According to statistics, depression develops less often in men than in women, but its manifestations can be more dangerous. Men in a depressed state often make attempts to commit suicide, and, unfortunately, these attempts are usually realized.
In order to prevent the death of a loved one, a woman needs to be especially attentive to him during difficult periods of life. Why does the disease develop, how to deal with it, and what to do if a man shows signs of a depressive disorder? , a psychiatrist and psychotherapist at the MEDSI clinic on Leninsky Prospekt, spoke about this .
Symptoms of depression in men
Psychiatry does not divide depression into male and female. This condition manifests itself equally in all people, regardless of gender and age. Signs of depressive disorders are formulated by the international classification of diseases. And if you notice one or more of them in a loved one, you should be wary.
It’s worth paying attention if a man has stopped enjoying those things that gave him pleasure before. For example, he happily went fishing, but now he refuses to do it. Or if he is increasingly in a bad, depressed mood, he tries to leave the house as little as possible, and in his free time he prefers not to get out of bed.
In addition to the external signs of depression in a man, there are also internal ones. “Boys don’t cry” - this is how men are raised in modern society. But precisely because of this, all the internal experiences that torment a person and increase melancholy are not brought out. Men are not used to discussing problems with their wives and girlfriends. And with depression, multiple negative thoughts may arise:
- about personal or professional insolvency;
- about the lack of prospects in life;
- feeling of guilt.
Against this background, attention decreases and intellectual functions deteriorate. The person becomes distracted and cannot remember important information or concentrate on important work. There is also a decrease in sexual desire for the spouse, sleep is disturbed, and appetite usually decreases.
pixabay.com/
Rule four: do not react to aggression and negativity
Depressed people can sometimes be angry and aggressive, and if you are nearby, it is likely that the full flow of their indignation will fall on you. Imagine that you are surrounded by an invisible shield against which all offensive words are broken. Remember that it is not the person who says this, but his illness. Depressed people are less likely to discuss their thoughts and feelings. They are sure that no one will understand them, so they reject everyone who tries to help. The best thing you can do is just be there - and talk to the person about neutral topics. If a person mired in depression expresses doubt that a bright future will ever come, you must be ready to reassure him that the sun will definitely come out over the horizon, because it cannot be otherwise. Remember that in a state of depression, people are not able to evaluate themselves and their lives objectively, so no matter what you really think, you don’t need to dump the whole pessimistic forecast on your friend. It's like dipping a person with a sore throat into ice water.
Causes of the disease
These manifestations become a “marker” of processes that occur inside the body. Scientists have not yet figured out the causes of depressive disorders, but they agree that dozens of biologically active substances in the body are involved in them.
Clinical depression in men is not just a bad mood. This is a disease that affects the hormonal and immune systems, but mostly affects the functioning of the brain, as it disrupts the production of neurotransmitters responsible for emotions, reaction speed and performance.
Some external “push” usually leads to the development of depression:
- problems at work;
- dismissal;
- dissatisfaction with personal relationships;
- lack of career growth and financial well-being.
At different ages, the reasons may be different, but the processes occurring in the body of a man at 30 years old with depression do not differ from those at 40 and 50 years old. An external push triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions in the body, and it is not always possible to stop them on your own, without the help of a specialist.
pixabay.com/
Stay close
If a person who is depressed does not live alone, then his family and loved ones should continue to lead normal lives and not show with all their appearance that there is a sick person in the house. For a person with depression, this will mean that life goes on and that they are expected to return to normal life. If a person lives alone, friends can visit him in turn. This is exactly what is required in the process of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy - the specialist helps the patient literally create a schedule of meetings with friends so that he spends as little time as possible alone. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to force him to sit in a chair in front of you and read a book to him. Observe his condition and decide how best to spend his time. Sometimes it’s enough just to talk or sit on a bench, but you can also go to the movies or play sports together. The less a person with depression becomes self-absorbed and the more they are in the company of other people, the faster recovery occurs.
Test for symptoms of depression in men
Psychiatrists diagnose the disease and determine its severity. It is difficult to make a diagnosis on your own, as well as to develop treatment tactics. Despite the fact that there are enough tests on the Internet for diagnosing depressive conditions and various scales, this method alone is not enough to clarify the diagnosis.
“In psychiatry, a diagnosis is established based on a person’s current mental state, life history and examination using tests,” comments psychiatrist Christina Wirth. “A diagnosis can only be made based on a combination of factors.”
At the appointment, the specialist evaluates the person’s behavior, clarifies the life history, causes and duration of the depressive state, and offers to fill out a test as an additional diagnostic method.
For self-completion, the patient uses the Aaron Beck test, where you need to select answers from groups of statements based on your condition over the past week. Another well-known test for diagnosing depression is the Hamilton Scale; it is completed by a doctor based on a professional assessment of the patient’s condition and behavior. This test is not suitable for self-diagnosis.
