Citation – Can Stress Lead to Depression?

Interested to see my article on the benefits of stress cited in this Life Insurance post about the impact of stress on depression. Can stress lead to depression? To be sure, stress and its impact on depression is a complicated relationship. Chronic, unmanaged stress can indeed lead to feelings of overwhelm and helplessness. How you think about stress, and what you do with it, can determine whether stress is a positive or a negative in your life. Stress is an invitation to solve a problem. Ignoring it, and letting it build, can indeed lead to depression as the post notes. Finding the positive side of stress can go a long way towards staving off depression.

Stress is a normal part of life, be it studying for finals, proving one’s self at work, or handling a newborn’s colic at night. Stress, at regular levels, can even make our lives better, according to psychologist Dr. Alicia Clark. Yet, unfortunately, for some people the normal, healthy, and self-motivating stress can cross a critical line into chronic, debilitating stress. In turn, sustained stress can lead to depression. In fact, according to medical advising site WebMD, 90% of people classified as clinically depressed link their depression to stressful events. In other words, most people’s depression has its kernel beginnings in stress.

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