Recognizing the of Signs Depression in Men
Behind every man’s tough macho exterior is an insecurity that lies skillfully hidden, and as men go through difficulties in life such as divorce, unemployment or retirement, these insecurities can trigger a throng of negative emotions that could easily lead to depression. Depression is a real and threatening disorder that affects an estimated 15 million of the entire US population and although statistics are leaning towards more women suffering from this condition, men are nowhere near immune. As a matter of fact, men under the state of depression are three times more likely to end in suicide.
Though men and women may exhibit disparities in their manifestations of depression, the underlying fact remains that when they are in this condition, they become more susceptible to losing their control over their emotions, which could lead to one’s death or threaten other people’s lives. Depression is oftentimes triggered by a traumatic experience, an extremely painful loss or an unexpected event that led to much grief for an individual. For the male gender, the most common culprits range from getting fired from work, to bankruptcy, divorce and loss of a loved one.
Diagnosis for depression in men are often much more difficult to conduct as men lean more towards emotional clam up rather than self expression, as they are more physical in nature, their manifestations are likewise more towards physical agitations such as substance abuse, violent or risky behavior, and sexual experimentation. Medical experts usually advise individuals to become more vigilant in detecting this rapidly escalating disorder. Encourage a struggling loved one to take a test for depression symptoms help them research their options for help.
Male depression is often harder to pinpoint as the signs of depression in men may be less apparent as opposed to women who are more vocal, and admittedly, better at expressing themselves. But this does not mean that men are excluded from the ramifications of depression. The gender disparities among men and women may be the reason behind their extreme behavioral patterns in facing depression, while women leans towards self blame, men does the opposite and points the finger at other persons. Since men have a stronger personality, their behavior changes are just as aggressive ranging from irritability, boastfulness and anger while women exhibits tamer emotions of sadness and self disgust. Other differences noted by experts includes depressed men becoming more violent, controlling, impulsive and suspicious while their gender counterpart resorts to fear, anxiety and guilt.
Depression across all genders, race, and age are treatable, and as with any mental disorder acknowledging that you suffer from it is your first step towards recovery.


