Stress vs distress: Know the difference and seek help

Misconceptions around stress as a cause of depression can lead to resistance to seeking help.

The difference between stress and distress needs to be understood. Stress can be defined as healthy pressure that results in feeling stimulated, leading to a sense of purpose and meaning. These benefits can be so seductive that people forget to assess how long they will be able to keep it up for. This is what separates healthy stress from distress – if sustainability is not considered, it is merely a matter of time before the stress turns into distress. This can be difficult to quantify as it can be the result of an accumulation of small events rather than one overt trauma.

Most of us are caught in the trap of needing to complete the to-do list with a close eye on our financial spreadsheet; however we forget to be conscious of how often we swipe our energy credit card which leads to us “maxing out”.

Depression is one of the symptoms of this scenario to which many of us can relate, but we have normalised this and expect ourselves to “cope because we have to”. Therapy can foster awareness of the life we are living and assist us in making the adjustments to a more sustainable lifestyle.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you need to ask yourself whether you can sustain an unhealthy lifestyle. Perhaps these symptoms are your body suggesting you make the necessary changes. There is an abundance of help available to us all, it is just a matter of giving yourself the licence to access it. It is not a sign of weakness, but warning bells that your stress levels are dangerous. Why wait for it to escalate into a crisis before you claim the right to be healthy?

If you require any assistance you are welcome to contact Akeso Crescent Clinic Randburg on 087 098 0457 or fanie.s@akeso.co.za. For more information on Depression, visit Akeso Clinic Online.