What is the difference between Stress and Depression?

Stress and depression affect negatively to most people. But even though they may sound the same, they are much different from one another. Stress is commonly felt by people who are overwhelmed by how fast things happening to them. It is usually normal to feel stress when creating a thesis paper or even entering a messy room.

This can be good if you feel to change things that stress you out (start doing the thesis paper and tidying up the room) but can also be bad if it starts to wear you down. This can lead to depression, which is a more severe case than stress. A person suffering from depression feels hopeless in everything he or she does. That is why it is essential to manage stress as early as possible and seek help when you feel that you are depressed.

Stress is a psychological response of a human to pressure. Stress can be triggered by internal and external factors. It is a mechanism the body adopt to protect a person from threatening situation. Stress is normal and is essential for survival in specific situations.

Depression, also called “Major Depressive Disorder”, “Depressive Disorder” or “Clinical Depression” is a common mental disorder which features such as persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy. It is often accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities for at least 2 weeks.

There are many differences between stress and depression. We are currently living in a world that is mounting unnecessary pressure on people. A lot of things we do daily for those things we are struggling to get will definitely demand some things from us in return. Those things are what is accumulating into stress, and it will get to a stage where it becomes depression.

Stress is good when it is yielding good results, because nothing comes so easily, but it can be a bad thing, when it is turning into a mental, physical and emotional problem. Depression, on the other hand, is more serious than stress. It is usually a long term problem which can result to a very terrible condition if not properly treated. The difference between depression and stress can be discussed further using their symptoms. Depression will cause a serious change in behavior, a person suffering from depression might be seen withdrawing from people, depression can also lead people into committing suicide. Whereas, stress does not really have serious symptoms. At times, a little rest will take the stress away.

The main difference between stress and depression is that pressure can be a symptom of depression, and both may also occur separately from each other when they are an absence of depression or vice versa. Stress occurs because of a constant feeling of pressure, or it is a feeling of being unsettled. It comes out as a fight or flight feeling, which can make someone incredibly frazzled and uneasy.

Depression, on the other hand, is a sense of constant sadness that may continue to linger or perpetuate until it is appropriately addressed. Depression may become something that needs to be treated, whereas stress without the presence of another diagnosis can be eradicated with a matter of hours or days. It all depends upon the person and how long the condition lasts