It is arguable that men are on the whole are more competitive and would go to greater lengths to be successful, strong and powerful. It could be the case that men feel the masculinity is somehow reduced by admitting they have a problem.These traits, though they can help in some circumstances could also be seen to hinder their mental and physical wellbeing.
There are social ‘norms’ that encourage men to be symbols of strength and self reliance. This can mean when a man is suffering from depression, they may feel that asking for help or being dependent on another even for a short time is a sign of weakness or failure.
In this way, men may be suffering in silence or self-medicating with alcohol and drugs and can sometimes get to the point where suicide seems like the only option. Due to the pressures a man feels from both external sources such as a stressful job or a demanding family and internally driven pressures such as ambition and self-competition, a man may feel they are not able to cope. This in turn can lead to a the occurance of symptoms of depression. Often insomnia and increased pressures and stress to get better can lead to a diagnosis of clinical depression.
It is also the case that a man could be in jobs that could increase their chances of developing depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It has been shown that some jobs are more likely to cause depression than others. There are more men than women in positions within police force, fire brigade and in the armed forces. In these jobs, the individual is statistically more likely to be exposed to traumatic event that could have a negative impact on the mental and emotional wellbeing.
Helping a Man who is suffering from depression
It could be the case that equal numbers of men and women suffer from depression; the difference in the national statistics may be as a result of more women expressing their emotional state to family members, friends and medical professionals.
Additionally those men that do seek medical advice are often more likely to report the physical symptoms they are experiencing rather than the emotional or psychological symptoms, subsequently, doctors may misdiagnose the problem.
It has been shown that there is a change in brain chemistry when a person is suffering from depression, this could make it easier for a man to accept that they may be experiencing an episode of depression based on a physical change.
There are a number of treatment options that can be tailored to suit the individual man suffering from depression. While medication may work for some, Mindfulness meditation and kundalini yoga have both been found to have profound longterm effects on the emotional and physical wellbeing of a man.
Subsequently, there may be less requirement to take medication and drug concoctions that can come with their own problems and side effects such as sexual
dysfunction which can have a severely negative impact on the a depressed person whether male or female.