Men And Depression

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I am using information from National Institute Of Mental Health

There will be several posts that I will post with the source mentioned above.


Introduction

Men and women both experience depression but their symptoms can be very different. Because men who are depressed may appear to be angry or aggressive instead of sad, their families, friends, and even their doctors may not always recognize the anger or aggression as depression symptoms. In addition, men are less likely than women to recognize, talk about, and seek treatment for depression. Yet depression affects a large number of men.

What is depression?

Everyone feels sad or irritable and has trouble sleeping once in a while. But these feelings and troubles usually pass after a couple of days. Depression is a common but serious mood disorder that may cause severe symptoms. Depression affects the ability to feel, think, and handle daily activities. Also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, a man must have symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with depression.

Both men and women get depression but their willingness to talk about their feelings may be very different. This is one of the reasons that depression symptoms for men and women may be very different as well.

For example, some men with depression hide their emotions and may seem to be angry, irritable, or aggressive while many women seem sad or express sadness. Men with depression may feel very tired and lose interest in work, family, or hobbies. They may be more likely to have difficulty sleeping than women who have depression. Sometimes mental health symptoms appear to be physical issues. For example, a racing heart, tightening chest, ongoing headaches, or digestive issues can be signs of a mental health problem. Many men are more likely to see their doctor about physical symptoms than emotional symptoms.

Some men may turn to drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their emotional symptoms. Also, while women with depression are more likely to attempt suicide, men are more likely to die by suicide because they tend to use more lethal methods.

Depression can affect any man at any age. With the right treatment, most men with depression can get better and gain back their interest in work, family, and hobbies.

“My daily routine was shot. I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I got up because the dog had to be walked and my wife needed to go to work. The day would go by and I didn’t know where it went. I wanted to get back to normal. I just wanted to be myself again.”
—Jimmy, Firefighter

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Comments (

6

)

  1. ashleyleia

    The stereotypes that men aren’t supposed to express emotions is so damaging in this sense.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. rts – Facing the Challenges of Mental Health

      That is so true!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. What are the signs and symptoms of depression in men? – rts

    […] is the  continuation of Men And Depression. As a male suffering with being bi-polar it is important that we need men to step forward to share […]

    Like

  3. cheriewhite

    Awesome post, Richard! And it’s a shame that man are conditioned from the time they’re little boys not to cry in public nor show “weakness!” And I think that’s wrong! It’s a bunch of hogwash! Men a human beings too and should be allowed to be human beings!

    Liked by 2 people

  4. accelerated recovery

    That’s right- men and women have different symptoms of depression. Let me explain to you, When a man is depressed, he gets angry and shows anger with sharp eyes even speaks very loudly. When a woman suffers from depression, she is quit and speak less.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. rts – Facing the Challenges of Mental Health

      Thank you so much for your information.

      Like

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