Whether it be our career or our current situation in life, there will come a time when we feel as if we’re too tired to address our tasks. Burning out is not a new concept and has been a problem faced by almost anyone in the workforce.
With that said, the increased awareness of mental health has enlightened many to the fact that others have been facing depression rather than simply burnout. While the difference may not be clear to many, the fact of the matter is that depression is a serious condition that needs to be addressed by professionals. These professionals do not recommend self-medication.
To help make the differences clearer, let’s take a closer look at burning out. This way, you can more accurately determine whether you are in need of professional help.
Defining Burnout
First, let’s talk about burnout. Burning out happens over time and can manifest itself as extreme feelings of stress and exhaustion. Other signs include:
Mental pressure from an identifiable source of stress
The source of your stress gives you a feeling that it is “taking over your life.”
Addressing the problem seems impossible—your interest in accomplishing anything related to your task has diminished greatly or is completely gone.
Feelings of emptiness and a lack of will to do anything you usually enjoy.
One misconception about burning out is that it is always caused by work or career-related tasks. While that might hold true for a lot of us, the truth is that you can burn out from a variety of other things. For example, you can burn out from:
Parenting
Parenting isn’t an easy task, as many of us might know. Burning out doesn’t mean losing your appreciation of your children, but it is a sign that you are facing extreme levels of stress you aren’t well adapted to as of yet.
Marriage
The same goes for a marriage. Adjusting your life to include a partner might not be the easiest task and could cause some stress in your relationship. This combination might end up causing you to burn out.
Similarities Between Burning Out and Depression
Even now, we’re sure you are able to see some similarities between feeling burned out and being depressed. Let’s go through the most obvious ones now.
Feelings of exhaustion
Constant fatigue
Problems falling asleep
Problems getting off of bed
Increased dependency on alcohol
Extreme feelings of anxiety
Memory loss, feelings of confusion
Migraines and headaches
A constant feeling of failure
Lack of interest in usual hobbies
Short attention span
Differentiating Burnouts and Depression
As we can see, these symptoms are present in individuals experiencing either burnout or diagnosed with depression. The problem is when people choose to self-medicate—as these two feelings hold similarities, the “treatment” the individual chooses to undergo may not be appropriate to what they are going through.
To get a better idea of what you are feeling, try asking yourself the following questions:
Where is this feeling coming from?
Why am I feeling this way?
How long have I been feeling this way?
How is this affecting my life?
Conclusion
The point of all this is to make sure you get the treatment appropriate for your situation. Your mental health matters and should be taken seriously. That means doing the homework and understanding why you are losing interest and feeling tired all the time. It might be difficult at first, but things will get easier once you’ve identified the source of your problems.
The Hope Seed Support Center is a community-based organization that provides support services to individuals and families in need. We offer counseling, nutritional therapy services, and a 24/7 depression helpline for those who need emergency crisis care. Our goal is to help our clients overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
