Depression vs Stress: There’s a huge difference

With the spurt in a degrading quality of mental health every day, it makes it very important to talk about it. With an increase in discussions that revolve around mental health, there is also a stigma that surrounds it.

There have been so many cases of suicide lately. From celebrities to bloggers, from kids to adults. There are a few 'Red Alert' signs that we keep missing or should definitely pay attention to.

The most common signs of depression are:

• Mood Swings
• Persistent Sadness lasting for a few days or weeks
• Sudden bouts of weeping
• Anhedonia- loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities.
• Loss of focus and concentration

When the condition is very severe, suicidal thoughts also persist. However, it is not always these signs but also there are some reactions that are disproportionate. For example, sudden outbursts of anger. Watch the below video provided by Sipping Thoughts to know more about depression and stress.

It's really important to sensitize the masses on mental health issues and advise them to address it like physical health. Mental and Physical health platforms coexist. As for awareness, everyone needs to understand the kind of overload the disorder has.

As per statistics,

- One in every four people suffers from some mental concern.

- 80- 90% of people committing suicide have some mental concerns.

- 80% of the people having mental health concerns are curable.

There's a HUGE difference between Depression and Sadness. A lot of people also confuse stress with depression. Clinical depression is an illness that needs professional medical diagnosis and treatment. It is very different from feeling just sad or having a low mood. It is a lot graver than just feeling stressed or low. It is advised to not use the word 'depressed' so casually. It is important to observe ourselves also. We need to be aware of what's happening in our surroundings as well as to ourselves. It is good to reach out to a friend or a confidante. You must keep at least three people on your list who you can reach out to when you feel low or anxious.

All humans, having a mental illness or not, deserve and need love and affection. We need a good support structure. Any mental illness can automatically be a lot better if we have someone who loves us, cares for us, talks to us, and supports us. There is nothing to fear; it is all about staying positive and maintaining positive mental health now.