Both men and women deal with depression. There are some similarities in how the disorder presents but some very important differences, too. First and foremost, women appear to be twice as likely to struggle with depression. I say “appear” because there are some very important factors to consider.
For starters, due to cultural conditioning, men seem to be far less willing to report feeling depression symptoms. In addition, the signs of depression that men show may not be familiar to others — or to the men themselves. While depressed women are openly sad and often cry, men often replace sadness with anger. This makes it critical that we all become more aware of such symptoms.
Why Do Men Get Depression?
The reasons anyone gets this condition are complex. But some general depression risk factors exist for men, e.g.:
Childhood trauma or abuse can make them more vulnerable to depression as adults
Chronic, everyday stress is enough to challenge anyone’s mental well-being
Depression is more likely if the man is already dealing with a physical illness
At least one-third of prescribed medications have the potential to cause depression as a side effect
Genetics seem to play a role in terms of family history
So, the first step is to identify such risk factors for yourself or other men in your life. From there, it becomes urgent to familiarize yourself with the outward signs. There are well-known symptoms that can affect men and women equally. These include:
Profound sorrow and sadness
Feeling empty or hopeless
Intense fatigue
Sleep and appetite disturbances
No longer getting pleasure from activities you once enjoyed (including sex)
But what about the symptoms that seem more prevalent in men?
5 Symptoms of Depression in Men
1. Anger
This can manifest as personal irritability, frustration, or restlessness. Just as often, depression-related anger can be inappropriate, abusive, and violent. It can feel controlling and threatening. Depression clichés may have you looking for someone acting gloomy or blue. In reality, as many as half of men with depression report having a short, explosive temper.
2. Choosing Escapism
Are you allocating an unusual amount of time to activities that serve as a distraction? Such activities could involve exercise, sports, video games, pornography, social media, or anything that helps you ignore the intensity of the depressive emotions. This could be a major red flag.
3. Risky Behaviors
Escalating the escapism could move you into the realm of immediate danger. The unconscious goal here is numbing the pain rather than talking about it. Common risky behaviors for men with depression are:
Reckless driving
Over-consuming alcohol
Other forms of substance abuse
Gambling
Seeing prostitutes, cheating on a partner, and engaging in unsafe sex practices
4. Sexual Dysfunction
Counter to the list item on the list directly above, depression in men can derail their sex life in several ways. For example:
Depression itself can reduce one’s sex drive
Arousal can be fleeting
Some men are unable to attain orgasms
Some medications prescribed for depression can cause sexual dysfunction
Roughly 25 percent of men with erectile dysfunction have diagnosed or undiagnosed depression. Since men are not keen on reporting either depression or sexual issues, that number could be much, much higher.
5. Suicidal Thoughts/Suicide Attempts
The most frightening paradox of this topic is highlighted by there two U.S.-based statistics:
Women have twice as high a depression rate as men
Men are four times as likely to die from suicide
This points to the tendency for men to withdraw socially while disguising their symptoms. It also drives home just how important it is to know more about men and depression — and to ask for help.
Learn more about Depression Therapy.