What is depression, the causes and signs of a depressive state in men, how to deal with it and how to treat it. Depression is a mental disorder when joyless thoughts and experiences are constant for a long time, which negatively affects mood, as a result, a decrease in personal self-esteem, a loss of interest in family, work and social activities. Let's talk today about depression in men and find out how to get rid of it.
The mechanism of development of depression in men
The high pace of modern life, constant crises, the growth of unemployment make life unpredictable, a person becomes insecure about his future, excessive mental stress makes him vulnerable to all sorts of diseases.
Depression has become a widespread disease in economically developed countries, affecting up to 20% of the population. This is a serious state problem, in a depressed state people lose their ability to work, which negatively affects the country's economy, the standard of living of the population decreases. In depression, a person withdraws from the outside world, personal life seems bleak, he is in constant self-examination, perceives everything in black. Family, friends and work fade into the background, seem irrelevant. The melancholy experiences that life did not turn out like that fill the soul, become the main ones in the worldview. Negative emotions erode consciousness and can be fatal.
Optimism is inherent in youth: no more than 5% of young people risk falling into such an oppressed state. With age, this percentage increases, and after 60 years of age, those who have fallen into depression are 3 times more than in adolescence.
There is no separate male type of depression. It just has its own nuances inherent in the character of a man. Usually, representatives of the stronger sex prefer not to wash dirty linen in public, that is, they experience all their troubles in themselves. And when a person closes himself, like a snail in a shell, in his sad experiences - this is the beginning of the disease.
All friendships are cut off. And in order to somehow obscure sad thoughts, men often begin to use alcohol and drugs, exacerbating their already unenviable position. That is why depression in men is difficult to recognize, they are often treated not for the underlying causes of the depressive state, but for the consequences of, say, alcoholism and drug addiction.
Varieties of male depression
Depression is of two types: psychogenic and endogenous. The former make up the overwhelming majority and are associated with the influence of unfavorable life factors. In turn, they are divided into reactive ones, when an acute emotional reaction occurs due to the negative impact of an event, an incident on the human psyche, and neurasthenic, this implies that the disease has already become chronic. Reactive (acute) depression in men can be caused by:
- Serious illness … A person is constantly in a depressed state.
- Problems in family life … Often they are associated with a low standard of living, childlessness, alcoholism of one of the spouses, sexual dissatisfaction, and more.
- Conflict situation at work … Let's say there is a desire, but it is not possible to raise your work status or you have bad relations with the team.
- Loneliness … Due to the loss of a loved one, divorce.
- Vacation syndrome … After a brightly spent rest, it is difficult to fit into the work rhythm, life seems gray, too everyday.
- Personal qualities … Childhood trauma, vulnerable psyche, overestimated or low self-esteem, inability to find support among friends.
- Seasonal changes … The body is sensitive to climate change. It's no secret that some people fall into blues in late autumn or early spring. It is good if the attacks of such a condition do not last long, when you can do without the help of a specialist.
- Sexual Disorders … Diseases of the genital area often cause panic in men, they are ashamed to see a doctor with their intimate problems. This causes a deep depression.
Neurasthenic depression in men does not have clear reasons, therefore it is often latent, the patient is not able to accurately describe what hurts him, why he does not feel well, and refers to everyday problems. If he goes to the doctor late, the stress has already turned into a chronic illness. The psyche is exhausted, an unsuccessfully spoken word or a gesture from someone close can lead to a neurasthenic reaction. Endogenous depression in men occupies an insignificant place in the overall picture of the disease. This is already a serious mental disorder and can manifest itself as manic-depressive psychosis or, say, involutional melancholy, when deep experiences are associated with the onset of old age. The reason is natural processes in the endocrine system: the level of testosterone in the blood decreases
Causes of depression in men
The population knows little about the causes and consequences of this insidious disease. Doctors consider the biological, psychological and social causes of depression in men, in most cases they also concern women. The brain controls the functioning of the entire body. A failure in the functioning of any organ leads to the development of a depressive state, when, for example, it is difficult to concentrate and make a decision. This may be due to heredity. The death of one of the parents leaves a heavy imprint on the developing character, this can become a factor in the development of depressive psychosis. For an adult, this is the loss of a job, if a person was engaged in business, ruin, loss of an enterprise. Various theories within the framework of psychology in their own way explain the mechanism of the development of depression:
- Cognitive … Bad thoughts are associated with low personal self-esteem (worst of all), and therefore nothing good can be expected in life, and the people around are all bad - the world is cruel.
