Male Depression
Many men think they should power through extreme fatigue, push aside feeling unhealthy or unhappy as something everyone experiences, and not share when they feel sad — in other words, ignore the symptoms of depression. It’s an attitude that leads to a lot of emotional pain.
More than 6 million American men experience significant depression each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Men are more reluctant to seek help than women because they fear the stigma of speaking up about something they think is a sign of weakness — a perception that can harm health and quality of life, and even lead to suicide.
What does male depression feel like? The short answer: both similar and dissimilar to depression in women. Both genders may experience changes in mood, disinterest in formerly enjoyable activities, hopelessness, disruptions in energy and appetite.
Men, however, are more likely to attempt to cope with their feelings by using drugs and alcohol and express their feelings by lashing out at others or putting themselves in dangerous situations.
Don’t let depression fool you into thinking there’s no hope of getting better — 80 percent of depressed individuals improve with treatment, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The first step: Speak with your doctor, who can rule out other causes for your symptoms. He or she may recommend antidepressant medications or refer you for one-on-one psychotherapy with a mental health professional so you can better understand your symptoms and how to manage them.
When you seek help, you’re not waving a white flag at depression — you’re taking a stand for the people you love, and most importantly, for yourself.
A 2013 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that men suffer from depression more than they may think and often don’t believe they have the condition because they experience less well-known symptoms.
Researchers used two sets of symptoms to evaluate approximately 5,700 men and women for depression. One list included both gender-neutral and typically male-associated signs, and another featured only indicators usually found in men, such as testiness and rash behavior.
When evaluating the blended criteria, results revealed that slightly more women than men — 33.3 percent to 30.6 percent — had dealt with depression. However, when the “male symptoms” list was evaluated, 26.3 percent of men reported having experienced depression compared to 21.9 percent of women.
Depression manifests itself in many ways, and it’s crucial to know how to spot it. If you do, don’t ignore it.
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