Stressed Or Depressed Know The Difference
If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress, you are not alone it’s practically a fact of life on college campuses. A poll conducted by mtvU and the Associated Press in the spring of 2009 reported that 85% of students say they experience stress on a daily basis.
Stress is good if it motivates you but it’s bad if it wears you down. Many factors can contribute to the stress you experience, and this stress can cause changes in your body that affect your overall physical, mental, and emotional health.
Depression is more serious and long-lasting than stress, and requires a different kind of help. In a 2010 survey by the American College Health Association, 28% of college students reported feeling so depressed at some point they had trouble functioning, and 8% sought treatment for depression.
The good news is that depression is a highly treatable condition. However, it’s not something you can snap out of by yourself, so it’s important to get help. How do you tell the difference between stress and depression? Both can affect you in similar ways, but there are key differences. Symptoms of depression can be much more intense. They last at least two weeks. Depression causes powerful mood changes, such as painful sadness and despair. You may feel exhausted and unable to act.
Here are common signs of stress and depression. Which fits you best?
Why Is Dealing With Depression So Difficult
Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to take the steps that will help you to feel better. Sometimes, just thinking about the things you should do to feel better, like exercising or spending time with friends, can seem exhausting or impossible to put into action.
Its the Catch-22 of depression recovery: The things that help the most are the things that are the most difficult to do. There is a big difference, however, between something thats difficult and something thats impossible. While recovering from depression isnt quick or easy, you do have more control than you realizeeven if your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent. The key is to start small and build from there. You may not have much energy, but by drawing on all your reserves, you should have enough to take a walk around the block or pick up the phone to call a loved one, for example.
Taking the first step is always the hardest. But going for a walk or getting up and dancing to your favorite music, for example, is something you can do right now. And it can substantially boost your mood and energy for several hourslong enough to put a second recovery step into action, such as preparing a mood-boosting meal or arranging to meet an old friend. By taking the following small but positive steps day by day, youll soon lift the heavy fog of depression and find yourself feeling happier, healthier, and more hopeful again.
Can’t Pinpoint Why You’re Sad Try Writing
Sometimes it’s easy to pinpoint the reason you feel upsetsay, if you just can’t get over your ex, you bombed your big work presentation, or you had a major fight with your partner. But, at other times, you may be sad for no discernible reason. When this is the case, grab a pen and a piece of paper and write without stopping for five minutes or longer, suggests life coach Sunny Joy McMillan. Not only may you naturally uncover what’s causing your sadness, but just the act of writing may help you start to feel better, something that’s backed by numerous studies. Alternatively, you could also try keeping a journal, taking a yoga class, or meditatingall of which are great ways to focus on your inner self.
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How To Overcome Depression
This article was co-authored by Ira Israel. Ira Israel is a Licensed Counselor and Psychotherapist who has been in private practice for over 14 years. He specializes in teaching others about happiness and authenticity. Ira teaches sold-out Happiness and Authenticity workshops at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center and has written over 400 articles on psychology, philosophy, Buddhism, yoga, film, art, music & literature for The Huffington Post, Good Men Project, Mind Body Green, Thrive Global, and Medium. Ira is also the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That Youre an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening. He attended The University of Pennsylvania and has graduate degrees in Psychology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 18 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 653,520 times.
Find Something To Look Forward To
This is a technique I routinely use as an anti-blues vaccination. When Im down I search for something to put on the calendar that makes me happy and excited. Indeed, this 2007 study showed that people get an emotional lift when they contemplate a future fun event, versus looking back on a fabulous activity from the past. Book a trip, buy concert tickets, plan a partywhatever brings a flush to your cheeks and a rumble of joy to your belly.
My biggest mood turnarounds arise when I begin a project that can potentially create some good in the world and lead to fulfilling connections. For example, Ive volunteered as a mentor to underserved young women who want to write, sought publishing contracts to write a book, taught workshops, submitted a video to do a TedX talk . The point is: stop continually telling yourself nothing good will ever again happenyouve been there, seen that, done that.
The Upshot: Depression is a diagnosable and treatable condition. Thereâs no reason to suffer in silence or to guess whether or not what youâre feeling qualifies as depression. Your primary care physician can help direct you to someone who specializes in mental health. In the meantime, hereâs a guide to the s and a quick assessment . You can also download one of these for more information.
