It's a long-standing joke among women that when a man gets sick, he's not just sick, he's dying. Chances are he'll turn into the walking wounded unable to do anything for himself,
except share… …how rotten he's feeling.
But ask him how he's feeling emotionally and he'll most likely say he's fine, even if he's not. This is because male stereotyping has long taught men not
to talk about their feelings and has reinforced the false belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
It should come as no great surprise then that depression and anxiety disorders in males often goes unnoticed.
"Despite the perception that men are bad patients, in reality, it takes a lot to get a man to go the doctor," says Dr Paul Morgan, Deputy Director at SANE Australia. "It's generally not until they feel really physically ill, that they'll
make the effort. And when it comes to mental health issues, men are even more reluctant to seek help.
"This is not surprising given the male stereotypes we've grown up with. Men learn from a young age about
what it is to be a man. They're supposed to be strong. They don't show signs of weakness and when the going gets tough, they most certainly do not ask for help."
These negative typecasts most commonly perpetuated by the media are one of the major reasons why men don't seek help if they feel depressed, says Paul.
"Even though depression affects both men and women, the way they experience and respond to it is different.
"Men don't talk about their feelings so easily. They will very rarely talk about the emotional aspects of depression such as feeling persistently low or sad."
Most men are concerned with how their family, friends and work colleagues see them. And they believe that sharing news of their depression may lead them to lose their job, be discriminated against or lose the respect of those around them.
This means that depression in men often goes undetected and untreated.
"What is more likely to happen," says Paul, "is that rather than speak to someone about how they are feeling, some men will start to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs."
Self-medication is dangerous because of the physical harm it causes, and can lead to drug and alcohol dependence. According to the Community Alcohol Action Network (CANN) in Australia, alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive substance. Between
2001-2002 more Australians received treatment for alcohol-related problems than for any other substance.
"Many men may turn to drugs or alcohol to help deal with what they are feeling," says Paul.
"In the short-term, this might make them feel better but the only way to really deal with their depression is to treat it. Alcohol masks their feelings and can lead to other dependence related issues.
"It's important for men to talk to someone about how they are feeling because depression can be treated, sometimes with simple treatments, like regular exercise or talking to a health professional about any personal problems."
I've got this friend…
If you know someone who may be exhibiting signs of depression, it's important to encourage them to seek help rather than ignore the signs.
Paul warns that when dealing with depression, particularly in men, it's important to tread carefully in order to avoid alienating the individual.
If you suspect someone may be depressed, here are some helpful ways to get them to talk about their feelings.
Have a conversation
Try talking to them about how they are feeling. Make sure you speak to them when they are relaxed and use language that avoids 'mental health' terms.
Rather than saying, 'I think you have depression' try saying 'I've noticed you haven't been yourself lately.' Let them know that you are there to support them and encourage them to talk to their local GP.
Leave some literature lying around
Try leaving some brochures about depression and treatment options lying around for them to read. Reading the literature may help them to recognise some of the symptoms in themselves and may make them more likely to seek help.
Depression increases the risk of suicide, especially among men.
Sane Australia estimates that each year around 2000 people die from suicide in Australia. And for each person that dies, at least another 30 people will attempt suicide.
Many of these people will have experienced depression or some other form of mental illness, making depression a major suicide risk factor.
Beyondblue believes this risk is even higher if you are male. From 1998 to 2002, the suicide rate in Australia was four times higher in men than in women.
Since the introduction of the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, the incidence of suicide among young Australians has
decreased, but Paul believes early intervention is crucial if we are to further reduce the numbers of people who die by suicide.
When sadness won't go away
SANE Australia has put together a checklist to help you work out if you or someone you know may be suffering from depression.
- Have you felt unusually sad or worried for more than two weeks?
- Have you lost interest in the things you usually enjoy?
- Do you feel guilty for no real reason?
- Do you think you are worthless?
- Are you so worried sometimes you feel shaky or have difficulty breathing?
- Do you feel like it wouldn't matter if you died?
- Do you abuse alcohol or drugs?
- Do you say or write things that don't make sense?
If you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you may have depression or an anxiety disorder. It's important to speak to your doctor about your symptoms because depression is treatable – you don't need to live with it.
What causes depression?
There are a number of factors that
can contribute to depression in men.
These include:
- Using drugs and alcohol
- