When the stress response fails to shut off and reset after a difficult situation has passed, it can lead to depression.

Stress is good if it motivates you but it's bad if it wears you down. Many factors can contribute to the stress you experience, and this stress can cause changes in your body that affect your overall physical, mental, and emotional health.

Depression is not the blues, sadness or even grief. It is an over-whelming despair so bleak that people who have experienced it say that it is the worst pain they have ever endured. Depression is more serious and long-lasting than stress, and requires a different kind of help. Depression is a treatable mental illness.

While there have been changes in people’s attitudes, the stigma associated with mental illnesses has meant that many people with depression never seek treatment. The good news is that depression is a highly treatable condition. However, it's not something you can snap out of by yourself, so it's important to get help.

Here are common signs of stress and depression. Which fits you best?