- Psychoanalytic … Explains the development of depression on an emotional level, for example, the loss of a loved one (breakup, death) can cause different feelings - guilt or hatred, for example, "I loved her so much, and she left."
- Behavioral … Behavior depends on an active life position, if a person is pessimistic by nature, helplessness in difficult everyday situations turns into a depressive state. In the mind, the installation is fixed that in the future, if such cases arise, you always need to react in this way. An addiction to alcohol and drug use develops.
- Physiological … Loss of appetite, sexual desire disappears, no sleep, poor bowel function (constipation), fatigue during physical and mental work, various pains in the body.
- Trait Theory … Choleric people are active people with pronounced leadership qualities, and melancholic people are those who doubt, with excessive demands on themselves, often fall into depression.
The main symptoms of depression in men
Men do not like to talk about their problems, arguing that they will cope on their own. And if they fall into depression, they are left alone with their illness. They keep from the latter, if only they do not notice their ailment. Being in prostration, they suffer themselves and torment their loved ones. According to statistics, every fourth man is in this position, and this is a serious problem not only for him, his loved ones, but also for society as a whole. Before you know how to get out of depression for a man, you need to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of this condition.
Signs of depression in men include:
- Constant fatigue … The ability to work is reduced, such people are active only in the first half of the day, they develop a habit of postponing things for a better time.
- Poor sleep or insomnia … There is no feeling of freshness and vigor after waking up. Sleepy all day, which is not conducive to resolving matters.
- Dramatic weight loss or weight gain … In a short period, a person loses weight significantly or, conversely, gains kilograms.
- Body aches … Often accompanied by an upset stomach, migraines, stomach or back ailments. Men do not associate such symptoms with depression, if they go to the doctor, then for a completely different reason.
- Nervousness … When any, even the most insignificant remark, an act of a neighbor or friends causes severe irritability. Such people see a catch in everything, something bad.
- Scattered attention … There is no way to focus on solving urgent problems. Constant negative thoughts distract from this.
- Malice … A gloomy mood puts pressure on the psyche and finds relaxation in unmotivated anger and even aggression. This does not find understanding among family and friends. "It seems that a person has always been good, kind, and then suddenly there is such rage."
- Stress … Constant stress is already a sign of depression. Men should be aware of this and not take it lightly.
- Anxiety … Men do not like to talk about their worries with others, but they should be discharged, throw off the burden of doubts and worries, this will make it easier and calm. Otherwise, it can reach the disease.
- Alcohol and drugs … In a constant depressed mood, in order to raise it, men often abuse alcohol. This does not solve problems, in particular with health, but only pulls them into a tight knot.
- Decreased libido … Interest in the opposite sex falls, and sexual weakness may develop. Men avoid talking on this sensitive topic for them, because of false modesty they are afraid to appear to a specialist. This only worsens their general condition, depression can take the most severe form, including suicide.
- Weakening of volitional qualities … When such qualities as purposefulness, initiative, decisiveness, perseverance are weakened so much that a person cannot do even the simplest thing without effort, for example, it is hard for him to go to the store.
- Thoughts of death … In a depressed state, they can visit constantly. The painful psyche does not critically perceive everything that is happening around, the man goes into his own experiences, which are imprinted by an external factor: problems at work, financial troubles. This is often fatal.
Important! If your loved one has been depressed for a long time, it is possible that they have one or more of these symptoms.
Ways to combat male depression
There is no clear advice on how to treat depression in men. The treatment is complex: not only medications are used to suppress the depressive state, but the help of a psychologist and other doctors is required if the disease has affected vital organs.
Treatment of depression in men with medications
Medication for depression is prescribed when a person is no longer able to cope with his illness on his own. The main medicinal drug here are tricyclic antidepressants - Amitriptyline and Imipramine. They are quite effective, but they have a number of undesirable side effects. The heart beats faster, urine drains badly, dries in the mouth, consciousness becomes twilight, hands begin to tremble, sexual weakness appears. Many patients began to abandon these potent drugs in favor of safer drugs of the second (Mianserin, Maprotiline) and third (Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram) generations. Adverse reactions from their use are minimized. The antidepressants of the newest class IV - Milnacipran, Duloxetine and Venlafaxine - have become especially effective. They do not disrupt cardiac activity, do not inhibit the reproductive system. They help in the treatment of kidney and alcoholism, for example, Milnacipran does not affect the liver at all. And most importantly, there is no getting used to them. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the treatment course, since the effect of the use of antidepressants does not appear immediately. Treatment for depression in men is usually on an outpatient basis and in three stages:
- initial stage … The main signs of depression are identified, and the most effective antidepressant from the point of view of the doctor is prescribed, and the dose is selected.
