Depression in men

It is believed that depressive disorders are more a property of a woman than a man's nature. But scientific studies of recent decades show that men's depression is a phenomenon much more common than most people believe.

Simply boys have been taught since childhood to hide feelings and control their emotions, which is what causes the carefully hidden problems with the inner self of the man.

In addition, it is noted that the testosterone hormone protects men from depression, and if it is susceptible to this disease, then, most likely, the level of this hormone is lowered.

Causes and Symptoms of Depression in Men ^

A specific reason that could be blamed for the occurrence of depression in men is very difficult to name. As a rule, several factors contribute to this, the accumulation of which leads to the effect of the "last drop".

In certain cases, the causes of depression can be hereditary, but most often it provokes stressful situations. Let's list some reasons and events that can play a significant role in the development of depression in men:

• stressful situations at home or at work;
• financial problems;
• forced separation from family or friends;
• physical or verbal abuse;
• problems in relationships with others;
• combat experience;
• death of a loved one;
• divorce or the appearance of family responsibilities related to the care of aging parents, a sick spouse or a young child;
• health problems;
• middle age crisis;
• retirement age.

Manifestations of depressive disorders in men have their own characteristics. Instead of depression, sadness and general decline in activity, characteristic of female depressive disorders, in men, on the contrary, there is a desire to throw out aggression on the world around us. The most common symptoms of male depression are:

• pain, which can manifest itself in quite a variety of forms - in the form of frequent headaches, digestive disorders, sexual dysfunction, problems with the spine. What is characteristic, all these physical symptoms are not amenable to traditional treatment and are of a non-permanent nature;

• anger - this feeling, depending on the severity of the disease, can range from simple irritability to defiantly aggressive behavior that manifests itself in everyday situations and can even reach acts of physical or moral violence against others;

• reckless behavior - often a man suffering from depression, begins to show a craving for high-risk actions - for example, extreme sports, gambling or drinking alcohol or drugs.

Other manifestations of male depressive disorders are also possible.

Distinguishing signs of female and male depression ^

The flow of female and male depressive disorders is quite significant. Where a woman is inclined to blame herself and prefers to extinguish the conflict at any cost, the man, on the contrary, places responsibility on what is happening on others and promotes the inflating of even more quarrels and discord in relationships with others.

It is possible to identify a number of other distinctive features of female and male depression:

In women	In men
Appearance of sadness, apathy and uselessness	Prevailing of anger, increased irritability and feelings of excessive self-esteem
Feeling of anxiety and fear, self-pity	Appearance of suspicion towards others
Increased excitement can turn into feelings of hostility and general irritability	Anxiety and excitement prevail over all other emotions.
There is an inability to assemble, concentrate, make an important decision for themselves	There is a need to establish control over everything that surrounds it
A woman easily recognizes her insecurity, vulnerability and weakness	A man is afraid that others will notice his despair and inability to cope with the situation on his own

Another important difference in the development of depression in women and men isthe fact that the first disease is most often accompanied by a deterioration or total loss of appetite, a discharge or a set of excess body weight, whereas in the latter it often leads to the abuse of alkoOl, drugs, watching TV enthusiastically.

It is quite difficult to diagnose male depression, because the representatives of the stronger sex are almost inclined to share their feelings with anyone and especially with psychotherapists. Therefore, the treatment of male depressive disorders can be accompanied by certain difficulties.

Types of depression in men ^

The development of depression in men is very often associated with certain periods of their life, during which the susceptibility to depressive moods increases and makes a man very vulnerable to the slightest stresses and disappointments. Let us consider only some of them.

• Postpartum depression in men. The birth of a child is a stress not only for women, but also for men whose way of life is completely changed. Moreover, his post-partum melancholy of the wife, her sharp mood swings, aggression towards her husband or even a child make her note to the development of depressive male disorders. As a result, a great responsibility for caring for the newborn baby and moral support of the wife falls on the shoulders of the man. Many men do not withstand such a load of problems and simply break down.

• Depression after a divorce. This kind of depressive disorder affects not only women, but also men. The difference is that depression affects a woman almost immediately after the divorce, and men develop 2-3 years after the dissolution of the marriage. By this time, the euphoria from freedom from family obligations and the opportunity to meet with different women is passing, and disappointment comes, a man becomes possessed by a sense of worthlessness and uselessness, which becomes the cause of deep depression.

• The crisis of middle age. This is exactly the period of life for a man when he begins to evaluate his own achievements and analyze the quality of personal relationships. If the results look disappointing, and the prospects are vague, then fertile ground is formed for the development of depression. Stress can be exacerbated by health problems or unfulfilled family relationships.

• The stress of retirement age is conditioned by the awareness of a decrease in the importance for society and sometimes for the family. With age, it is also increasingly necessary to experience the death of loved ones, in addition, sometimes aging is accompanied by a loss of independence, which becomes a powerful stress factor.

• Depression related to health problems. The development of depressive states can contribute to a number of serious diseases, for example, anxiety disorders, chronic diseases( HIV, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease), stroke, cardiovascular disease, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorders.

• Sometimes, depression is caused by taking certain medications.

All this - not the most complete list of types of possible depressive disorders in men.

How to get out of depression: advice of psychologists ^

An effective way to combat depression in men is to change the way of life and correct priorities. Here are some important tips to help remove depressive symptoms in a man and protect him from their return:

• always have a clear goal;
• be busy all day long;
• do not give up the friendly support of close people;
• exercise regularly;
• adhere to the diet - eat more carbohydrate foods, restrict the intake of protein. Increase the intake of food containing B vitamins;
• more sleep;
• restrict alcohol and smoking;
• be careful with the use of medicines;
• more walk in the daytime - this will protect you from the negative manifestations of seasonal autumn depression.

It is also worthwhile to postpone the adoption of important decisions until your state stabilizes. Do not expect instant mood improvements - everything takes time. But if you do not observe positive changes in your life after the expiration, the best way to solve the problem will be to turn to professionals - in the case of deep depression, you often need medication and psychotherapy. Remember - your health is in your hands!

We also recommend you to watch a video of the famous psychotherapist Elman Osmanov about symptoms and modern methods of depression treatment: