Depressed or Stressed? An interesting question, but how many of us actually know the difference?

A recent survey in the UK reported that more than 75% of us believe that we suffer from depression and that the number of anti depressants has almost trebled in the last 10 years.

In Australia it has been described as an epidemic of modern times and the statistics are quite staggering:

  • 1 in 5 people will experience depression in their lifetime. Over 50% of them will not seek treatment
  • Depression is the third largest individual health problem in Australia after heart disease and stroke.
  • This year alone 1,000,000 people in Australia will experience a depressive illness.
  • In the work place depression accounts for six million working days lost each year.

The surge in the number of employees taking time off for mental health disorders and filing stress claims is one of the greatest workplace crises facing the nation, stress expert Professor Maureen Dollard stated.

Professor Dollard, director of the Centre for Applied Psychological Research at the University of South Australia, said a study by the centre, to be released this year, shows that workers with mild levels of depression take twice as many sick days off as their colleagues. The study of 3000 workers found about 20 per cent suffered mild levels of depression.

Another study states that about 55 per cent of people who suffer stress or other mental conditions on the job are taking five or more sick days off in a row, figures from the Bureau of Statistics’ publication Australian Social Trends, June 2011.

So what is causing these alarming statistics in both Australia and around the world? Health experts say workplace bullying and harassment, as well as heavy workloads, long hours and the lack of work/life balance are behind the rise in stress claims and the drain on productivity. Professor Dollard said managers need to be aware of the ‘psycho-social safety climate’ in workplaces and the low priority they give to psychological health versus productivity. She said early indications of the work stress research conducted by the centre were that people who experienced even mild levels of depression had twice as many sick days as those who did not.

I would like to add that in our technology driven world of the 21st century we are bombarded with constant clatter and incessant interruptions; our iphones and laptops never sleep and we are caught up in this globalised, competitive roller coaster. Never at any other time in history have we been so inundated with information and we wonder why we get stressed, why we get depressed. The problem is we just don’t know how to stop; we don’t know how to relax and many of us have forgotten how to enjoy the small simple things that life still has to offer. So it’s not surprising that many of us feel unable to cope and feel like we have lost our way.

I pose the question again -What is the difference between stress and depression and is it possible that many people are being misdiagnosed by their GP’s and are many who have been diagnosed with depression, in fact, suffering from a stress related condition.

Depressed or Stressed?

Depression is a serious condition, it is an illness, it may need comprehensive treatment and it requires diagnosis by a psychiatrist. Stress can also be a serious risk to health but in most instances it can be managed. But it is important to know which you are suffering from so that you can get the right treatment.

The symptoms of both depression and stress can be similar, so how can you tell whether you are depressed or stressed?

Top 10 symptoms of Stress

  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Irritability, impatience, frustration
  • Mood swings
  • Difficulty in finding the funny side of life
  • Habits more excessive i.e. caffeine, alcohol, overeating
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Lethargic
  • Aching body
  • Feeling worthless
  • Skin problems

Top 10 symptoms of depression

  • Activities and enjoyment of life diminishing
  • Overwhelmed, even the smallest thing becomes impossible
  • Tendency to either overeat or under eat
  • Sleep patterns irregular, too much or too little
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Feelings of being worthless
  • Feelings of being a failure
  • Difficulty to concentrate even on small things
  • Overwhelmed by feeling of guilt
  • Irritability and often extreme sadness
  • Thoughts of self harm

A diagnosis of depression is usually determined by the duration, frequency and intensity of the symptoms. If you have experience 3 or more of these symptoms over a period of three weeks it may not necessarily means that you are suffering from depression but it might be time to seek some professional help.

As you can see the symptoms of both are quite similar and so depression can be quite difficult to diagnose. Another problem is that the over-worked GP has approximately 13 minutes to investigate the symptoms and/or problems, diagnose the condition and treat the patient. They don’t have the time to spend getting into the nitty gritty of the patients problems nor do they often have the skills to deal with any emotional or psychological problems that may arise. And let’s face it, the reason we visit out GP is to get a resolution to our problem, we want a quick diagnosis and we want a treatment. Some GP’s feel they have little choice and more often or not prescribes some sort of anti depressants or insomnia medication.

So if this is the way it is then how many people who are suffering from stress are being prescribed anti depressant medication? How many patients are being misdiagnosed?

In too many cases, this quick fix is no more than a band aid. The problems are still there, the ups and downs of life’s challenges continue to affect the way the patient feels about themselves and about their lives. The anti-depressants do not provide the life skills needed to cope with the problems, in fact, can often make things worse.

What if you think its depression?

First are foremost make an appointment to see your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist for an accurate diagnosis. As mentioned above, depression is an illness and often anti depressants will be provided as part of a treatment plan when they are prescribed by a psychiatrist. However, at the same time consider also using a holistic approach and look at some natural therapies such as Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Massage, Kinesiology and Hypnotherapy/Psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy/Psychotherapy is very effective in helping manage the symptoms that come with depression. There are many instances where a patient has been able to reduce or come off their anti depressant medication because of the work they have done in the natural therapies “mind/body” area however this is always done in conjunction with the patient’s Psychiatrist or GP.

So if it is stress, what can you do?

Don’t underestimate stress, long term stress will repress the immune system and the effects on the physical body can be quite debilitating. Education and awareness of how stress can adversely affect the body is the first step. I run regular stress workshops at Brisbane Natural Health in Milton aimed at providing education on what stress is and how to better manage it.

Three tips for dealing with stress and tension:

  • Get help. There are many drug free natural health options available to help manage Stress including Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Massage, Kinesiology and of course Clinical Hypnotherapy/Psychotherapy. The major benefit of using Hypnotherapy is that the results are fast, drug free and long lasting. Hypnotherapy also teaches you how to relax and provides tools and techniques that can be used very effectively to manage the day to day stressors outside of the clinic.
  • Watch your diet. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, trans fats and cigarettes all put a strain on your body’s ability to cope with stress. Drink plenty of water and eat fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods and foods high in protein but low in fat.
  • Walk. People with busy, stressful lives often don’t think they have the time to exercise. It is important to realise that exercise is great for using up the stress hormones that build up in the body when you are feeling stressed. There are studies that indicate that incidental exercise is just as good as exercising for longer periods of time. So 10 minutes of continuous exercise can help to clear your head, improve your mood and reduce the stress hormones. So how to incorporate this into your lifestyle, well it’s quite easy.1. Use the stairs instead of the lift
    2. park the car a little further away from the supermarket or office
    3. walk to work
    4. walk around the block a couple of times during your lunch break
    5. take the dog for a quick walk when you get home

    Find little opportunities to add in a 10 minute walk a couple of times a day and you will quickly notice the difference.

On a final note the above tips and techniques can be equally as effective for those who are depressed and can often provide great relief to their often debilitating symptoms. There are great benefits in using traditional medicine in conjunction with hypnotherapy and I have found that many GP’s, Psychologists and Psychiatrists are more than happy to refer patients to me.