5 Things You Should Know about Male Depression

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.