Are You Depressed or Just Lazy?

 

Are You Depressed or Just Lazy?

People often confuse laziness with depression. Here are some key differences between the two:

– Having a bleak and negative outlook on life and finding that there is this overarching belief that nothing is going to turn for the better.

– Restlessness and irritability are also common.

– People who are depressed are also more likely to lose interest in activities that were once appealing and pleasurable.

– They also tend to experience excessive sleeping as the mind tries to check out from life.

– You may also engage in various escapist behaviors like compulsive gambling, dangerous sports, substance abuse, or reckless driving.

– A depressed person’s appetite can either increase or decrease abruptly, causing them to either put on or lose weight. From what I’ve seen, increased appetite is the most common of the two.

– Depressed people often find it hard to do basic everyday things since they feel fatigued, sluggish or physically drained and also tend to have trouble concentrating and making decisions. Since the mind and body are interconnected, it’s no surprise that a person suffering from depression can find themselves experiencing unexplained aches or pains, like headaches or backaches.

– Depressed people are likely to develop strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt which can cause a cycle of negative unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, that only propagate more negative feelings of ones self.

– Lastly, in more extreme cases, a depressed person can become violent or aggressive at times.

If you are experiencing a few of the aforementioned symptoms for more than 15 days, it is likely you are depressed and you should see a therapist or psychiatrist.

In contrast, laziness is not a pathological medical condition with symptoms like depression. Lazy people know they can do a task, but avoid it because it involves too much effort. So, rather than doing the task, they prefer doing nothing or do a task that is less strenuous even if it’s not the important one that they should be doing.

If you feel lazy most of the time, it doesn’t even mean you are depressed or even unmotivated. You may be surprised to know that there are “happy” procrastinators or slackers. There are a lot of individuals who are inactive, lack willpower and can be extremely lazy and yet do not have depression.

If you’re somebody who has been wondering whether you are depressed or just being lazy and have been thinking, “yeah, I don’t have that…. Nope! ” while I’ve been going through the list of symptoms of a depressed person, then you are probably in the “lazy” category.