Understanding Depression in Men
Around 120 million men worldwide have clinical depression
This makes it one of the most common conditions affecting men’s health. But it’s often something that men don’t talk about. So what is clinical depression?.
“Everyone feels low at times but with clinical depression, this low mood lasts for weeks”
What is depression?
Depression (also called major depressive disorder) is a mental health condition that, at its core, affects your mood. Everyone feels low at times but with clinical depression, this low mood lasts for weeks – it might lift for brief periods during this time but, overall, mood remains a problem for much or most of the time.
Something tricky about depression in men is that the classic “low mood” isn’t always so obvious. Some men report having stronger feelings of anger or irritability, rather than sadness. That might show up in reacting angrily to seemingly minor annoyances – things that, in happier times, wouldn’t have bothered you. Other times, men can have difficulty identifying the uncomfortable emotions they’re feeling and may try to numb these feelings, including turning to alcohol or drug use, gambling, or burying themselves in work.
Everyone lacks energy and motivation at times but in clinical depression this lasts for weeks or months. You might find yourself no longer interested in the things you used to enjoy – that often includes losing interest in taking care of yourself, losing interest in food, and losing interest in sex. The lack of interest in food often results in weight loss. On the other hand, some men report increased appetite and eating more than usual when they’re depressed.
Sleep is frequently a problem, including finding it difficult to get to sleep or waking far too early – and feeling exhausted! You might look or feel slowed down, though the opposite can happen too where you’re restless and can’t seem to stay still. During this time, people often find their mood is dominated by negative thoughts, blaming themselves for every small thing that goes wrong and finding it hard to see that things will get better. This sense of hopelessness can be accompanied by thoughts that life is not worth living.
Why do people get depression?
Lots of factors can play a role in developing depression. For some people, genetics plays a role – having a parent with depression is associated with an increased risk. For other people, there’s no genetic link and they may be the first person in their family to experience it. Some people have thinking styles that put them at higher risk, such as having a “glass half empty” kind of personality or having low self-esteem.
Depression can be triggered by stressful life events all the way from childhood to older age. Sometimes the triggering event might not even seem “stressful” but big changes of any kind can impact on your mood – for example, retirement is often a trigger for depression in men, which may be caused by a loss of purpose and direction or by increasing isolation. In fact, isolation and loneliness are now recognised as major public health problems that have a big impact on both mental and physical health, including being major causes of depression for some people.
Having long-term health problems, such as cardiovascular disease or chronic pain, can play a role in developing depression in some people. Other people notice a clear relationship between their physical activity and mood, with depression becoming an issue when they’re not getting exercise. But depression can happen to anyone – even when none of the above apply to you. Sometimes it’s not possible to find any cause. But what matters most is finding solutions!
What can I do if I’m depressed?
Depression can be incredibly isolating. The first thing to remember is: you’re not alone. Remember that statistic from the top of this information sheet? More than 100 million men suffer with depression. And there’s a lot you can do about it!
There’s a whole spectrum of things that can help with depression, from sports and social clubs, to connecting with nature, exercise therapies, talking therapies, and medication treatments. No one size fits all! Some people find a lot of benefit from talking about their problems, which can be anything from a chat over a cup of tea to formal talking therapy programmes. Some men find talking about their emotions very challenging and would rather take other approaches. And that’s perfectly fine too. Research supports lots of “non-talking” interventions for depression, such as:
Exercise therapy: lots of research supports exercise as a way to improve mood in people suffering with depression. Walking, jogging, cycling and other exercises can play a powerful role in combatting low mood, even in clinical depression.
Behavioural activation: when people are feeling depressed, they tend to self-isolate, including avoiding activities that usually boost their mood. This makes it harder to break out of depression. Behavioural activation involves identifying activities that bring you pleasure or a sense of accomplishment and actively scheduling these activities throughout your week. Research shows this approach can be helpful in treating depression.
Medication: There are a number of medications that can help to treat depression. The most commonly used medications are called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) but there are several other medications that doctors sometimes use too. Sometimes medication can have a major beneficial effect on mood. In other cases, medication has more modest effects but may help a person get back to doing some of the other things that subsequently help manage their mood. Your GP can help you figure out whether medication is right for you.
Prof Ian Kelleher
Consultant psychiatrist, chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, and an Academy of Medical Sciences professor, researching ways to prevent mental illness.
Its OK not to feel OK and it is absolutely OK to ask for help.
CYCLE AGAINST SUICIDE – BREAK THE CYCLE.