The Difference Between Depression And Stress And How To Manage It

Illustration of Stress and Depression (Keena Constance / pexels)

JAKARTA - People often think that depression and stress are the same things. In fact, both have differences in terms of both health and handling.

Launching from the SehatQ page, Tuesday, February 9, stress is the body's reaction to real situations that are deemed dangerous. Stress can train you to face challenges. However, if a person cannot handle stress well, he may lose concentration, lose interest in social life, develop various physical illnesses, and lead to depression.

Meanwhile, quoted from Harley Therapy, depression is serious mental health that arises from continuous feelings of sadness without the need for any particular event to trigger it. However, depression is still often underestimated. Many people underestimate a person with depression because they are considered weak, fragile, and have difficulty moving on.

Many people also think that depression cannot affect those who are religious. In fact, depression can affect anyone, it can even be passed down genetically from parent to child.

If the stress will go away as all the problems are resolved or will be relieved by entertainment, depression will last a long time even if a person is on vacation and has everything he needs.

Depression and stress can be treated with proper care. However, before dealing with it, let's first look at the following symptoms of stress and depression.

Symptoms of Depression

1. Feel sad for a long time, sometimes even without any triggers

2. Not enjoying any activities

3. Not hungry at all or otherwise hungry all the time

4. Lack of sleep or too much sleep

5. Losing enthusiasm in activities

6. The feeling of failure and loss of passion for the future

7. Dizzy

8. The body is weak and feels lazy

9. Want to hurt own self until you feel suicidal

10. Easy to get angry

11. Self-blame

12. Not confident

13. Not focused and slow to think

14. Losing weight even though you are not experiencing physical pain

Meanwhile, the symptoms of stress are;

1. Continuous dizziness, jaw cramps, and pain

2. Hands and lips felt trembling

3. Neck pain, back pain, and muscle tension

4. The mouth feels dry and it is difficult to swallow

5. Cold hands and feet

6. Often restless and shake legs without realizing it

7. Difficult to breath and frequent sighing

8. Hard to socialize

9. Often feel like urinating

10. Have panic, excessive worry, guilt, and other uncomfortable feelings

11. Difficult to make a decision

Although stress and depression show almost the same symptoms, they have different treatments. Stress can be diverted by seeking entertainment, picnics, maintaining a sense of humor, socializing, exercising, meditation, tai chi, or other hobby-related activities.

Meanwhile, depression requires help through therapists, psychiatrists, and professional psychologists in order to balance the body's functions as before. Prescription medications can indeed help calm depression. However, it is better for people with depression to consult with a psychologist or other therapies first so they do not depend on drugs all the time.

Instead, a person really needs to have a mental health check before convicting himself/herself that he/she is experiencing depression. Because asking for help from professionals will be more helpful than continuing to bury your own problems.