Depression affects everyone: men and women alike. The trouble is, men are reluctant to say that they’re feeling depressed as they feel that it isn’t the “right thing” to have. Which means that depression in men goes largely unreported and therefore untreated. The latest estimate is that around 6,000,000 men a year suffer from depression in America alone. The reasons are varied but they can include marriage or relationship breakdowns, pressure of work or just a general depressed feeling where the root cause isn’t known.
Men and women alike have the same recognizable symptoms of depression. But they show these signs differently. Men tend to exhibit a lack of sleep (sometimes in the form of insomnia), difficulty concentrating, general tiredness and fatigue and being more irritable than usual. Men also show their depression by being less interested at both work and with their hobbies.
Women suffering from depression tend to head off to see a psychiatrist. Men will stick their head in the sand and start doing other activities to help take their mind off the main problem. The trouble is, some of these activities are bad news and can include drinking to excess, taking drugs or even pushing their car’s performance to its limits (and beyond). If the depression gets too bad, some men even attempt suicide.
Regardless of the cause of your depression, you need to get it treated. Which, of course, means admitting that you’re depressed in the first place. In fact, getting your feelings out in the open can start the process of lifting your depression.
The next step is to decide the kind of treatment that is likely to work best for you, taking into account your current state and your other commitments.
Seeing a psychiatrist may be a good start but you’ll need to schedule a series of appointments to get the best results. There may be a local support group that you can join. Like most support groups, it can help to be with others who are at different stages of dealing with their problems and you should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel more clearly. You also have the advantage of committing to the group, which can work well in reducing your depression.
There are anti-depressant medicines that your doctor can prescribe. As ever with medicines, make sure that you read up on the possible side effects – it’s best to have a good idea of the medicines that are likely to help you before you visit your doctor so that you can have an informed discussion when you visit.
Another alternative that is being used more and more nowadays is to use a natural cure for depression. These are surprisingly effective and don’t carry the possible stigma of some of the other methods. They also fit well with men’s “I can fix it” attitude and if you catch your male depression early enough, no-one but you need know that you’ve been suffering.
You can get more information on self-help for your depression here.
Tags: depression in men, male depression