Sings of burnout that may be confused with depression
Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It happens when we experience too much emotional, physical and mental fatigue for too long. In many cases, burnout is related on one’s job. But burnout can also happpen in other areas of your life and affect your health.
Burnout: You feel depleted, physically and emotionally but mainly in your relation to work, caregiving, responsibilities, or emotional labour.
Depression: The exhaustion is more global. Even things you used to enjoy feel heavy and pointless.
Burnout: Loss of motivation - you struggle to care about the things that once felt meaningful - especiallly in the area where you’ve been over-giving. Burnout says: “I can’t keep doing it”.
Depression: There’s a wider loss of interest or pleasure (including hobbies, relatonships, things taht used to light you up). Depression says: “What’s the point of anything?”
Burnout: Irratibility and cynisism - you’re more snappy, detached, resentful - especially toward work or people you feel responsible for.
Depression: You may feel irritable too, but often alongside hopelessness, guilt, or deep sadness.
Burnout: Brain fog and reduced performance - You used to function well. Now you’re forgetful, unfocused, procrastinating, because your nervous system is overloaded.
Depression: Cognitive slowly can feel heavier with difficulty thinking, deciding, or processing even outside stress triggers.
Burnout: Emotional numbness - you feel emotionally blunted in the areas where you’ve been chronically overstretched.
Depression: You may feel numb across the board - disconnected from joy, connection, even yourself.
Burnout: Self-criticism - “I should be able to handle this”, “If I were more organised/stronger, I’d cope.”
Depression: More global negative beliefs - “I’m a failure”, “I’m not enough”, I ruin everything”.
Burnout and depression can absolutley coexist. And if you’re the one who always holds everything together, it can be very hard to tell the difference.
The solution isn’t to shame yourself into functioning better. It’s to understand what your nervous system has by carrying.
Burnout can be caused by stress, but it’snot the same. Stress results from too much mental and physcial pressure and too many demands on your time and energy.
—> Burnout isn’t medically diagnosed. But burnout can afect your physical and mental health if you don’t acknowledge or treat it.
Burnout keeps you from being productive. It makes you feel hopeless, cynical, and resentful. The effects of burnout can hurt your home, work, and social life. Long-term burnout can make you more vulneralbe to physcial ilnesses, such as cold and flu.
Some characteristics of burnout are very specific, thought. In depression: negative thoughts and feelings aren’t only about specific demands (such as job-related ones), but about all areas of life. Other typical symptoms of depression include:
—> Low self esteem
—> feelings of guilt
—>hopelessness and sucidal ideation (thinking about killing yourself)
These aren’t regarded as typical symptoms of burnout. So people with burnout don’t always have depression. But burnout may increased the risk of someone getting depression. That makes it evern more important to take burnout seriously and to find a medical expert who can make the right diganosis.
If you recognise yourself in this post, consider speaking to a medical professional for a proper assessment.
And if you’re looking for therapeutic support to gently step out of burnout and survival mode - my inbox is open. Contact me. I offer online and in-person counselling in Bexhill, East Sussex.