Someone who is stressed out might complain about bills, her husband and her annoying neighbor. Someone who is depressed may have a hard time getting out of bed or taking care of her children.
Basics
Stress occurs in everyone's lives. Receiving a huge student loan bill, going through a divorce and planning a wedding can be sources of stress. However, not everyone becomes depressed.
Stress Causing Depression
Overwhelming amounts of stress and poor coping skills can result in depression, but there are other factors in the causation of depression such as genetics and a lack of social support.
Physical Symptoms
There are physical symptoms for both such as headaches, stomachaches and sleep problems. With depression, the physical symptoms would be magnified.
Emotional Symptoms
With both, a person can be irritable or upset. However, with depression, someone would be greatly impacted in various areas of her life such as at work or school, socially and in regards to family. Extreme sadness, thoughts of suicide and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness are signs of depression.
Treatment
Stress can be dealt with by learning healthy coping mechanisms such as exercising and meditation. However, depression can be extremely debilitating and might require therapy and medication.
