in hospice. Check to see if they have family support groups and/or a social worker on staff that you can see. The one we used when DH1 was dying had both. I utilized the support group. My friend's mom used the same hospice and she saw the social worker during and after.

How would you all differentiate between depression and having a valid reason to be sad?
 

Sorry to hear about your loved ones

Not sure I understand your question 

But based on this...."valid" reason to be sad is subjective.
 

Depression is when someone is so sad for x amount of time and it affects multiple areas of their daily living. There are levels to depression from mild dysthymia to moderate to severe depression that's often comorbid with other diagnoses like anxiety.
 

Some of the feelings related to depression are similar to the emotions of grief. 
 

Just allow yourself to process, grieve and heal in the way that is most healthy for you

Always reach out to a trusted professional if your intuition guides you to do so especially if you can't shake the feeling after a while and your work, family, health (mental and physical), hygiene, etc is being impacted 

Just catching up with st and seen this today. I am so sorry you that your mother and sister are so sick and you and your family are going through all of this pain at the same time. It must feel overwhelming - anyone would be feeling huge emotional lows around these circumstances. 

i think the questions that need answering are if you need some extra help and support. Do you have an outlet to express yourself? Do you have ways to recharge yourself? Can you do what you need to do to function and get through the next few months? If you feel that you need extra support or just don't know how you are going to cope  - then seeking help is a great idea, no matter how someone might classify your current mental state. Perhaps that support is social with a support group or professional with a therapist or perhaps it is personal by connecting to others in your family and sharing in your collective pain. Maybe you and your doctor may feel that you need medication to help support you through the next few months/year. That is ok, it is not a black mark on you - it is just a way to help you get through the days while life is at its toughest. 

Of course if you have any thoughts of hurting yourself then you should talk to your doctor about it. I know personally how terrifying a situation that can be and how tough it can be to have that conversation and admit to those thoughts but it is absolutely necessary.