*Names of patients are changed
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Coping Mechanisms To Stop Being Angry And Depressed
The activities I mentioned above are in essence what are called Coping Mechanisms. These are activities you do that make you feel better when you are sad, hurt, depressed. Think for a second. What is one thing that makes you feel better instantly? This can be a great coping mechanism. However, there are activities you use to cope with feelings of depression and such that cause negative effects to you. These are not good coping mechanisms. Examples include alcohol, drugs, sex with strangers, and the like. They make you feel like crap the next day.
Now, I know that there are things that make us feel better, but we hate doing them, or we just dont see the point in doing such stuff. Just remember that it is a good idea to do those healthy coping mechanisms, because they will make you feel better and also after you do them, you wont regret it. That is what I will be covering in this section. Here they are:
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Psychological Depression Symptoms Include:
- doing poorly at work
- difficulties with your family or home life
It’s not always possible to tell that you’re having symptoms of depression right away it can start and progress gradually. A lot of people don’t realise they’re ill and try to carry on and cope with their symptoms. Sometimes it takes a friend or family member to notice that there’s a problem.
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Take A Test To See How You Feel
If youre unsure about the way you feel, take our anonymous online test to check whether your levels of stress, anxiety, or depression are within a healthy range, and see if one of our online programs could help.
What causes depression?
No one knows exactly what causes depression. Genetic factors are important in many cases of depression, where depression seems to run in families , and about 30% of the vulnerability for depression is due to genetic influences.
Stressful life events also play a part in depression. Ongoing conflicts with others can take their toll on our wellbeing, as can other social and environmental stressors such as financial difficulties, retirement, unemployment, childbirth, loneliness, or loss of someone or something important. In vulnerable people, these stressful life events may be enough to cause or worsen depression.
Personality styleis another important factor. When people are depressed, they usually have a very negative view of themselves and the world. They do not appreciate good things, and bad things seem overwhelming. Some people have a tendency to view themselves and the world this way even when they are not depressed. In other words, they may have a depressive personality style.
How can I deal with depression?
Psychoeducation is also important when learning to manage your depression.
Take a look below to find out more about each option:
ECT is an effective form of treatment for depression, especially if:
What is CBT?
Write A Daily Gratitude List
When youre feeling lonely and depressed, you may find that you focus more on the negatives in life, which can leave you feeling even worse. One thing that you can do to change this is to write out a daily gratitude list, where you put down five things that youre grateful for or happy about each day.
Giving yourself the time to focus on these positives will help you to become more aware of the good things you have and overtime, can help you to pay more attention to these positives as you go about your daily life.
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Depression Runs In My Familycan I Avoid It
A family history of depression raises the risk of the disorder, but it does not make it inevitable or even likely. There are many steps that can be taken to minimize the risk or avoid depression. In most cases it isnt clear exactly what it is thats transmitted in a family that creates susceptibility. Yes, there may be patterns of genes that lower the threshold for disorder, but families also tend to transmit to their children many mental habits that later influence susceptibility to difficulty. For example, the adults may have pessimistic thinking styles and fatalistic beliefs that get transmitted with every explanation they provide they may have a positive or negative orientation to the future, or they may have difficulty mounting an effective approach to problem-solving. So too, there might be habits of handling emotions, especially negative feelings, that could pose problems later on in life, especially in the face of difficult experiences. Of the many traits that families pass on, many can be examined and modified as needed.
Reach Out To Your Peopleespecially If You’re Feeling Lonely
Having a support network is key, especially if youre going through a difficult timeso consider this permission to invite your girlfriends over for even more wine and cheese .
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Need some help expanding your social circle? “Do things outside the home that include other people, says Borten. For example, pick something that generally interests you, like a book club. Youll be surprised how quickly a community forms. And while its great to have friends IRL, even an online community can offer kindness and accountability. Try searching Facebook for groups that may be able to offer supportfor example, a bereavement/grieving support group. Or, search groups by interests to find like-minded people who can lift your spirits with a common passion. Just make sure the online group is a loving place, involving people with a common goal, says Borten.
