Dealing With Depression in Men

We don’t hear about depression in men nearly as often as depression in women, but male depression has several different causes and effects that are quite unique to males of all ages — something about being from Mars, I guess. A lot of depression in men can be traced to the standards set by society. How a man reacts to these archetype has a major role in determining whether symptoms of depression will rear it’s ugly face.

One of the main reasons why male depression is different is because the gender roles in society have a different approach. Women are much freer to be open with their feelings, while men are expected to be the opposite. He is required by society to be tough and strong and to keep his emotions under control. This attempt to put on a tough guy act while staying in control of emotions is probably one of the main reasons a man can get depressed, especially if it goes against his true nature.

Often male depression is connected to self-criticism and repression of emotions. Women, on the other hand, most often have depression problems grounded in dependency and low self-esteem issues. Since they’re repressing, men will often show their depression in a different way as well. For example, violence and suicide are much higher in men than in women.

Another characteristic of depression in men is their avoidance of therapy. With the tough guy role society often expects them to play, many men avoid therapy because they perceive that it shows some sign of weakness. Those who do decide to get therapy often find it difficult to change and eliminate their repressed emotions and begin to speak freely. This attitude is clearly one of the major differences regarding depression between men and women.

While the difference in the way they handle depression is different, the feelings that tend to be more dominant between genders is also different. Men often refer to depression as fatigue, frustration, irritability, loss of concentration, sleep disturbance or a loss of interest in their work. Women, on the other hand, will tend to blame their depression on sadness and guilt.

There are several ways a man can evaluate his actions to determine if he’s depressed, or if there are factors related to stress or other external problems that are getting him down. If he seems to feel tired more than usual, then it’s a possible sign that he’s depressed. If his interest in his daily activities suddenly takes a nose dive, this could also be a good sign that he may be slipping into depression. Sudden outbursts of anger or sadness, as well as frustration are all warning signs. It helps to look at how his body is reacting to the environment to evaluate whether depression is on the horizon.

Women are more likely to seek help then men. As a result, men will find ways to flip their problem with depression into something else, with some form of addiction being the result. Becoming a workaholic, or addicted to alcohol, drugs, violent or reckless behavior often result when men become depressed.

One thing men need to learn is that if they believe they are having a problem with depression, it’s okay to get help. Psychotherapy can be the right choice and having a physical is another. Often their doctor will recommend anti-depressant drugs, which is one approach. However, the downside to drugs is the side-effects are often as bad as the disease. The good news is there are natural cures for depression that include life-style adjustments and natural remedies that have a longer lasting and more positive effect than drug therapy. What’s important is to seek some form of help before feelings of suicide start to take hold. More information on how to use natural cures to combat depression can be found at Conquer Anxiety and Depression.com

Certainly depression in men is different than women for many reasons, but women’s depression is no less debilitating. What’s important is for both genders to take action quickly to find the cause and a cure to prevent addictive behaviors, violence or even suicide from happening and thus disrupting their lives and the lives of family and friends.

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Glenn Cutforth is a writer, eBook publisher and graphic designer.

Visit his websites at: Self-Help and Wellness.com and HowToClassics.com

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