subject: Is There Life After Male Depression? - The Answer Lies In Your Hands! [print this page] Not heard of male depression? Well, recent reasearch reveals that, this is a very real condition affecting men in their mid-years of life, although there is disagreement as to the actual cause. Some explanations blame hormonal changes and others believe it is psychological.
Often referred to as the "mid-life crisis",this is no laughing matter. It can be undetected and untreated for a variety of reasons and can lead to marital breakup, poor work performance and even suicide.
But, you do not need to join the statistics. In fact, it all comes down to how you choose to make your way through it.
Firstly, you can recognise male depression by the following symptoms:
1. gastrointestinal problems, headaches or sexual dysfunction
2. sleeping problems
3. anger
4. feeling lethargic
5. mood swings
6. frustration
7. irritability
8. becoming self-critical
9. questioning your ability to do things
10. loss of interest in sex
11. working excessive hours
12. turning to alcohol or drugs
13. overuse of the T.V. as a distraction
There is new life after male depression, and the way to achieve it is to take the bull by the horns and create it for yourself. Here are a few suggestions for a smoother passage into a new life:
1. Accept whatever unfamiliar sensations you are experiencing instead of trying to escape having to face them. Stop blaming yourself for your condition. If you just go with the flow, you will be better able to cope.
2. You are going through a major transformation. Just as the seasons change, so do our bodies and our personalities. If you expect to feel the happy constantly, that is unrealistic! Instead, recognise you can handle this change, like so many others in your life already.
3. Redefine yourself by who you are, not what you do. If you identify yourself just as "the breadwinner" or "the strong one", once those roles are no longer there, you will experience male depression. Aren't you more than the roles you play?
The way you view yourself has a big impact on how you feel. Focus on the qualities you like in yourself and remember, you are "in transition to a wonderful new opportunity".
4. Re-evaluate your beliefs. Identify and release beliefs that do not serve you, such as "this is the end of the road for me". That is simply untrue. One way of life may have ended but there are so many more to try!
Choose to embrace a new belief that your life has a higher purpose. Search for it, find it and fulfil it. Male depression may be a gift from your soul, helping you to discover your purpose. It is only when we create a space in our lives that something new can arrive.
5. Develop self-awareness. Notice when you feel down, instead of getting frustrated or irritable with others.
You may be sailing through uncharted waters with no sight of land, so have patience with yourself, take some quiet time to sit and be, and you will soon discover where you are heading.
Male depression is a time of major change, uncertainty and re-evaluation but can also be, a time of clarity, deep reconnection to self and the beginning of a whole new, exciting chapter in life.
