Depression in Men

Depression is that type of illness which can attack at any age, any gender, any status, and any culture. So it can hit both men and women. But the men and women who develop depressive illness react differently from each other.

Though women are facing depressive illness in a greater number than men but male depression is also very much common. According to recent study in US , more than 12 million women are suffering from depression whereas more than 6 million men are suffering from depressive illness. That means depression is double in women than men. It is also true for the rest of the country. In the whole world it has found that men are less depressed than women.

But it does not mean that men do not become depressed. There are many causes of male depression. Generally men develop depressive disorder for some particular reasons, such as:

• Job failure
• Study failure
• Breakup
• Loss of drive
• Marital difficulties of separation and divorce
• Family problem
• Retirement
• Unemployment and other many problems 

There is another reason for which the men can develop depressive illness and it is ‘male menopause’ which is discussed more in newspaper articles than in medical journals. But men generally do not experience the same hormonal changes or difficulties as women do, but they also face the same life changes in middle age as women do like, parent-children conflict or fear of joblessness. So depression is also frequent and common in male as female. But male depression is not frequently visible because they do not seek for help; they do not share with others and do not consult with doctors. Because they think that these emotional feelings can lose their image and self esteem.

Actually men have the natural tendency to become powerful, strong, and successful than women. They do not want to express their emotional evoke such as sadness, vulnerability, guilt, tiredness etc. They consider these emotional feelings as a weakness of their character. In spite of experiencing the all noticeable physical and psychological symptoms of depression, men sometimes ignore these symptoms in order to hide their depressive disorder. Here are some featured symptoms which can be visible among male and are needed to be taken into consideration, which are as follows:

• Headaches
• Appetite change
• Chronic pain
• Loss of energy
• Weight loss
• Grief
• Restlessness
• Guilt
• Hopelessness
• Agitation

Basically the depressed men like to express those symptoms or emotional feelings, which they think that it will not obstruct their personalities and do no express their mental weakness. Such as irritability, rage of anger, hostility, loss of interest, sleeping disorder etc. If men are experiencing the signs and symptoms of depressive illness, then these may reduce their ability to work and badly affect the daily activities. As a result the depressed men become dependent on the drug, intoxicants, alcohol. Such bad habits will make them worst rather than recover. They think that they can remove or get rid out of depression by taking these detrimental substances, even they do not share it with family friends or do not consult with doctor. The more dangerous thing is that some depressed male behave in a very different way by taking risk, harming themselves or keeping isolated themselves. Sometimes such behavior may stay longer and lead in a massive disorder. By doing all these things the men are only giving harm themselves. Because depression is not any negative thing which can losses their self esteem. Depression is common as cold or normal headache. So if you are a male and experiencing male depression then immediately seek for help from your family, friends and your General Practitioner or doctor. Believe, it will not lose your self-respect; it will help you to get rid of depression and to live a better life.