Depression vs. Laziness (Detailed Difference)

Depression and laziness are vast topics to discuss; you may have read many articles on this topic, but let me simplify this discussion. Around us, so many people are facing depression and laziness. Over the past few years, depression has been spreading rapidly among people.

Depression may result from abuse or other forms of violence, the death of someone, or family problems, but now it’s also prevalent in teenagers. But on the other hand, laziness is not a disease; it’s a symptom of a disease, or sometimes it’s a choice.

It’s vital not to conflate the two ideas because laziness and depression are two entirely different medical conditions. Knowing the essential distinctions between laziness and depression will make it easier for you to obtain the support you require.

Depression

Depression is a psychological disorder. It is a momentum stage. Nearly 10% of the world’s population suffers from depression, a mood disorder that is increasing fast among teens and young adults.

Many people are dealing with depression, but only a few are aware of it. Depression can only be identified by one’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Depressed people mainly focus on the negativity surrounding them, which is dangerous and affects their mental well-being.

Depression doesn’t always have a clear trigger. Therefore, it is hard to find.

Depressed persons’ feelings change with time; sometimes, they feel sleepy all day and night, but sometimes they face insomnia. To understand depression, we need to talk about symptoms, and several factors, including environmental factors.

*A depressed person standing and looking outside the window*

Types of Depression

Depression is a disorder that may lead to serious health problems. However, most people aren’t aware of the type of depression they are going through.

Here is the list of its forms so you may become clear before seeking medical advice or taking any medication.

1. MDD

It’s major depressive disorder, a form that has intense symptoms that can last longer. It interrupts daily life routines.

2. Bipolar Depression

Bipolar disorder patients experience manic and depressive mood swings regularly. They also experience symptoms of depression, including distress, sadness, or lack of energy.

3. Postpartum Depression

Primarily, mothers suffer from this type of depression. It occurs around birth, specifically during pregnancy or one year after having a baby. The “baby blues” are only one symptom that results in mild sadness, anxiety, or stress.

4. Persistent Depressive Disorder

Dysthymia is another word for this type of disorder. Its symptoms are less severe than major depression. However, it can have a period of two years or longer.

5. Premenstrual Disorder

It is found in females. Some women might experience related signs and symptoms days or weeks before their period starts.

6. Psychotic Depression

Psychotic depression includes hallucinations delusions, and other depressive symptoms. Hallucinations mean people see, touch, and hear those things that don’t exist.

At the same time, delusions are those beliefs that aren’t reality-based. Therefore, people with all these symptoms and those around them may suffer greatly.

7. SAD

Seasonal depression, often known as SAD, typically begins in late fall or early winter. It often vanishes before the start of spring and summer.

Symptoms Related to Depression

First, depression has symptoms related to how someone feels, which include a constant feeling of sadness, anger, guilt, or hopelessness.
Secondly, behavioral symptoms; include isolation, lack of energy and motivation, poor concentration, insomnia, and significant changes in appetite.
Thirdly, the feeling of sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness, and frustration over small matters.
Finally, changes in thoughts include poor self-esteem, thoughts of suicide, and loss of interest; they think they don’t deserve anything better, everything is hopeless, and there is no point in doing anything to benefit themselves.

Factors Affecting Depression

Many factors significantly increase the risk of depression; it doesn’t have a single cause.

Stress
Poor physical health
Living alone
Genetics or family history
Conflict
Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
Dealing with grief and loss
Hormonal imbalance

Lifestyle Changing Factors

Physical health is an integral part of mental health; people who are not healthy are at an increased risk of mental illness, such as depression.

Some of the lifestyle-changing factors are as follows:

Usage of drugs and alcohol
Poor diet, including excess sugar or caffeine
Overwork or poor sleep
Lack of exercise
Excessive use of smartphones and social media
Childhood trauma

Environmental Factors

Poverty and financial insecurities
Housing and homelessness
Education and lifelong earnings
Employment
Crime, violence, and safety issues
Natural disasters
Cultural and religious upbringing

Socio-Demographic Factor

Among all psychological disorders, depression is one of the most prevalent. It affects any person of any age group. It’s estimated that 10% to 15% of the world population experiences mental disorders.

According to research, most women are suffering from depression or have other mental illnesses. The World Health Organization estimated that 5% of men and 9% of women live with depression; nowadays, teenagers are also getting by it.

For young people aged 15 to 24, suicide is the third-leading cause of death; about 20% of teens experience depression before they reach adulthood. If we talk about a particular region or country, the United States is the most affected area by depression.

Treatment for Depression

Depression can be treated with proper medication, family or couple counseling, self-help strategies, meditation & relaxation, exercise, and psychotherapy.

The majority of depressed people find relief from their symptoms with medication and counseling. Medication can be prescribed by your primary care physician or psychiatrist to treat symptoms. But many depressed people also gain from consulting a psychiatric doctor, psychologist, or other mental health experts.

Laziness

Lazy people are not motivated but are perfectly happy not to do anything. Laziness is not a personality disorder or disease; it can be a symptom of a disease or a habit.

Due to laziness, people constantly ignore important things for later. Lack of motivation or not having enough energy to do something.

But once lazy people are placed in a suitable environment, they feel much more motivated. They don’t have any significant behavior alterations and are not affected by physical issues, but sometimes they feel fatigued and have insomnia.

Types of Laziness

Physical Laziness
Spiritual Laziness
Mental Laziness
Existential Laziness

Disclaimer: Existential laziness is closely related to depression.

Reason for Laziness

According to psychologists, a lazy person may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, low self-confidence, and a lack of interest in the activity.

There could be a multitude of reasons, or it’s a personal choice to do nothing. These are some possible reasons for laziness. Lack of motivation is the primary reason for laziness. Sometimes, laziness can also happen due to lack of sleep or excessive workload.

It can occur due to some health issues or iron deficiency. If you do not eat or sleep properly, you experience low energy and aren’t motivated to do anything. If you are dehydrated, have an unhealthy or unbalanced diet, have poor lifestyle choices, or do no exercise that might be the reason for laziness.

An unambitious person with no specific goal in life, having fear of responsibilities, some distraction or exhausting issues having a dependent life with procrastination (when a person always postpones essential things) problems might be suffering from laziness.

How Do I Know I Am Lazy?

Spend lots of time on social media
Delay doing work and wait until the last minute
You give yourself excuses
You don’t set goals and plan for the future
Low energy and motivation
Changes in sleeping habits
Difficulty in concentrating

How to Overcome Laziness?

Firstly, don’t accept that you are perfect.
Make your goals manageable.
Use positive instead of negative self-talk.
Create a plan for your work and do it for sure.
Use your strength and motivate yourself.
Do your task with a positive attitude.

Difference Between Depression and Laziness

Depression and laziness have many similarities; both can result in a lack of productivity. However, depression is a medical condition, but laziness is a habit of being lethargic. Depression and laziness have so many common factors and symptoms.