If you’re not a regular reader of Newsweek (either online or their print publication), you may have missed their in-depth article about men and depression. While more women than men typically suffer from depression, this may be a result of men being less likely to report or admit their depressive feelings to others. Men often suffer with their depression internally, taking on a traditional role prescribed to men throughout the ages:
[M]en tend not to take care of themselves and are reluctant to own up to mental illness. Although depression is emotionally crippling and has numerous medical implications—some of them deadly—many men fail to recognize the symptoms. Instead of talking about their feelings, men may mask them with alcohol, drug abuse, gambling, anger or by becoming workaholics. And even when they do realize they have a problem, men often view asking for help as an admission of weakness, a betrayal of their male identities.
If you’re a guy who’s grappling with some depressive feelings or love a man who might be, the article is worth the read (all 6 pages of it online). They also link to a Pfizer-created depression test, but if you’re looking for a non-pharma depression quiz, I suggest ours (naturally, but also because ours allow you to track your depressive mood over time too).
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3 Comments to
“Men and Depression in Newsweek”
That’s right. It’s in a man’s character to hide their depressive feelings. Men can go on with their lives without expressing deep and serious feelings. That’s what makes them different from women.
Thanks for posting this…I had not seen it. The article is an interesting contribution to an often overlooked reality. Men do indeed fail to recognize and/or acknowledge their symptoms and the potential seriousness of leaving them unchecked. It would seem though, that our culture and society too make the error of interpreting male depression as laziness, irresponsibility and/or weakness. Hardly the context to encourage disclosure and help-seeking.
NO! Pleeeease DO NOT give up. Depression can be handled, but only with courage and better understanding. One does need help but it has to come largely from your own self. External help is the last option and majority of the cases are much milder forms of depression. Understand the problem, do not jump to conclusions. No intelligent human being is free from depression. It is perfectly normal. Yes, it is important to know the limit and in case you are getting close there is a definite need to alter a few things. This does not necessarily mean giving up your ambitions or hard work. Professional help is recommended only to educate and remove many misconceptions to make you stronger to fight. We can talk.
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