Men and Depression: In Their Mind and in Their Head

The words "mind over matter" are more than just three words randomly strung together to make something that sounds somewhat sensible

. "Mind over matter" is more than just a myth, because there are times when a person's state of mind has considerable effects on matters of the flesh. Performance anxiety can make someone do a sub-par job on physical activities, like missing critical free throws and over-extending left jabs. Mental health can have an effect on a person's physical performance, with certain issues having more noticeable effects than others. As an example, there is the connection between depression and sexual impotence.

Impotence is one of those problems that an increasing number of men have difficulty coming to terms with. It takes a significant amount of courage to even consider talking to a physician about the possibility of a problem. It can even be harder to admit to others that the problem is there, whether they are undergoing treatment for it or not. Sexual impotence as seen as being highly damaging to the measure of a man, by modern socio-cultural standards. Fear of failure and extremely stressful situations can wear down a man's ability to "get it up," but very few can make the problem as long-term as depression can.

In what might be the worst possible case of "mind over matter" than any red-blooded male can imagine, depression can effectively cripple a man's ability to function sexually. The emotional problems caused by depression can have serious effects on the hormones and biochemical transmitters that the body uses to signal or initiate an erection. Obviously, if a man can't attain a proper erection - or has difficulty maintaining it long enough to be of any importance - then he's going to be classified as impotent. Sadly, if the problem is left untreated long enough, there's a very good chance that the condition would just worsen.

Once a man begins to believe he has entered a state of sexual impotence, he may actually become even more depressed. This is because of a psychological loss of gender identity as dictated by socio-cultural factors. With equal rights and women's liberation, men have lost the part of "manliness" that involved being the sole provider for one's family and loved ones, forcing a socio-psychological focus to rest on that other aspect that supposedly defines masculinity. Essentially, society has made men think that to be classified as men, they have to be virile and sexually potent. Once they lose that critical part of their gender identity, then life just starts to go downhill that bit faster for them on a psychological level. This, in turn, not only worsens his relationships but also makes it harder for him to overcome his impotence.

There are drugs to help fight impotence, but those drugs are often best suited to treating men who have problems rooted in the body. Lack of proper circulation, damage to muscle tissue, and a variety of other physical ailments can also cause impotence. Implants and corrective surgery can fix those issues, but they are likely to do little for a man with problems deeply rooted in his own mind. For that, physical repairs may have some appreciable change, but they won't have the same impact that they normally do unless the mind is also given proper treatment and care.

Men and Depression: In Their Mind and in Their Head

By: Jacob Saxbury

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