Depression is a
serious condition. Like any condition it needs to be treated by a professional.
It could lead to dire consequences such as suicide. Men are unlikely to be open
about experiencing depression. It is important that you are able to tell
whether your boyfriend, husband, male friend or brother is suffering from
depression. The earlier you can tell the better the cure will become.
Alcohol
or substance abuse
Men tend to turn to
alcohol to drown their depression. Since males are less likely to express themselves
when they feel depressed, increased alcohol intake is a cue you should
consider. This is not only very harmful for the body especially the kidneys and
liver, it may also trigger episodes that could lead to suicidal tendencies.
Also, men could engage in drug abuse, a powder keg waiting to explode. It is
because they prefer to resort to these wrongful coping mechanisms rather than
tell the world how they feel and what kind of predicament they are in. Most of
the time, men would just choose to let all these negative emotions bottle up
inside them. Unfortunately, keeping your negative feelings and problems to
yourself will only increase the risk of these issues not being resolved. You
should know that men are four times prone to committing suicide than women.
Changes
in eating patterns
Changes can be
either less food intake or increased food intake. If your man is eating less
than usual or has no appetite to eat on time then you should be worried.
Chances are he is suffering from depression. On the flipside, if your man is
voracious and consumes food more than he usually does, it opens a can of worms.
Not only he can be depressed but also exposes his body to harm by eating more
than he is supposed to. He can develop high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension
and other lifestyle diseases. Once you
notice your man experiencing these signs of depression you must be quick enough
to find ways of helping him get out of such quagmire.
Men
tend to feel a lot of physical pain
Depression can be a
condition of the mind. Unfortunately, it could become more painful for males.
Men tend to have physical pain attributed to depression. They may complain about nausea,
dizziness, headaches, stomachaches or chest pain. Primary health care professionals
may not be able to diagnose this properly as something linked to depression. However,
you must still insist on undergoing thorough physical laboratory tests. It
would also be wise to consult a therapist or psychiatrist for better chances of
getting accurate diagnosis.
Depressed
men don’t look sad
If we equate
depression with a gloomy state then it does not work on males. Men tend to hide
their feelings which become a challenge to health professionals to diagnose
depression at an early stage. Although the male may not show signs that he is
sad; it could come in other forms such as lack of sleep, extreme anxiety and
lethargy. Men are more likely to feel angry rather than appear sad. If your man
is easily annoyed than usual, then chances are he is suffering from depression.
Men
don’t cry; they become violent
Women cope with
depression by crying. Since media and upbringing has forced men not to cry a
lot, they use other avenues as their release. Some men would act irrational or
reckless. They could develop a new zeal about their work or take up a hobby and
become passionate about it. Sometimes men tend to become violent and unable to
digest understanding and reject the voice of reason.
We all know that
depression is also rooted by the lack or absence of certain chemicals in the
brain. If you feel that your man is suffering from depression, seek
professional help right away. Convince him that asking for help is not a sign
of weakness but strength to acknowledge that there is something wrong waiting
to be fixed.
About
the Author: Ryan Rivera used to suffer from anxiety
attacks for seven years. He now
dedicates his life helping those people who are suffering from stress, anxiety and
depression through his writings. You can
read more of his articles at Calm Clinic.
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