Depression In Men. While men suffer from depression at a lower rate than women do, it does not negate the severity of their suffering or the prevalence of depression among men.
According to Data from the National Health Interview Survey:
- 9% of US men feel depressed or anxious daily
- 1 in 3 of these men use medication for these feelings
- 1 in 4 men met with a mental health professional
Some Symptoms Experienced By Men During Depression:
- Suicide attempts or thinking about suicide.
- Overeating or not having any appetite.
- Sleeping too much or having insomnia.
- Being unable to remember details or not concentrating.
- Feeling extremely fatigued.
- Having a decreased libido.
- Feeling empty or sad.
- Feeling hopeless, irritable, or angry.
- Having a loss of interest in work, sex, and family.
- Not being able to meet the responsibilities of work, caring for your family, or other essential activities.
- Men are often unaware of some physical symptoms of depression that include, digestive disorders, headaches and chronic pain.
Factors That May Cause Depression In Men:
- Loss of Work and Stress – Work and career stress, problems with relationships, loss of a loved one or divorce
- Genetic Factors – Those men with a family history of depression are more likely to have the disease when compared to family members who don’t have the disease
- Hormones and Brain Chemistry – The brains in those people who have depression may be more likely to have changes in their brain scans when compared to having brain scans than those who have not had depression. In addition, the hormones that are associated with mood and emotions can affect brain chemistry
How Is Depression In Men Treated?
The initial step to getting the proper treatment is to visit your physician or a mental health professional. They can do lab tests or an examination to
make sure other medical conditions aren’t the cause of your depressive symptoms. They can also identify medicines you are taking may be causing your depression.
The doctor needs to get a complete history and physical examination to make sure that there isn’t a medical cause for your symptoms. Let the doctor know when the symptoms started and how they were treated. Let the physician know whether or not you have had depression before and how it was treated at that time.
WebMD reports that men who do not take steps to treat their depression typically exhibit more frustration, anger, and even violent behavior than women do. Men also tend to fall victim to dangerous risky behaviors, including unsafe sex and reckless driving.