- The main course of therapy … The duration of the drug intake is individual. Maybe two weeks or a month, until all signs of the disease disappear.
- Supportive therapy … It is carried out as a preventive measure. The patient continues to take the prescribed medications for several months, comes to the doctor for control.
Some, having lost faith in the treatment, interrupt it or take the prescribed drugs whenever they want, violating the established schedule of admission. The effectiveness of such treatment is extremely low, if any.
Important! Treatment of depression is effective if you adhere to the doctor's prescriptions, and the side effects from taking antidepressants are not comparable to the harm that illness brings to a man.
Psychotherapeutic methods of dealing with depression in men
The role of psychotherapy is important in treating depression. It serves as an additional tool in the fight against the disease, the main thing is that the patient shows his activity. Psychotherapeutic techniques help to remove the negative in the state of mind and emotionally tune in to a "healthy" wave, reinforce in the patient's mind the mindset for bright, joyful thoughts and judgments. The course of treatment consists of group or single sessions (10-30), in which the psychotherapist, in accordance with his psychotherapeutic attitudes, helps patients get rid of unhealthy judgments that accompany the disease.
The most effective types of psychotherapy in the treatment of depression have become:
- Psychodynamic therapy … Examines the internal conflicts of the personality. For example, a man is often angry with others, and he considers himself kind, wants to be seen by his relatives. And this internal contradiction "anger-kindness" can bring him to a depressive state. The goal of the psychologist is to help the patient to understand his feelings, to realize the conflict and find a way out of it, how to be able to keep your emotions “tied” and be really kind, not in words, but in deeds.
- Behavioral (behavioral) psychotherapy … Aimed at eliminating harmful behaviors. In a depressed state, these are passivity, isolation, absent-mindedness, when it is impossible to plan your life, some others. In an individual lesson or with a group, a psychologist helps patients get rid of bad habits and fixes the mindset for an active lifestyle.
- Cognitive psychotherapy (CBT) … Combines the methods of the already considered therapies. In a depressed state, all problems arise from negative thinking. To change it, an integrated approach is needed, first of all, it is working with emotions, changing the concepts and beliefs deeply rooted in the subconscious, and on this basis to correct the patient's behavioral attitudes.
In addition to the three described psychotherapeutic methods, hypnotherapy (exposure to hypnosis), art therapy (art treatment), aromatherapy (exposure to the psyche with the smells and aromas of medicinal herbs and plants), magnetotherapy (exposure to a magnetic field on the body) are often used in the treatment of depression in men. In special cases, electroconvulsive therapy is used, when short-term electrical discharges affect the brain. As a result of the changes taking place in it, the state of health and the work of internal organs improves. There is such a non-trivial method of dealing with depression as sleep deprivation (deprivation). Simply put, a wedge is knocked out with a wedge. This means that a depressive situation is interrupted by a strong emotional shock. The point is, you shouldn't sleep one night. The state of wakefulness for a day and a half spurs the body, helps to cope with a bad mood. There is a specific procedure for such treatment: first, 2 sleepless nights a week, then one. And so on up to 10 times.
In recent years, such a promising method of dealing with depression as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the brain has appeared. This method resembles electroconvulsive therapy, only instead of a current, an alternating magnetic field is applied to the brain cells. The treatment results are quite successful.
All of these methods of dealing with depression in men will not be effective if loved ones leave the patient to the mercy of fate. Only support is able to return the person who has fallen into a depressed state of self-confidence, which means, the hope of a full recovery. How to deal with depression in men - watch the video:
Depression is a common disease in our time, and you need to know how to deal with it in order for a man to stand firmly on his feet and become a support for his loved ones. If this ailment has visited your family, read this article carefully. The disease can and should be overcome, and then peace, tranquility and happiness will surely enter your home.
