Infinite sadness is more than just the 3rd album by the Smashing Pumpkins. It's one way of describing feeling that you can get when you have severe anxiety. It's this feeling as though there is no happiness in the world - as though joy has been sucked away, and you're left with this feeling as though nothing will ever get better.

Once you’re in the middle of experiencing this deep sadness, it may seem as if you’ll always feel this way and that your mood is out of your control. But what does it really mean to feel this way and, perhaps more importantly, how do you manage it?

Depression After Anxiety Attacks

It is natural to experience sadness. When that sadness is long-lasting and starts to get in the way of your ability to live your life, we might think of it as depression. It can feel as if it’s impossible to experience enthusiasm or energy, instead feeling a heavy sense of low mood. It can happen to anyone with long term anxiety, and some particular experience periods of depression after having gone through anxiety attacks.

We sometimes think of depression and sadness as being the same thing, but not everyone who experiences depression will describe feeling “sad”. Some people experience what could be better described as an absence of happiness. They may feel numb or empty inside, not getting any of the joy they would usually get from life. These are a few of the other lesser-known aspects of depression.

• Mentally Mentally it's hard to have positive thoughts. It may feel as if your mind is skewed to notice the worst sides of things and you may find yourself going over painful memories and experiences. When we’re depressed we tend to doubt ourselves and made negative predictions about the world around us.
• Physically Physically, the world seems to be drained of energy. It can be hard to get aroused emotionally or even sexually. In some cases you may find yourself completely fatigued, but in other cases you may have plenty of energy but little motivation to use that energy.

If you've had the flu you may have some idea of what it's like to feel deeply sad. There are times during the flu where you might forget what it's like to be happy, or forget what it's like to not be sick, because the feeling of illness is so pronounced. You're simply left with this terrible experience that doesn't seem to go away.

Deep sadness can feel similar. It can lock you inside your own thoughts, making it difficult to take a different perspective. In this way, it may seem like you forget what feeling happy is like, and your body feels incapable of it. Even if you manage to laugh (which is often impossible, even watching your favorite TV shows), the laughter almost feels like a reflex, not a positive reaction to what you're seeing or listening to.

And so you may quickly forget what it means to be happy, and what it's like to feel happiness. You're left with a void that may be sad, indifferent, or even just negative without a clear emotion. That's what living with this type of sadness is like.

What Causes It?

Scientists are not clear why some people with anxiety end up experiencing this type of depression. We know that when you have anxiety your neurotransmitter levels tend to drop, which could result in depression. Your brain may also be responding to anxiety like it does to pain or an illness, which also may take away feelings of happiness.

It's even possible that it's a coping mechanism not working properly. Chances are your body finds it easier to be sad than stressed. Stressed is a powerful emotion, and often during periods of infinite sadness you don't feel that much stress so much as you feel simply unhappy. No matter what the cause, it can be trouble.