Both in depression and in burnout you suffer from issues sleeping, memory troubles, negative thoughts,.... but what is the difference between the two? In the medical sector, this is not completely clear quite yet, and everyone explains the difference in a different way. In this article we try to clarify the difference and look for a red thread behind both issues.
Depression? How it differs from burnout
When we speak of depression, we mainly talk about a somber negative mood, which is characterized by 'I cannot do it anymore'. People with depression find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, because they no longer see what use life has. Here we do not really consider an 'unability of going on' but rather an 'unwillingness to go on'. Furthermore, people with a depression often take enough rest,but not enough psychological rest. When they have a relaxed, calm moment, the negative thinking starts and they start worrying. THey often think so negatively about themselves that it results in 'I cannot do it anymore'.
Burnout? How it differs from depression
When we speak of burnout, we speak about some type of using-up. You have used up all your energy and power, and have nothing left to give. People with a burnout find it difficult to get out in the morning, because they have no energy to do so, both physically and mentally. We here think about 'I cannot go on' rather than 'I do not want to go on'. People with burnout often still see their goals in life, but are unable to reach these goals in most cases. This is because they have such far-away goals and refuse to let go of these, even if something changes or too much extra work is added. They force themselves to finish it all, even thought they do not really have the energy for this. When they then have a relaxed, calm moment, they will think about everything which they can still do or which finished tasks could have been done better. When they then realized that they cannot do it anymore, and that they have no more energy, they will often say 'I cannot do it anymore, I am exhausted'.
15 Minutes 4 Me for both depression and burnout
When we look at the treatment for both depression and burnout, there is a clear difference to be seen. Antidepressants will namely never work against burnout. In a major depression, antidepressants can have a positive influence. Regarding the taking or not taking of antidepressants, we recommend you to always contact your doctor. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program with a treatment for both depression and burnout, and also for anxiety and stress. You work on yourself for fifteen minutes every day at the hand of this program. You get solution focused questions and film clips which will help you to gain new insights. With this program, you can feel up to 40% happier after 3 weeks!
How do I test a burnout (or an eventual depression)?
For this, you are welcome at our online free burnout test. This test also measures stress and depression. After filling out the questions, you will immediately receive your scores!
