Men’s Mental Health is often disregarded and played down.
Depression in males may not present as sadness or the typical symptoms you would think.
When most of us think of depression, usually the first thing we think of is sadness, and that is not always a solid indicator of depression, especially in males. We tend to think of lying around, not being active, crying, and even isolation. They can all be indicators, and it could be one of these or all of these, but for males, we do best not to assume typical signs to help tell us someone is experiencing depression.
Physical Symptoms
The thing about physical symptoms is they don’t always help get to a diagnosis or even to answers as to why you could be feeling the way you do. It can be frustrating, even maddening, not to get answers as to why you feel so out of it. Stress is often the tie that binds together mental and physical states when it is related to mental health and its catalog of illnesses.
Men are more likely to have physical symptoms like pain, headaches, sleep issues, and digestive problems than women. This is “masked depression” and can cause a long road of disappointments and lots of doctor’s visits before someone comes along and figures out the underlying issue as a mental health issue.
*If you or someone you know needs to chat with someone about a mental crisis, or just needs to talk. It’s always free and available ANYTIME…
The Angry Man
The angry man to most people is actually a man who is frustrated and easily upset. This can present as yelling at his kids, arguments with everyone, just a man that is constantly, as the younger generations say nowadays, “crashing out”. His mental health state shows as irritability, anger, and anxiousness at what seems to be the smallest things is his depression. His internal battle is now showing outwardly.
A point that is important to mention here is that this anger, irritability, anxiousness, and frustration are what society has taught men is that anger is better than being vulnerable. That fact is indeed one of our society’s major flaws as far as a man’s mental health is concerned, and that is heartbreaking to me.
The Avoidance of Social Interactions and Activities
When we think of this type of depression, we think of isolation and a dark room. This shows differently. He will still go to family functions and work outings. He will attend these events, BUT won’t involve himself in planning them and when he does go, he avoids as many interactions as possible.
He will not return calls to friends, and overall, he just starts to feel disconnected from everyone. He may seem like he is just busy to friends and family or has a lot going on, but actually, he is suffering from a terrible mental health crisis, depression. Male depression is an emotional withdrawal more than it is sadness. They continue their daily lives all the while getting further and further away from activities and, sadly, their relationships.
The Workaholic
In this instance, the man becomes so into his work that it becomes a way to avoid dealing with their emotional state of well-being. The boss loves to see the new or not-so-new work dedication, the longer work days, and the productivity that is increasingly beneficial to the whole company. Work is an escape from the feeling of a void and feeling alone at home. Exercise and other activities are also an outlet for men to escape that feeling.
“Productive Depression” can look like success to us, looking at him from the outside. A sad truth that is hard to spot from our view of him.
*Another option for help for you or a loved one who may need it….
The Reckless Behavior
Reckless behavior can be seen as suddenly trying potentially dangerous recreational activities that you never had an interest in before, like skydiving or speed racing. Things like drinking more frequently, gambling, or maybe trying substances you have never tried before, are all ways of self-medicating to try to get yourself away from the emptiness and numbness you may be feeling. Thrill seeking is a bad game to play as a person with a mental health issue. One that can end badly or even tragically.
These behaviors give momentary relief from the pain and mental fog, but can cause more issues and problems in the long term.
Why Knowing the Signs, both traditional and non-traditional, can be a great blessing
When depression does not look like what we are used to or expect it to, that is when it goes untreated and unresolved. It is a sad reality that men resort to suicide because depression gets the best of them, simply because their mental health is not recognized in time. Knowing that it is more signs and symptoms than we may think or even know about is the first step in helping someone seek help or just to be a source of support if they need it. The more we know the better we can be a source of help.
If you have a special lady in your life, a good read similar to this is: