Depression in Men

According to Newsweek Magazine, 6 Million men will be diagnosed with depression this year (I was recently diagnosed). That is about 7% of the male population, while 12% of the women population seek help with depression each year. There are women who aren't seeking treatment for depression and should, but there are millions of men who should seek treatment but don't, and that is because of a stupid stigma that our society has.

First of all, depression isn't normal. My parents thought mine was normal, but they're ignorant and I think my mother needs help. I hate how ignorant my parents are, of almost everything.

Second, you're not weak if you have depression. This is the worst part of our society's stigma. Men are supposed to be "tough" and are afraid to look weak and like they can't take care of themselves, so millions aren't seeking treatment. Estimated cost to the economy because of depression is $85 Billion each year. Men are afraid they will lose respect or have other negative reprocussions if they are diagnosed with depression.

This is a result of the social view that men shouldn't display their emotions.
It is an extremely negative and unrealistic view, and I think it is the result of the imperialist notion of men as killing machines. This attitude toward men needs to be changed. That is easier said in done, and more complicated that I am willing to explain. I hate it so much.

 

Isn't depression a natural cycle of how we lead ourlives, it being the polar to euphoria?

Powerfull thread, well done.

 

Society sucks.
Any man who gives a shit what others think, when he needs help, should seriously get his priorities straight.

 

Everyone cares what others think, to some extent. That care holds our society together, while at the same time inhibits it. What others think serves as a social incentive, in the same way that money is an economic incentive. I think you have the right attitude, but a man may have his priorities straight when he is considering getting help or not. He may live in a place where if he appears emotional, or admitts he is depressed, his community will view him as weak, among other things, simply for being depressed. We need to change this negative attitude in society, because men do get depressed, and men are emotional, even if they don't show it.

 

Exactly, everybody cares what others think, at least to some extent.

Depression surely isn't a normal phase for everybody to go through. More people are becoming diagnosed it seems because of easily people fall into it. I think many people(not just guys) fall into depression because they're lazy and refuse to get better. So when there is an outlet from depression(by means of prescription) most people will jump right on. Who doesn't like quick results?

Yeah, society does suck but we have to live it.

 

I agree totally. I suspect that many people do not understand what depression actually is. Everyone gets a bit sad from time to time, and that's normal, but being sad is not the same as being depressed.

 

What a horrible thing to say. People do not fall into depression because they are "lazy" and they do not stay depressed because they "refuse to get better". Your views are nothing short of ignorant. Would you tell someone with a terminal illness that they won't get better because they are lazy? It would be an absolute **** of a thing to say.

People use anti depressants for a number of reasons such as; because they have exhausted all other options; because they can't afford to see an expensive therapist; because they are suicidal and it is prescribed to them by a mental health profession who is trying to save their life.

 

im about to tell you the cure for depression...
dont be so god damn selfish, stop thinkin of bad things in life, your so god damn lucky to be alive, stop taking life for granted, you know how many people died at birth or died as a child in a third world country, dont your emo fucks relize how lucky we all are. if i died tomorrow, i would be happy i made it this far.
stop thinking about bad things in life, your too lucky to take this life for granted

 

If you think you're insightful, you're deluded.

 

I agree. Life can suck until you figure out a way to get over yourself.

 

Life will continue to suck until you give a shit about the world around you. I'm not calling the TC egotistical, but I know from my own life that self-centeredness sucks and led to my depression.

If I could find a way to care about other people and get out there and do shit, it'd probably help a lot.

 

Let's look at this objectively:

The reason men weren't supposed to be depressed before is because men were always supposed to be stronger than women. I'm sure that sometimes meant that people who were really depressed didn't get help, but it also meant that everyone who ever got sad wasn't going around wondering if they're depressed and should be on medication, because men don't get depressed... or if they do, they're pussies.

Of course, now it's not really so important for men to be strong. Men can be as weak or weaker than women if they want, and the media says that some women may even find that sexy. He's not a complete weakling, he's 'sensitive'. Every time some guy gets sad, he might think 'oh wow, maybe I'm depressed', so he goes out and some doctor tells him he's depressed and needs drugs.

The bottom line: if I have to pay for some loser to go on pills because he can't take the world, that's bad. If I have to pay for some guy to deal with a serious illness, then that still kind of sucks but hey I'd want someone to do the same for me. But if I don't have to pay for the first one or the second one and just deal with my own shit in my own way (ie not running like a pussy to the doctor because my family, my co-workers, and my dog hate me), then that's good.

