Am I Depressed or Burnt Out?

Depression is the most common psychological disorder. There is a 15% chance of a person being depressed throughout their lifetime. Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men, and their lifetime risk of depression is up to 25%. The risk of experiencing depression is higher during hormonal periods such as pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause, and anthroposis.

The basic meaning of depression is a depressed mood, but to give a general definition; It can be called a mental disorder that manifests itself in the form of decreased sensitivity to stimuli, loss of initiative power and self-confidence, and strengthening of hopelessness and pessimism.

Although burnout syndrome is widely known in the psychology community in our country, it gained popularity with Meryem ÜZERLİ. So, what is burnout syndrome?

Burnout syndrome; It can be defined as the depletion of spiritual and physical energy as a result of the intense demands of life. So, what are the differences between this syndrome and depression? At the end of this article, each of us will have better information on this subject.

There are many reasons that can make a person depressed, the first of which is the mourning process. Many psychologists state that depression is a condition that follows the mourning process after a loss. For example, in situations such as the death of an important person, leaving a job, or ending a relationship, the person goes through a mourning process and becomes depressed.

Causes of Depression: There are many reasons. The greatest predisposition is personal predisposition and one's ego capacity. Not everyone affected by the same event becomes depressed, so the level and number of problems that everyone can handle is different. Although I have mentioned some of the main reasons below, there may be many other reasons.

  • Negativities experienced, losses and mourning that cause great pain

  • -Encountered in business life problems

  • -Marriage, family problems

  • -Birth and postpartum process

  • -Hereditary predisposition

  • -Excessive alcohol use

  • -Some diseases (Cancer, MS, Epilepsy, Aids) and medications

  • -Menopause, antrapause, puberty, birth periods

  • -Seasonal changes, etc.

    Depression Symptoms of depression: Many symptoms of depression vary from person to person, but when we say general symptoms of depression, loss of interest and desire and depressed mood are expected to last for at least 15 days Other symptoms are;

    • Feeling sad, worthless, hopeless, helpless, having a feeling of emptiness

    • Difficulty in decision making, difficulty in concentration, memory impairment

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    • Inability to enjoy previously enjoyed tasks and actions

    • Decrease in sexual desire

    • Emergence of problems at work, school, and among family and friends

    • The desire to get away from other people and be alone

    • Lack of energy , feeling of fatigue and irritability

    • Sleep disorders (may be in the form of not being able to fall asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up early in the morning or sleeping too much)

    • Eating disorder (decrease or increase in appetite),

    • Feeling constant pain in different parts of the body, such as head, neck and back pain, of unknown cause

    • Recently feeling the need to drink too much alcohol or use sedatives

    • Self-harming, making suicide plans, attempting suicide, or thinking about own funeral

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    • Slowdown in daily activities, extreme weakness,

    • Avoiding social relations, inability to share problems

    • Significant decrease in sexual interest and desire,

    • Inability to eat, loss of appetite, weight loss or tendency to overeat

    • Extreme insomnia, inability to fall asleep, or tendency to oversleep and inability to wake up

    • Head, neck, back, joint pain, gastrointestinal problems

    • Inability to concentrate and extreme forgetfulness

    • Reluctance, inability to enjoy life,

    • Feeling like we have hit the bottom, severe sadness feeling

    • Feeling of hopelessness, thinking about death or suicide,

    • Feeling guilty, worthless and helpless

     

    If you have experienced at least 5 of these symptoms in the last 15 days, We can also talk about the presence of a depressive mood in your condition.

    Causes of Burnout Syndrome: As with many mental disorders, burnout syndrome may be due to reasons that vary depending on the individual. The most common of these are:

  • Intense and very strong fatigue

  • Negative approach to work

  • Decrease in occupational confidence

  • Depression

  • Alcohol and substance use

  • Emotional injuries at work

  • Stress

  • Anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.)

  • Social phobia

  • Personal disorders

  • Sleep problems

  • Symptoms of Burnout Syndrome:

  • Decrease in self-confidence

  • Feeling of worthlessness

  • Skepticism

  • Easy anger

  • Dissatisfaction or difficulty in being satisfied

  • Difficulty in motivation

  • Feeling of helplessness

  • Confusion and disorder in thinking

  • Increase in sudden reactions and irritability

  • Diverting attention to other things instead of dealing with work

  • Ongoing state of defense and blame

  • Chronic fatigue loss of energy

  • Stomach problems are among the main symptoms.

  • Difference Between Burnout Syndrome and Depression

    In light of the above information, we observed that there are many similarities between depression and burnout syndrome. So, are they the same?

    Of course not, of course there are similarities, but this does not mean that they are the same. The main and biggest difference is that in depression, the person's negative view of life is directed towards himself, the future and the world, while in burnout syndrome, it is only towards his job or field of endeavor. For example, while a depressed individual does not enjoy participating in social environments, an individual experiencing burnout syndrome will not have any problems participating in a social environment. Depression affects a large part of our lives and burnout affects a certain part of our lives. The steps that can be taken to solve this are very important. It is important.

    Overcoming Depression

    If you are depressed and have difficulty coping with it, you will consult a psychiatrist with the advice of most people. Psychiatrists will often prescribe antidepressant medications to their clients, talk about some things that need to be done, and send you away. Yes, this is a very effective method and works for many clients. In addition, one third of people who are depressed can come out of depression on their own. So, what is the effective depression treatment?

    There is no effective depression treatment, there are many methods. What I like and practice is the cognitive model and physical activities (sports). In some cases, medication support can be taken in addition to psychotherapy.

    Remember, you are unique like every individual, so a suitable path must be found for you. Research has shown us that physical exercises performed at least three days a week and for at least thirty minutes are equivalent to or more effective than the use of antidepressants. It is also among the studies that married people are less depressed than single people.

    People who have a job and are active employees are less depressed than unemployed people, and people who receive social support and have a good circle of friends are less depressed. in the middle. Well, let's see together what we need to do.

  • Don't blame yourself, such situations can happen to anyone, so look for solutions and be solution-oriented.

  • The most effective way is to receive psychotherapy. Tell your psychologist all the reasons that push you to depression, remember that what is said in the therapy room stays in the therapy room.

  • Take time for yourself and take care of your self-care. Studies show that people with high self-care experience depression less frequently. For example, take care of your hair, change your image, put on make-up, change your hair color, these changes will make you feel good.

  • Avoid making important decisions. An unhealthy decision you can make may cause your sadness to continue.

  • Live your life, put an end to the complications, remember that you are the most important person in your life.

  • Do sports. During sports, endorphins are released, which makes you feel happy.

  • Participate in activities that make you happy.

  • Eat healthy and regularly. Do not underestimate the effect of nutrition.

  • Take care of your sleep and sleep regularly.

  • Do not disrupt your sexual life. An active sexual life keeps you away from depression.

  • Look at life positively. Get negative thoughts out of your mind.

  • Spend time with your friends and loved ones and stay in touch with your social relationships.

  • To Overcome Burnout Syndrome

  • Get information about burnout syndrome individually.

  • Know yourself well and try to stay away from things that upset, bore and depress you

  • Develop real expectations about your job.

  • Learn breathing exercises and relaxation techniques.

  • Do sports.

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  • Take up a hobby.

  • Go on vacation and relax.

  • Deal with stress. Learn quitting skills.

  • Go on leave.

  • Get professional support from a psychologist when necessary.


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    One Last Note

    Remember, if there were no hard days, good days would have no meaning. Each of us is going through difficult times, so there is no need to fall into pessimism and despair. Let's be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented, and make an effort to solve our problems. I am sure that many of us have overcome our difficult times in this way. You are never alone.

     

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