Although the symptoms of depression and burnout are similar — both involve negative thoughts, lack of motivation and the need to be alone are tell-tale symptoms of burnout.

Burnout is becoming more common and has been on the rise since Covid, possibly because burnout has become one of the most widely discussed health issues in the UK, and thus a self-diagnosed buzzword for stress and fatigue.

One difficulty is that burnout is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) — a guidebook used by mental health professionals throughout the world and recognised in 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The DSM describes burnout as a result of ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’.

Burnout is specific to work and it can be resolved without medication. However, burnout can lead to depression.

Burnout

Burnout is related to job stress and an imbalance at work. Those with burnout are exhausted, mentally detached from work, and no longer productive, particularly when job demands are high and adequate resources to manage those demands are lacking.

Sufferers feel so overwhelmed and drained they are unable to meet the constant demands they face and are unable to do their job effectively. Burnout results mainly in emotional symptoms where the sufferer becomes detached and disengaged, feeling hopeless and helpless, empty, with little motivation to accomplish anything.

Symptoms of Burnout

The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes burnout as ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed characterised by:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion,
• increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job,
• reduced professional efficacy.

These factors can make a person feel tired, helpless or trapped, detached or alone, or overwhelmed, and are caused by work pressures that outweigh support resources. 

Treatment:

Burnout needs time to recover from. Time away from work is one answer. Failing that, the work-life balance needs to be addressed before one can learn to move on. Depending on how burned out someone is, their commitment to making changes, and the support of their workplace, means it could take between three months to a year to recover.

Depression

While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months or even years. Depression can affect anyone at any age and it’s quite common. Approximately one in ten people experience depression at some point in their life.

Depression is a real health condition which cannot just be ignored or ‘snap out of’. The ymptoms and effects can vary, but can include constant feelings of hopelessness or losing interest in things that were once enjoyable. Depression can also cause physical symptoms such as tiredness, yet problems sleeping, having a reduced appetite or sex drive, and even physical pain. In extreme cases depression can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Traumatic events can trigger depression, and people with a family history of depression might be more at risk.

If you think you or someone you know has depression, it’s important to see a doctor because it can be managed with therapy which might include some changes in lifestyle. In more severe cases, medication might be an option. Hypnosis has been proved to be an effective remedy in many cases.

Depression can also present physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, or unexplained rashes and insomnia. Early symptoms include feeling tired and rundown and can progress to more illnesses such as coughs and colds, and even unexplained aches and pains, skin rashes and changes in how how healthy you look. Suddenly find you have limp and greasy hair is another telltale sign.

If you’re feeling more anxious than normal, or irritable and less tolerant of things you might have been tolerant about in the past, that’s also a give-away — as is difficulty getting out of bed and bingeing on TV series.

Anyone can feel burned-out. The trick is to do something about it before it develops into depression — something much more serious.
Although a number of symptoms of burnout are similar to depression, there are some key differences. For instance, burnout is mainly a product of work pressures, while depression will have a number of causes.

Depression is a biological illness associated with an imbalance of brain chemicals such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. These neurotransmitters pass messages from one brain cell to another, and imbalances slow you up both mentally and physically.

Depression can be linked to heredity, hormone imbalances, childhood trauma, bereavement, lack of vitamin D, lack of sunshine, social isolation, low self-esteem, a pessimistic personality, alcohol abuse, drug use, serious illness and even dementia.

The experience of depression is hard to specifically describe, but typical symptoms of depression include persistent low mood, exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, sadness and crying for no apparent reason. In severe cases, it can result in suicidal feelings.

Comfort eating and weight gain are common, although as depression takes hold, loss of appetite is more likely. Depression often leads to trouble sleeping, and waking up too early. Sufferers can feel worn out or have lots of energy. They could feel irritable and frustrated at work, or they might be a high achiever — also distinctive to depression. Losing interest in the things that you used to enjoy is a classic symptom.

Symptoms of Depression

Feeling down, tearful, worthless, empty, angry, irritable, hopeless and tired. People with depression may no longer find pleasure in things they used to enjoy and prefer to stay isolated.

Behaviourally, a person with depression may self-harm or have suicidal thoughts; they may use addictive substances, have different eating and sleeping habits, lose interest in sex and have difficulty remembering things or concentrating.

Depression has a variety of causes, and it’s not always possible to identify the precise cause. They include, and may be a combination of, childhood experiences, life events, negative thinking patterns, health problems, alcohol or recreational drugs or chemical imbalance.

There is no average duration of depression as there are a number of factors to consider. Depression caused by grief may last a few weeks, while untreated depression can last years.

Treatment depends on the severity of the depression. Ranging from mild to severe, it can include self-help, talking therapies or medication.

What to do: 

Symptoms of burnout or depression should be addressed as soon as possible before your mood spirals any lower or before they affect your ability to function. There is no shame in seeking medical advice. There’s no quick fix for burnout, but talking therapies such as CBT or hypnotherapy are better than antidepressants!

Tackling burnout needs immediate self-care prioritisation, commitment to positive change, and support from the workplace. You should rethink daily routines, diet, exercise, sleep and especially social media use.

You will need to make some conscious decisions — putting your own needs at the top of the list.

Then… take it just one step at a time. If you change a habit for a month, it will feel more natural. It might be a while before you start seeing positive results, but it will be worth the effort… and far better than Prozac!

It takes courage to address the workplace practices which might have been the cause of burnout in the first place. Taking the first step — speaking to work colleagues or bosses — can be hard, 

He said: ‘It can be so difficult to take that first step in order to speak to a work colleague or your supervisor, but make sure they understand that you want to work to the highest of your ability, but given what’s being expected, you need a change.

How to spot the difference between burnout and depression?