Men's Depression: A Potentially Fatal Condition
Depending on who you ask, depression is sometimes viewed as a temporary condition while others consider it a very serious disorder. Some say that depression only happens during puberty, others say it is the condition that defines midlife crisis, and still for some, it is a condition that only affects women.
The truth of the matter is, depression is not gender-selective. Depression affects men equally as it affects women. The problem is that male depression is seldom diagnosed. And because it is not brought to the attention of qualified professionals who can help, there is a trend for fatalities resulting from depression to be higher among men.
The truth of the matter is, depression is not gender-selective. Depression affects men equally as it affects women. The problem is that male depression is seldom diagnosed. And because it is not brought to the attention of qualified professionals who can help, there is a trend for fatalities resulting from depression to be higher among men.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the rate of suicide among men is four times higher than women. Depression is usually one of the top risk factors that lead to suicide.
Depression among men usually finds its root in the workplace. Usually there are factors in the workplace that individuals have no control over but somehow weigh heavily on the person. These may include, among others:
The list goes on. Any of these, a combination or maybe even all of these easily add up to a very dangerous situation for some men. And as if job related stress were not enough, some may even be experiencing problems at home--with the wife, or the kids or being deep in debt, etc.
The primary reason for male depression being under-diagnosed is simply because men are less willing to seek professional help than women. To compound the problem, men do not often exhibit some of the classic symptoms of depression like women do. These include sadness, feelings of guilty and uselessness and so on.
There are some signs though that men will exhibit that could indicate that they are in a state of depression and oftentimes, these signs occupy two differing extremes as you will see here:
Some male individuals feel that it is not manly to open up about their problems. They associate feeling sad as a sign of weakness. Sadly, these misplaced priorities and insecurities about one's manhood are often the reasons that lead some to take their own lives.
As one ages, especially at the point of transitioning into the midlife phase, the risk of depression increases simply because the factors that lead to it suddenly become a bit more serious. There are more responsibilities which not necessarily everyone is prepared for.
If you are reading this and believe that you are beginning to show any of the aforementioned signs, it may help for you to know that there are crisis centers that provide for anonymity when you decide to go for a consultation. They are often listed in your area's yellow pages. For those who may know of someone that's beginning to show those same signs, it may be time to intervene. Male depression is a very serious condition that could lead to some very serious consequences.
Depression among men usually finds its root in the workplace. Usually there are factors in the workplace that individuals have no control over but somehow weigh heavily on the person. These may include, among others:
- lack of job security;
- being overtaken in the promotion process;
- unusual working hours;
- overbearing bosses;
The list goes on. Any of these, a combination or maybe even all of these easily add up to a very dangerous situation for some men. And as if job related stress were not enough, some may even be experiencing problems at home--with the wife, or the kids or being deep in debt, etc.
The primary reason for male depression being under-diagnosed is simply because men are less willing to seek professional help than women. To compound the problem, men do not often exhibit some of the classic symptoms of depression like women do. These include sadness, feelings of guilty and uselessness and so on.
There are some signs though that men will exhibit that could indicate that they are in a state of depression and oftentimes, these signs occupy two differing extremes as you will see here:
- withdrawn or uncaring;
- feeling fatigued most of the time;
- unable to sleep at night;
- becomes easily irritable;
- can be overly aggressive to the point of seeking out conflicts;
- resorts to alcohol or substance abuse;
- begins to talk about death and destruction.
Some male individuals feel that it is not manly to open up about their problems. They associate feeling sad as a sign of weakness. Sadly, these misplaced priorities and insecurities about one's manhood are often the reasons that lead some to take their own lives.
As one ages, especially at the point of transitioning into the midlife phase, the risk of depression increases simply because the factors that lead to it suddenly become a bit more serious. There are more responsibilities which not necessarily everyone is prepared for.
If you are reading this and believe that you are beginning to show any of the aforementioned signs, it may help for you to know that there are crisis centers that provide for anonymity when you decide to go for a consultation. They are often listed in your area's yellow pages. For those who may know of someone that's beginning to show those same signs, it may be time to intervene. Male depression is a very serious condition that could lead to some very serious consequences.
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