Depression rarely looks like the flat, sad stereotype most people picture. It shows up as irritability, as exhaustion nobody can explain, as someone who's still meeting every deadline while feeling nothing underneath it. It also frequently overlaps with anxiety rather than replacing it — a large share of people with one condition meet criteria for the other. These guides focus on the distinctions that actually matter: what separates depression from burnout, from anxiety, and from ordinary low mood, plus the cognitive patterns — like the distortions CBT specifically targets — that keep it entrenched.
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CBT by Condition
Depression
Depression and anxiety overlap more than most people realize, and depression itself often looks nothing like the textbook description. Here is how to tell what you are actually dealing with.
Guides in this topic
anxiety vs depressionanxiety or depression
Is It Anxiety or Depression? How to Tell the Difference
Learn how to distinguish between anxiety and depression. Understand the symptoms, overlaps, and why you might have both conditions.
burnout vs depressiondifference between burnout and depression
Burnout vs Depression: How to Tell Which One You Have
Exhausted, empty, and can't switch off? Learn the key differences between burnout and depression, why it matters for recovery, and what science says actually helps.
DepressionMental Health
How to Tell If Someone You Love Is Depressed (And What to Do About It)
Depression rarely looks like crying on the floor. More often it looks like a person who is still showing up, still smiling, still saying they're fine. Here's what the research says about the real signs, and how to actually help.
DepressionMental Health
High-Functioning Depression: When You Look Fine But Feel Nothing
High-functioning depression is one of the most overlooked mental health conditions. You're still going to work, still socializing, still getting things done. But inside, something has gone quiet. Here's what the research says, and what actually helps.
cognitive distortionsCBT
What Are Cognitive Distortions and How Do You Fix Them
Cognitive distortions are thinking patterns that make things seem worse than they are. Here is how to identify the most common ones and what to actually do about them.
cognitive distortionsCBT
What Are Cognitive Distortions and How Does CBT Fix Them?
Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that fuel anxiety and depression. Learn what they are, how to spot them, and how CBT helps you fix them.
PostpartumAnxiety
Postpartum Anxiety: The Condition That Gets Less Attention Than Postpartum Depression
Postpartum anxiety is at least as common as postpartum depression, but far less discussed. Here's how to recognize it and what actually helps.
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