Fucking hell, sometimes people don't get along and sometimes you get walked on, and if that's all you have then it makes life hard. Sometimes you can't get out of the situation, so you're stuck with a shit life. But if you can always have your own thing and remove yourself from all that, then that's the way you'll beat it.

I'd have to say a lot of depression cases are probably bullshit... I've known people who have absolutely nothing wrong with them and they whine and bitch and moan until finally someone gives in and lets them have their fix. These are people who don't have anything going on in their lives and spend most of their time worrying and thinking about how shitty life is. They don't ever think that maybe instead of taking some pills, they could be learning a new language or learning about things they like, reading, writing, meditating, practicing basketball, taking photographs, dreaming, jerking off, doing ANYTHING...

I honestly don't know what's going on in these people's heads, but every time I've been down it's mostly because I've not yet decided to do something about it... or because I've lost sight of the fact that I can do whatever I want and always keep myself amused. Honestly people, even being alone isn't the end of things. There's no one specific thing or set of things that life has to be about.

Sorry, that was a rant.

 

Sometimes life's a bitch. Just cause your life's not going well at the moment doesn't make you depressed. Depression is a negative response to negative conditions (although it can equally be a negative response to positive conditions). Evaluate your situation, try to be as objective as you can. What do you have that's good? What's not so good? if the not so good outweighs the good, what can you do to change it? Do it.
If despite all that life STILL seems like it sucks, then it's possible you may have clinical depression, which is often the result of a chemical imbalance, either poor blood sugar handling (get that checked - it's surprising how many cases of "depression" are in actual fact hypoglycaemia/borderline diabetes) or something wrong with the nurotransmitters in your brain, particularly dopamine, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter.

 

Doing something is probably the best way to work yourself out of a depression slump, but it's often easier said than done. The thing about real depression is that it drains a person of energy. A lot of people just can't get out of bed in the morning and it's not a matter of self-determination. Some people just feel anxious as soon as they wake up, no matter what their context.

For all the talk about controlling your thoughts, not being negative and getting active, how many people actually do these things all the time? Emotions are powerful things. If someone pisses us off, we get angry. If a family member dies, we get sad. It isn't as simple as just saying "I choose not to feel this way." These things are chemical and it takes time to be able to separate logical thought from feelings.

I'd say depression is a combination of contextual factors and chemical reactions in the body. If your depressed, take a look at your life situation. Clarify things and determine whether they actually are hopeless, or whether action can be taken towards change. If there is a possibility for positive change, then why not take steps towards it? If it looks like nothing can be done, get medical advice.

 

depression is bad for anyone who is experiencing it. there are some people who are chemically imbalanced and suffer more than the average person who's got the blues. there isn't always anything you can do to help though, and it can get frustrating...all you can do is try until you can't try anymore.

 

I've never got how completely some people can misunderstand this disease, which it is, just like any other. Do you tell an autistic to wake up and snap out of it? Many people have a true deficiency in the amount of Dopamine or Serotonin in the neurotransmitters in their brains, No amount of "Positive Thinking" can change this, it is a chemical inbalance that can leave people unable to feel joy. The main problem with the treatment of this type of depression is that our understanding of the brain is still lacking, and no one really knows an exact cure, if there is one, for these imbalances. It's also true that some people are sad because of specific traumatic experiences or bad life situations. These people, At least to me, are also deserving of sympathy. Who is anyone to judge how easy a solution should be or what someone's breaking point is? If you are depressed in a depressing situation and that ends when the situation does, its probably isn't a chemical imbalance. If you are depressed when you should be happy, you have either a chemical imbalance or a serious medical condition i.e. Hypeglycemia, Diabetes, Schizophrenia, etc. Just have a little compassion, people, because it would suck if somewhere down the line something should go wrong with you and everywhere you turn is a cold shoulder.

 

yeah, people often forget or fail to realize that the health they enjoy today could be gone tomorrow. it's something that most people don't realize til it happens to them. it's a harsh and judgemental world, that's why compassionate people are so special.

 

85 Billion a year????

 

What? You've never seen depression in small rocks?

 

I was diagnosed with existential anxiety three or four years ago.

Depression is a part of that, but mostly fascination with life/death and birth/suicide.

I think I watched the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" a hundred times!!

I have contemplated suicide so many times over the past few years, it's ridiculous...but, mostly due to curiosity more than hating myself.

I don't hate myself, I do hate what is happening to our world though.