Depression is a serious mental issue which can cause prolonged periods of sadness and

suicidal thoughts. Stress can also be considered as serious yet underestimated, and therefore
accepted as part of day to day life. Depression is a clinical condition which has some well-defined
symptoms; while stress is not a term that needed to be referred in a medical sense (Paschos, n.d.)

Stress & Depression: Comparing and Contrasting

Stressed Depressed

It tends to resolve if life events It can last up to years

change
It tends to have an obvious trigger
It is related to life events
It is related to current events
It can cause depression or
anxiety disorders if left
untreated
They affect
one’s energy
level
They affect one’s mood
Sleeping patterns are disturbed
Eating patterns can be disturbed
(Under or Overeating)
Both affects and changes one’s
personality
It can hit out of nowhere
It can happen even it life seems fine
It can be linked to unresolved past
events
It can cause suicidal thoughts if left
untreated

It leads to adrenaline highs Both can make you struggle to

function normally
It leads to fatigue
followed by crashes
Both makes you feel irritable It is still bears social stigma
It is socially acceptable and
even encouraged They make you feel less
interested in socializing with Depression at high levels has risk of
Stress at very high levels has friends and family suicide
risk of heart attack Both are overwhelming
Both affects one’s Low depression can still be debilitating
Low stress keeps you
motivated concentration

One can be both stressed and depressed at the same time. Being stressed could make your
confidence level decrease to the extent you are getting depressed.
Stress can actually cause depression. Chronic stress, if left untreated, can affect your self-
esteem and lead to negative behaviours and poor decision making. It makes one hard to feel
positive and optimistic. If such symptoms carry long enough, then depression is sadly a logical
outcome.

Unmanaged stress causes anxiety and that anxiety could cause depression.

Way to Relieve Stress Ways to Manage Depression

1. Avoid alcohol and drugs 1. Seek professional medical help from a
2. Exercise physician, counselor or therapist
3. Eat healthy 2. Avoid self-medicating with alcohol and
4. Develop habits like meditation that drugs
reduces stress 3. Exercise
5. Establish a healthy sleep and wake cycle 4. Eat healthy
6. Don’t suffer alone 5. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
7. Do something enjoyable like watching a 6. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
movie or reading a book 7. Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
8. Take a warm bath 8. Practice meditation or mindfulness
9. Play with a pet 9. Proper sleep
10. Don’t give in to withdrawal or isolation
11. Maintain healthy relationships with
friends and family
12. Medication from a doctor may be
necessary