Symptoms of Depression in Men

10/03/2022

Do you feel agitated, withdrawn, or lonely? Do you feel as though you are constantly working? Drinking excessively? These can be signs of male depression.

Men and women experience depression in various ways. Unhealthful coping mechanisms may conceal male depression. And that is the reason it frequently remains misdiagnosed, and if left untreated, it has disastrous effects. But treatment for male depression typically results in better improvement.

Signs and symptoms of male depression

Men and women may exhibit different symptoms and signs of depression. Also, men differ from women in their usage of coping mechanisms, both unhealthy and healthy ones. But the reason men and women feel depression differently is not clear. It may be due to life events, hormones, and brain chemistry.

Similar to women with depression, men with depression usually experience:

  • Feel hopeless, sad, and void
  • Feel incredibly exhausted
  • Feel incredibly exhausted
  • Sleep excessively or struggle to sleep
  • Not finding pleasure in any of the activities they usually like

Other Behaviors that could help are:

  • Escapist actions, like spending more time in sport or at work than usual
  • Physical signs, like pain, discomfort, and headaches
  • Sudden drug or alcohol abuse
  • Abusive, violent, or controlling attitude
  • Easily irritated or inappropriately angry
  • Risky conduct, like driving carelessly

Professional assistance is essential for accurate diagnosis, and suitable treatment since these behaviors may coincide with or be related to other psychiatric issues.

Suicide and male depression

Men have higher chances of successfully committing suicide, even though women try suicide more frequently than men. This is because men:

  • Use equipment that are more likely to result in death, including guns, than women
  • Men are more impulsive when acting on suicidal thoughts
  • Men have fewer warning indicators, like discussing suicide

Depression in men and coping mechanisms

You can develop good coping mechanisms with the aid of treatment, like psychotherapy from a qualified mental health therapist.

These consist of:

  • Goals. Prioritize your tasks and develop attainable goals.
  • Coping. Learn techniques for stress management, like mindfulness and meditation, and improve your problem-solving abilities.
  • Support. To get emotional support, turn to your family, partner, or close friends. Learn how to connect with people so you may partake in socializing.
  • Decisions. Put off making major decisions such as switching jobs-until your depressive symptoms subside.
  • Health. To support better mental health, try to adopt healthy lifestyles and keep a regular schedule, such as a balanced diet and exercise.
  • Activities. Participate in hobbies you generally find enjoyable, like sports, fishing, or a pastime.

There are numerous efficient therapies for depression. Therefore, avoid attempting to overcome male depression alone because the results could be disastrous. It is more practical to talk with a therapist when you observed any of the symptoms above.

Conclusion:

Like women, men undergo depression too. But because of the nature of men, most of the signs and symptoms are masked, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to know when they are depressed. So always look out for the signs you've read here.