Rule six: don't forget about yourself
If an old friend of yours is depressed, it will probably be enough to call him sometimes and ask how you can help. But if your loved one gets sick - a husband, a parent, a child - then you will need a lot of moral and emotional strength to help him get out. Depression doesn't go away in a day. It may take weeks or months for symptoms to begin to subside, during which time your loved one will feel like a shadow of their former self. He will not cope with banal household duties, because it is difficult to even get out of bed, he will be aggressive and pessimistic, his whole world will be painted black - and do not think that he will hide this from you. He won't have the strength to do it. Therefore, even cute cats from social networks will make him think about imminent death and torment. And all this time you should be that ray of light that looks through the dense forest of his thoughts. So that the ray does not go out and you do not lose your temper, you need to draw positivity from somewhere. Find your source of energy - and be sure to take time to recharge. If you like to dance, go to discos; if you enjoy drawing, start going to the studio. Connect with other people and do things that bring you joy. This is usually very difficult for loved ones of people suffering from depression. Because as soon as they leave the threshold of the house, a feeling of guilt begins to torment them. “Here I go to have fun, and my husband sits and looks at the wall... What a terrible woman I am!” Therefore, it is very important for you to instill in yourself the idea that it is not just you who need to enjoy life - it is vitally important for your depressed loved one. If there is no electricity in the house, your laptop will not charge. If you don't have the energy, your loved one won't be able to get the amount of attention and care they need.
Photo - Lori's photo bank
How can a man get out of depression on his own?
Despite the fact that depression was included in the international classification of diseases quite a long time ago and was recognized by the world medical community as a dangerous disorder, many people, especially in Russia, still do not take it seriously.
They think it will go away on its own, compare it to laziness, or accuse a person suffering from a depressive disorder of being spineless and irresponsible. And this is a huge risk, since without proper help, mental problems will only get worse. And against their background, the accompanying “responses” of the body will develop.
pixabay.com/Pexels
“Since depression is based on an imbalance of bioactive substances, hormones and even the immune system, it increases the risk of dangerous diseases,” says Christina Wirth. “Against a background of depression, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases increases.”
It is important to take into account that you can get out of depression on your own only if it developed against the background of a problematic situation and at some point the problem was resolved. This improves a man’s emotional state and helps him regain his zest for life. If the problem is “prolonged”, depression develops over a long time, and it becomes impossible to get rid of it on your own.
After all, physiological processes are added to the psychological disorder, hormonal imbalance occurs, and the production of neurotransmitters in the brain is disrupted. And to correct the condition, the help of a specialist is needed. Otherwise, improvements may be temporarily observed against the background of the disease, but depression will regularly return and intensify for no apparent reason.
“Self-healing is possible with mild depression,” comments the doctor. — The maximum you can do on your own is to find psychological literature, self-help manuals, read them, try to work with yourself. But there must be a will for this, there must be faith in one’s own strength, and the aid itself must be professional.”
pixabay.com/
How to help someone with depression at home
Depressions that occur during the spring-winter period are often associated with a lack of sunlight. Therefore, the first recommendation is very simple: go for a walk more often. Depressive disorder leads to suppression of physical activity, so the patient himself may not want to go outside - this is where your energy and perseverance will be needed.
It’s good if the walks take place in the lap of nature: beautiful landscapes and sounds of nature will become part of audio and art therapy and will have a positive effect on your mood. Visit art galleries, exhibitions, museums, places with beautiful architecture. All this can help gradually return a taste for life to a person suffering from depression, or rather, show him that he is far from alone in this world and expand his perception.
Stimulate a person for physical activity: exciting games, walks, swimming, gymnastics have a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system and are widely used by psychotherapists in the treatment of mild and moderate-severe depression.
Allow the person to speak out and reveal their mental suffering to you - this will help relieve the severity of negative experiences. Such a simple way of helping - support, sympathy, human warmth - can protect a person from committing suicide. In addition, this will allow him to quickly cope with depression or, at least, alleviate its manifestations.
Take care of yourself
Being around someone who suffers from depression can be very difficult, especially if you care about that person. You can become a major irritant for him, and it will take a lot of patience to continue to be there. Helping is very important, but you shouldn’t forget about yourself. Sometimes it is difficult to leave a depressed person at home alone because of the feeling of guilt towards him. But it is very important to give yourself time to get out, get some fresh air, change your surroundings and see friends. All this is necessary to maintain your psychological health and continue to be useful to the patient. If you have the opportunity to see a psychotherapist, that’s great. A specialist will help you not only normalize your own condition, but also tell you how to behave correctly with a specific person suffering from depression.
- Depression
