Stress & Depression: Understanding the Connection

What’s the Connection Between Stress & Depression?

The connection between stress and depression is complicated. Researchers discovered that stress can sometimes cause depression, and on the other hand, struggling with depression can create stress. Whether a person develops depression due to stress depends on how well their brain and central nervous function.¹ The more a person is able to cope with stress, the less likely it will cause depression.

There are additional elements playing into the risk of stress developing into depression. People with a previous history of depression are more likely to become depressed when experiencing chronic stress. Additionally, those with a family history of depression are at greater risk.

Why Can Stress Cause Depression?

Stress can cause depression because of the immense impact it has on the brain and body. When a person is stressed, their body produces excess cortisol, which, over time, can contribute to depression. Stress can also affect levels of dopamine and serotonin, which are crucial for mood regulation. Additionally, stress impacts appetite and sleep and can also result in a person neglecting themselves, which increases the risk of depression.²

Here are some reasons stress can cause depression:

• Stress causes chemical changes in the brain: Stress can affect the amount of dopamine released in the body. Dopamine is the feel-good hormone, and low dopamine levels create mood swings, sleep problems, and unhappiness.⁵ Additionally, stress causes the brain to release cortisol, and elevated levels of cortisol can contribute to depression.
• Stress alters mood: Inherent with chronic stress are other emotions like frustration, anxiety, anger, or feelings of helplessness. This blend of emotions can create a sense of feeling overwhelmed and hopeless if there is uncertainty about how to change the circumstances causing the stress. This can lead to a depressive episode.
• Stress disrupts a person’s effective coping mechanisms: Stress can make it difficult for a person to practice healthy coping mechanisms.³ When stressed, a person may feel strapped for time and so unable to do their usual self-care. Or, a person may struggle to communicate their needs to others because their brain is foggy from all the accumulated stress.
• Stress can strain relationships: Some people internalize stress and self-isolate, or they can become irritable and tense. The people closest to the individual will be the recipients of these behaviors, which can cause confusion or anger within the relationship. When this occurs, a person’s sources of emotional and social support decrease, which can lead to depression.⁴
• Stress interferes with healthy lifestyle choices: Severe stress can interrupt sleep patterns and appetite and cause greater alcohol or drug use. It makes it harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle. These can be triggers for depression rising.

Impact of Stress & Depression

The combination of stress and depression can feel overwhelming and become immobilizing. When an individual is struggling with stress and depression, they will often experience debilitating physical symptoms, including body aches, muscle tension, headaches, fatigue, and a weakened immune system. Emotionally, they will be prone to anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, and frustration.

This combination of physical and emotional symptoms can take a big toll on the person’s ability to perform at work or school and can impair their ability to show up in a healthy manner within their relationships. Daily activities can begin to feel overwhelming, and something as simple as leaving the home can begin to feel impossible.

How Is Stress-Induced Depression Diagnosed?

There is a diagnosis called Stress-Induced Depression or STRID. Its characteristics include deep mental and physical fatigue, interrupted sleep, irritability, emotional lability, and memory and concentration problems.⁶ This type of depression is connected to ongoing exposure to stress. It is common for people who experience STRID to feel exhaustion even as depressive symptoms begin to go away.

STRID is usually caused by a combination of psychological and social stressors, such as a mixture of family conflict coinciding with winter and the onset of seasonal depression. You should consult a mental health professional to get an accurate diagnosis so appropriate treatment is found.

How to Cope With Stress & Depression

There are many life events that occur in our daily lives that can’t be controlled or avoided.  You can control how you react to them and how to cope when they create stress or depression. Make your self-care a high priority. Discover activities, interests, and relationships that relax you, nourish you, and bring you personal satisfaction and joy.

Identify healthy habits to care for your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Find people you believe support you. Stay away from people and situations that create chaos and conflict. If there is a realization that you are feeling overwhelmed and depressed, and it is spilling over into multiple areas of your life, find a mental health professional with expertise in stress management and depression.

Here are ten ways to cope with stress and depression:

1. Utilize Stress Reduction Techniques

One of the best ways of coping with stress and depression is to learn stress reduction techniques that can prevent stress from becoming chronic and triggering depression. Be proactive and find a therapist for assistance when symptoms become challenging. A therapist can help you learn and activate stress management techniques, which are key components of reducing stress and depression.

Here are some effective stress reduction techniques to try:

• Deep breathing exercises: Breathwork slows your heart rate and heighten awareness of your body. It increases recognition of sources of stress or pain in the body. Deep breathing creates a sense of calm,  relaxing muscles and nerves, as well as soothes negative emotions.
• Meditation: Meditation for depression and stress is a common way for people to cope, and it is very helpful for stress reduction. It keeps the mind focused on the present and a singular positive thought. This allows you to feel in control of their bodies and minds, releasing feelings related to depression and stress.
• Yoga: Yoga can improve mental health by using breathing, stretching, and body relaxation skills as a way of creating a feeling of calm in the body and mind. The goal of yoga is to heighten mood and create a sense of well-being and peacefulness through controlled but gentle, purposeful movements.
• Mindfulness practices: Mindfulness is used to combat depression, anxiety, and stress. Mindfulness techniques are designed to keep people in the present and not ruminate on negative thoughts and feelings. These exercises tap into areas of the brain that regulate mood.
• Guided imagery meditation: Guided imagery meditation is a relaxation technique designed to reduce physical and emotional stress, releasing harmful feelings. It works by imagining settings that are peaceful and safe until the body and brain calm down. Guided imagery meditation challenges negative thinking and changes a negative event outcome into a positive one.

2. Exercise Regularly

Exercise can improve depressive symptoms and stress by increasing blood flow that releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that help elevate mood and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise also gives a person more energy and enhances self-esteem and self-confidence by using self-discipline to complete an exercise regime.

3. Focus on a Healthy Diet

Eating a balanced diet is often overlooked as a means of helping overcome stress and depression. Some foods help the nervous system act more efficiently, which helps control mood disorder symptoms.

Examples of good foods to help with depression include fish, beans, fruits, and whole grains, all of which contain nutrients to help stabilize mood. Food products that are good to avoid if you are stressed and depressed include alcohol, sugary foods, caffeine, and fried foods.

4. Improve Sleep Hygiene

People who do not get adequate sleep are more vulnerable to depression and are less resilient. Therefore, sleep hygiene is a critical aspect of managing stress and depression. Sleeping well reduces stress hormones like cortisol. Good sleep also reduces irritability and improves cognition, frustration tolerance, and memory, which are all needed to manage stressful situations.

5. Increase Social Support

Social support from loved ones, community groups, religious groups, and support groups is invaluable in battling stress and depression. Support can make you feel less alone in your pain and also provide a practical lending hand to ease some of your responsibilities. When looking for support, researchers on stress observed that frequency and practical help, such as daily childcare, are the most important things to look for.⁸

6. Limit Alcohol & Substance Use

Drug and alcohol use can exacerbate symptoms of stress and depression. Alcohol is a depressant, and substance abuse makes it more difficult to manage mental health. Excessive substance misuse can also cause additional outside stressors like financial, work productivity, and social challenges.

Mindful drinking is a great way to limit alcohol use. an option. It involves drinking in moderation and responsibly. It also dictates the need to pay close attention to how alcohol intake is affecting your mind, your behavior, and your body.

7. Seek Professional Help

It’s important to seek a mental health professional specializing in depression and stress if symptoms continue or become overwhelming. Mental health professionals have expertise in making diagnoses and offering treatment, helping to understand triggers for depression and stress. If depression symptoms become debilitating, you may need to work with a psychiatrist who can prescribe antidepressant medications.

An online therapist directory is a great tool for finding a local mental health provider who specializes in stress-induced depression. with the needed specialty. Alternatively, an online therapy for depression platform may be a good option if accessibility, schedule, or transportation issues prevent you from seeing a provider in their office. Psychiatry services are also available online or in the office.

8. Spend Time in Nature

Spending time in nature is incredibly beneficial for your mental health. It helps reduce stress and depression by offering a sense of calm and serenity. Being outside in a beautiful place can lower blood pressure and heart rate, helping to relax the body and the mind. Sunlight also increases the production of serotonin, which helps elevate mood.

9. Begin Journaling

Journaling about your depression and stress can be a therapeutic way to alleviate stress. Writing about thoughts and feelings can reduce their intensity. It helps clarify beliefs, ideas, and emotions. Journaling also helps enhance self-awareness and identify depressive and stress triggers and techniques that are effective in combatting them.

10. Find a Hobby

Engaging in creative endeavors releases hormones like dopamine that elevate mood. Hobbies can be a healthy escape and change the focus of negative and intrusive thoughts into something present and positive. Hobbies can give new purpose and meaning to your life. It can be a relaxing and present way to socialize with others and build new healthy relationships.

Treatment for Stress & Depression

Therapy for stress and depression includes teaching a person how to identify symptoms of stress-induced depression and healthy ways to cope with their symptoms. Additionally, therapy is a safe place to discuss concerns and feelings, which can help to reduce feelings of hopelessness. In cases where symptoms are severe, medication management helps stabilize mood and anxiety connected to stress, making it more manageable.

Effective treatment options for stress and depression include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for depression and stress usually runs for 8-12 sessions based on the idea that negative self-thoughts and beliefs can change. The goal is to reframe them, creating new coping mechanisms and healthier behavior patterns, making stress and depression more manageable.
• Medication: Antidepressant medications increase certain neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in the brain that help stabilize mood. Mood stabilization helps alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, minimizing symptoms of stress.
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): MBSR is a technique that keeps the focus on the present. Examples are deep breathing and meditation. These exercises slow heart rate, increase blood flow, and relax muscles in the body. They reduce tension and stress and elevate mood
• Support groups: Support groups offer a safe place for people battling stress and depression. People with these symptoms share experiences and feelings. This normalizes participants’ feelings and concerns. Sharing coping mechanisms educates and empowers participants.
• Hypnosis: Hypnosis for stress and hypnosis for depression are both short-term therapies designed to relax the body and mind of the patient. In a hypnotic state, people are more willing to alter behaviors, emotions, and thoughts, creating positive outcomes and healthier coping mechanisms.
• Interpersonal therapy: Interpersonal therapy is a short-term therapy that is based on focusing on current conflicts and issues causing depression, anxiety, and stress. Its focus is to improve relationships and social skills. The goal is to reduce stress and conflict, as well as alleviate depression.
• Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy is a long-term therapy based on Sigmund Freud’s beliefs that there is a connection between past and current experiences. The goal of psychodynamic therapy is for patients to identify these connections, which allows them to alter beliefs and behaviors that induce depression and stress.
• Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a technique where patients are trained to monitor and use a machine to control physical aspects of their body, such as blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and muscle movement.⁷ It relieves pain and tension, alleviates stress, and helps combat depressive symptoms.