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To Release Sad Emotions Don’t Overlook The Value In A Good Cry
Alternatively, you could also try “crashing,” which is something Levin does when she’s sad. I put on music or movies or shows that I know will help me cry and have a release, she says.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, Levin is actually on to something. “Only humans exhibit emotional crying,” says Dr. Matt Bellace, PhD, psychologist, and self-help . And not to get too science-y but Bellace says a biochemical analysis of tears found that the droplets contain an endorphin named leucine-enkephalin, which is known to reduce pain and improve mood. Plus, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, crying isassociated with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous systemwhich stimulates a relaxation responsemeaning it may have a self-soothing effect on people. Equally important: The same study found that “criers most likely report mood improvement if they receive comfort from others,” so it may be helpful to let it out in front of a close friend or family member.
When Should I Get Support For Loneliness
If your feelings of loneliness and isolation are leading to severe symptoms of depression, the extent that it is inhibiting your ability to live your life normally, then it might be time to consider reaching out for professional help.
Seeking specialist support for the difficulties you’re having is not a sign of weakness. There are plenty of options out there for you. Your first port of call might be to speak to your local GP, you can recommend treatments or next steps.
As an alternative, Priory offers outpatient, inpatient and day care treatment for depression, as well as online therapy via Priory Connect. We will work closely with you to decide on the right direction for your recovery. Use the details below to get in touch with a mental health professional today and being your journey to overcoming loneliness.
For more on how Priory can help put you on the path to recovery from difficulties with your mental health, call 0800 840 3219 or get in touch via email and our compassionate team will be in touch.
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Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a condition that occurs in children and youth ages 6 to 18. It involves a chronic and severe irritability resulting in severe and frequent temper outbursts. The temper outbursts can be verbal or can involve behavior such as physical aggression toward people or property. These outbursts are significantly out of proportion to the situation and are not consistent with the childs developmental age. They must occur frequently and typically in response to frustration. In between the outbursts, the childs mood is persistently irritable or angry most of the day, nearly every day. This mood is noticeable by others, such as parents, teachers, and peers.
In order for a diagnosis of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder to be made, symptoms must be present for at least one year in at least two settings and the condition must begin before age 10. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is much more common in males than females. It may occur along with other disorders, including major depressive, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, anxiety, and conduct disorders.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder can have a significant impact on the childs ability to function and a significant impact on the family. Chronic, severe irritability and temper outbursts can disrupt family life, make it difficult for the child/youth to make or keep friendships, and cause difficulties at school.
Treatment typically involves and/or medications.
Seeking Help For Depression
Get help if you’re still feeling down or depressed after a couple of weeks.
Treatments for depression include psychological therapies and antidepressants.
You can refer yourself for psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy or counselling on the NHS. You don’t need a referral from your GP.
You can talk it through with your GP first if you prefer. Your GP can also tell you about antidepressants.
If you start to feel that your life isn’t worth living or about harming yourself, get help straight away.
You can:
- contact Samaritans on 116 123 for 24-hour confidential, non-judgemental emotional support
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Getting Out Of A Funk: How To Help Yourself Through Depression
Everyone has off days where they feel tired, irritable, and sad. Its normal to feel sadness as a response to challenging life events, loss, or changes, but sometimes these feelings can stick around for a while if left unaddressed and make it difficult for you to get through each day.
Heres how you can tell when youre in a funk or maybe even experiencing a mild depression as well as what you can do to help yourself feel better.
Volunteering Can Be A Great Way To Do Both
Knock out a few birds with one stone spending time with other people and doing something new by volunteering and giving your time to someone or something else.
You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more.
Bonus: People who volunteer experience physical benefits, too. This includes a
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Improve Your Eating Habits
Research continues to find clear links between diet and mental health. In fact, there have been so many studies that have shown improving nutrition can prevent and treat mental illness that nutritional psychiatry is becoming mainstream.
There are many brain-essential nutrients that can affect depression. For example, a 2012 study found that zinc deficiency is associated with symptoms of depression.
Improving your diet could be key to reducing your symptoms.
But before you make any major changes to your diet or begin taking vitamins or supplements, talk with your physician.