I've noticed too that how we experience things...men and women...can be different. I think it has something to do with the social expectations put upon us as we grow up. The men? well...they're supposed to be strong and never vulnerable...a rock of the family. I think sometimes too this has caused the men in our lives to suffer quietly and without help.
Today I'd like to share some information about how depression can look different for the men in our lives. I am not sharing this information to replace the conversation with your doctor but to start one. If you notice the signs of this in yourself....please know that you don't have go this alone. Men do and can experience depression sometimes in life and there is help available. Please love yourself enough to seek the help you need. If you notice the signs in your partner, friend, or family member....please let them know it's okay to talk about it...let them know you're there for them too...that they aren't weak or less of a man...because they're NOT! they're human and the men in our lives are hurting too.
Depression affects so many people...men, women and even children. It's not something that is easily talked about but we need to. Things won't change until we start talking to and supporting one another. There is help but often we don't believe we worth it. WE ARE!! and yes that includes you too! If you notice the signs in yourself or someone you know and love...reach out for the help you need and which is available.
Please?
We all know that men experience many things differently than women – but did you know that depression is often one of them? Men can experience depression differently – and may not recognize that their symptoms are stemming from a mental health condition. Depression has a complex profile of symptoms—the illness comes on insidiously in many ways, affecting mood, focus, even the body. Depression in men can manifest as back pain, fatigue, or frequent stomach aches. Men are more likely to report irritability, stress or substance abuse than sadness. In fact, it’s possible to be depressed without feeling sad. Instead, depression can manifest through physical symptoms – like sleeping too much or too little, frequently feeling tired, loss of interest in sex or actual sexual dysfunction, and consistently poor appetite. Some men move or speak slower than usual, while others feel restless or agitated. Instead of consulting a primary care physician or mental health professional to investigate these symptoms, some men still escape through work or substance use, or even more dangerously, look to suicide as a way to escape the pain.
In a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 24% of men reported that they thought they have had depression, and yet we know that far fewer seek help. That’s a gap between illness and seeking help that we need to close, because untreated depression can lapse into a chronic disease. We wouldn’t ignore other physical health conditions, and depression is too serious of an illness to leave untreated.
The good news is the vast majority of men who seek treatment find it helpful – 72% found prescription medication helpful, and 85% were helped by in-person psychotherapy. We also know that men are getting smarter about mental health, especially young men. In the survey, men 18-34 identified seeking treatment for mental health conditions as a sign of strength far more than older men—by as much as 19%. That difference in perspective could signal a future shift toward more informed attitudes about mental health. Because with depression, it’s not about how tough you are. Depression is a serious illness that affects even the most resilient men, and it can have a major impact on your relationships, your career, and your physical health. The sooner you seek treatment for it, the less damage it can do.
By Christine Moutier, MD
Friday, September 25, 2015
Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention