The topic of depression often is in the news. A recent study making headlines revealed women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 20 percent decreased risk of developing depression over a 10-year period.
In the past, depression was known as a “women’s disease,” a condition related to hormones and other so-called female issues, but more than 6 million men a year experience depression, reports WebMD.com. And while both sexes experience similar symptoms, men show them differently.
Men and women both experience symptoms such as fatigue, loss of interest in things that once gave them pleasure, and changes in appetite and sleep patterns. But women are more likely to be extremely sad and feel worthless while men will be irritable and act aggressively, the website explains.
“Besides feeling ‘low’, I noticed I was more easily moved emotionally by things both happy and sad, than I had been in the past,” blogger Noel McNaughton says on his website Midlife-Men.com, recounting a period of depression he experienced when he turned 50. “This didn't bother me too much, as I didn't mind ‘having more feelings.’
“But what did bother me was that I became more irritable, and found I would get angry far more quickly than I ever had before. My research shows this is not uncommon.”
Because our society expects men to be strong and largely unemotional, their depression symptoms are not easily recognized, experts note. But untreated depression takes its toll on men. In the United States men take their lives at four times the rate women do, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy-nine percent of all suicides are men and it is the seventh-leading cause of death for men, the CDC says.
The good news is depression is a highly treatable disease for men and for women, but you must recognize its signs and seek help.
Know the symptoms. The severity, frequency, and duration of the symptoms of depression can vary for people, but generally, these are its signs and symptoms, according to the National Institute of Mental Health:
• Loss of appetite
• Overeating
• Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, restlessness, or irritability
• Hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Insomnia
• Excessive sleeping
• Loss of interest in activities that once brought pleasure, including sex
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Difficulty making decisions and concentrating
• Suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide
Psychotherapy is an option. With competent care, depression can be successfully treated, according to the American Psychological Association. It recommends finding a licensed mental health professional with experience treating depression and who can offer psychotherapy that works to pinpoint contributors to depression and help you deal with its causes. Ask your doctor for help finding a therapist. According to the APA, a therapist can help you:
• Identify and understand the life problems contributing to depression and how and whether they can be resolved.
• Recognize thinking patterns that are negative or distorted, as well as thoughts and behavior patterns that add to depression.
• Learn skills to avoid future bouts with depression and help you acquire feelings of joy and fulfillment again.
Medication is, too. A combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication is often the best treatment, but work closely with your physician prescribing the drug since the medications can have side effects, the American Psychological Association advises. Antidepressants work with mood-regulating brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters — norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.
People usually have to take regular doses of the medicine for three to four weeks before feeling any effect, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It’s important to try other medications when one doesn’t seem to work; an NIMH-funded study showed that participants who changed to another drug or added a different medication to the one they were taking improved after making the change.
Get up and exercise. Citing a number of studies, including a 1990 meta-analysis of 80 studies on exercise and depression, the American Psychological Association says exercise — aerobic and anaerobic — “is an effective, cost-effective treatment for depression and may help in the treatment of other mental disorders.” For some, exercise is an opportunity to interact with others, which is especially helpful for those whose depression resulted from being isolated.
Experts advise:
• Starting to exercise gradually and setting realistic goals.
• Experimenting with activities that make you feel better.
• Closely watching your mood changes and gauging which activities and at what intensity works best for you.
Help your loved ones. Clinical depression strikes more than 19 million Americans a year, according to Mental Health America, and fewer than half that number will seek treatment. Many people believe the condition isn’t serious, or that depression is a sign of weakness, the group says.
If someone you care about shows signs he is depressed, the National Institute of Mental Health recommends you:
• Work to engage him in conversation and carefully listen.
• Encourage him to get a diagnosis and treatment.
• Provide understanding and emotional support.
• Invite him on outings but don’t push if he is reluctant. You want to avoid making demands and adding to feelings of failure.
For more information, go to the National Institute of Mental Health website.
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