Am I Burned Out or Depressed? How to Tell the Difference

The terms burnout and depression often get thrown around, but what is it actually referring to?
Are they the same thing? Is there really any difference between the two? Here are some key
similarities and differences as well as how therapy can help you feel like yourself again.

What is burnout?
Burnout often refers to the emotional exhaustion that comes in response to prolonged stress
from a specific environment, such as work. When experiencing burnout, someone may feel
frustrated, constantly cynical, or detached from things in that specific environment. It can also
feel like you’re just observing yourself rather than fully being present, as if you’re simply going
through the motions or not feeling any sense of accomplishment. However, burnout can often be
improved by changing your environment, setting boundaries, or finding time for rest and
recovery.

What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in
all areas of life. Because depression affects how you feel, think, and behave, it can lead to both
mental and physical changes. These symptoms may make it difficult to do day-to-day activities
and can even make it feel like life is not worth living. Depression may occur only once, or it may
involve multiple different episodes in your lifetime. During these episodes, symptoms occur most
of the day, nearly every day. For many people, the symptoms are severe enough to affect daily
functioning and relationships. Unlike burnout, many people with depression may feel unhappy
without really knowing why.

What are some similar symptoms?
Both depression and burnout can cause similar physical and mental symptoms such as feelings
of exhaustion, lack of motivation, feeling hopeless, reduced performance, problems with sleep
and other physical concerns.

What are some key differences?
Sometimes it is not easy to tell the difference between depression and burnout because some of
the symptoms tend to overlap. Since burnout comes from a specific issue or environment that
leads to prolonged stress, it often gets better when you remove yourself from the stressor or
make changes to the situation.

On the other hand, depression is not necessarily linked to a specific event or stressor. It does
not simply go away when a situation improves and may require longer-term treatment. Because
major depression is recognized as a mental health disorder, it often has clear symptoms,
diagnostic criteria, and treatment.

When to seek professional help?
It may be time to seek help if you are consistently feeling overwhelmed, drained, and unlike
yourself for more than a couple weeks. If these symptoms are affecting your wellbeing in terms
of eating habits, activity levels, sleep quality or just overall well-being, it might be time to seek
help.

How can therapy help?
When you are stuck and not feeling like yourself anymore, It is always a good idea to seek out
help. Therapy provides a safe space to better understand why you might be feeling this way.
Together with a professional you can work to figure out coping skills and strategies to help work
through symptoms and find better fulfillment in your life. You do not have to go through this
alone.

References

• Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. “Depression: What Is Burnout?” Nih.gov,
  Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), 2024,
  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/.
• Marks, Tracey. “Burnout vs. Depression – How to Tell the Difference.” YouTube, 13 Mar. 2019.
• Sawchuk, C. (2022, October 14). Depression (Major Depressive Disorder). Mayo Clinic; Mayo
  Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

Written by Sadrisha Pandit, Clinical Trainee

Photo by Andrew Neel