You sometimes have to wonder! In many cultures around the world, men suffer a greater social stigma than women when it comes to clinical depression in men. But manic-depression, anxiety disorder, and “generic” depression has no sexual bias - the same kinds of chemical imbalances that affect women can affect men as well, and medications for depression in men work the same as they do in women.

But men have a distinct set of barriers to getting the same treatment. Men are less likely to admit to depression, preferring to deny their psychological pains. Men’s peer groups are less ready to accept depression signs in men; guy friends will just say, “Buck up! Snap out of it!” Really, they’re just men being men.

Depression in men also is less likely to get diagnosed; the symptoms will be taken to have external causes, such as stress or grief, rather than the internal forces that give them clinical depression. It could even turn out that future research will bear out depression more common in men than women - if they can ever be brought to just admit it to themselves. this claim may seem to go against conventional wisdom, but remember, we’re still researching this. Just last century, depression was diagnosed as being caused by demonic possession and treated with lobotomies. Who’s to say we don’t have that much ground yet to cover?

The Chemical Cocktail

The differences between depression in men and women are usually explained by the different brain chemistry. The current prevailing wisdom has it that it is a matter of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, and since men naturally have more of these than women, women are - voila! - more susceptible. But not every man’s brain is the same.

The Environmental Maze

Furthermore, the causes of depression are often emphasized as feminine symptoms - postpartum depression, for example. But men have plenty of opportunities to have depression triggered as well:

* divorce or the end of a long-term relationship,
* poverty or unemployment,
* addictions such as gambling or alcoholism,
* grief over the loss of a loved one,
* sexual difficulties,
* work-related stress

…all of these affect men as well as women, and in many cases men are more vulnerable to these situations. It could well be that issues common to men, such as alcoholism or violent acts against society, are actually just depression symptoms in disguise. Men in depression are more likely to mask the symptoms with aggression or chemical addiction.

The effects of depression in men on the family can be devastating. Here again, perhaps we’d have fewer cases of domestic violence or “deadbeat dads” if we had a better handle on depression in men. It stands to reason that a person suffering from depression would be more likely to snap under pressure.

Signs of Depression in Men

* a persistent anxious or “empty” mood,
* being hopeless and pessimistic
* expressing feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
* loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
* lack of energy
* difficulty in memory, concentration, or making decisions
* sleep problems - either insomnia or hypersomnia
* appetite change - eating too much or too little
* dwelling on death or attempting suicide
* restlessness and irritability
* persistent complaints of physical symptoms - headache, backache, nausea, and so on

Startlingly, men who are depressed are more likely to talk about the physical symptoms of their depression rather than the emotional and psychological ones. So, a depressed man will worry, the worry will lead to an ulcer, the ulcer will at last drive the man to seek treatment - but only to treat the stomach pain. This is in keeping with the common tendency that men have to focus on the physical, rather than emotional, problem.

Ironically, depression and other mood disorders are every bit as physical as a stomach ulcer, because they are largely a matter of brain chemistry. But to the male sex, mood disorders are forever associated with that “mushy feeling stuff” that they prefer not to pay attention to.

The Mask

Depression in men is often “covert depression”. With covert depression, you don’t see the disease, but instead see the footprints of the disease or the defenses a man is using to run away from it. We may see the self-medication, isolation or lashing out in anger. The self-medication may be drinking, drugging, or womanizing. It can even be expressed as a need to seek oblivion, such as obsessions with gambling or even just watching TV.

Men simply do not reach out for help the way women do. They want to see themselves as “tough guys”, they want to ignore their own feelings, and in many cases men simply don’t have the wiring in the brain to recognize depression in the first place.

Several psychologists in the field are beginning to recognize the complications with men and depression, and are publishing their findings on the subject. Perhaps we have reached a tipping point, where the public perception of depression as a “women’s disease” will be shattered and society will learn to pay equal attention to depression symptoms - no matter who has them! Here are some easy-read depression treatment resources we have reviewed in summary form should you need to know more.

A news report on depression and men on YouTube:

You can go on to read about Male Migraine and Depression or you can gain further insight at this page on depression treatment which has some reviewed guides, resources and services on treating depression. Let’s face it, you only have to learn one thing to be in front and improving.

 Copyright 2007 Depression Assistance

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