subject: The Secrecy Of Male Depression [print this page] It is a common thought that depression is characteristic only for women and that men do not suffer form it actually. However, this is not true. Men do suffer from depression and really, pretty often. It is also eloquent that men are three times as likely to commit suicide as women.
The thing is that men frequently fail to understand the symptoms of oncoming depression and they do not get the help they need in due time. It is not easy for a man to ask for help, a lot of them consider it a weakness and, therefore, suffer alone.
Depression is harder to recognize in the first stages as it is different in its manifestations. Then, in later stages, it is all the same in both men and women.
Men tend to camouflage their depression by problems at work or whatever other problems but never they complain about depression itself. They tend to be irritated and get angry easy. Generally, these are not indicators of classical depression as it is known and, therefore, they are missed or misinterpreted.
Among the majority of men there is a tendency to act out these feelings of discomfort. They work out late and pretty hard, or tend to detach from friends and family and spend more time alone or doing their hobbies, or work. Alcohol and drugs frequently become men's companions in such times.
Dramatic hormonal ebbs and flows are not characteristic for men's depression. However, some researchers stated such a question, whether declining testosterone levels are capable of influencing men's moods; some positive results were receives as well as negative.
There are other researches, however, that suggest that different genes are in charge of male and female depression. There are genes that do the job triggering depression in men and other ones that do the same in women. At the present moment the task is to find out and identify these genes.
However, the most important question is not whether men are depressed (because they are) but that there are a lot of them suffering without any help. This is really not very good as the longer such a condition last unattended the more harmful impact it can make.
Various treatment methods are nowadays are available. It can be medication therapy with antidepressants as well as simple consultation with the psychologist. Psychotherapy is equally beneficial for men and women and is a great way out for men who have troubles with expressing their fears and thoughts.
