Here are some classic symptoms of depression:
• Persistent sadness or anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
• Fatigue and diminished energy
• Changes in sleep and appetite
• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and/or worthlessness
• Thoughts of death and/or suicide
And here are atypical, or less obvious symptoms, which may often occur in men:
• Digestive problems
• Headaches; joint, back, or muscle pain; chest pain
• Anger
• Recklessness
• Violent behavior
• Compulsive behavior
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
Jim G writes: I think the real issue is "twice as many women seek treatment with a mental health professional than men," and not "twice as many women have depression than men."
I think you have hit the nail on the head... this is the same issue where domestic and/or sexual violence is concerned. Society has done a great injustice to men by making asking for help a sign of "weakness"
Jim:
I would POLITELY ask that you re-read Therese's original post.
The "male" symptoms she described in the second list were, as I parsed it, IN ADDITION TO and not INSTEAD OF those in the first list.
Re. older people: I think Dr. Rabins spoke to the differences between biochemical depression (this is what he found to have a lower prevalence) and situational depression (the very fact of being elderly creates enormous possibilities for sadness -- though this does not necessarily always merit treatment with SSRI's, either).
We also don't know how many senior suicides are not JUST from depression but also from a Dr. Kevorkian-type instinct of wanting to assert control in advance of one's inexorable physical decline, particularly from a devastating and irreversible/incurable disease. From news reports, at least, this seems tragically common.
Re. statistics: The stats for men and suicide are undeniable and horrendous. But I think we also must be careful not to say women's depression isn't "real" just because they don't act on it in the worst way (as often; there are still countless female suicides) the way men do. Smacks a bit of Freud's sexist concept of "hysteria," IMHO.
PS -- Just as we have to be careful about saying men are "weak," as Cully put it, by not seeking treatment. That term is a stigma from society, not something internal -- though a man may well unwittingly internalize the label, if not the actuality, from society prejudiced against mental illness and its sufferers. One of my favorite sayings is that, by the very fact of doing so ("ipso facto" in Latin), anyone who survives with depression is strong.
Larry,
I never said men are weak by not seeking treatment. I said, "Society has done a great injustice to men by making asking for help a sign of 'weakness'." As, also, society has not allowed *real men* to use the vocabulary that would signal those around them that they are hurting and need help.
Cully:
Thanks for clarifying. I should too.
Maybe I didn't phrase it the best way, but what I was **trying** to say was not only that men are NOT "weak," but also that even to bring up that description can be problematic because the label comes from stigma, not reality. (As indeed, it was problematic for us ...)
I could just be parsing things too much. But then again, I am a writer IRL. (Sigh.)
I think part of the whole thing is tied into gender imprinting such as "realmen don't cry" and "real women don't fight"
In terms of the elderly, I think it's ABSOLUTELY
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.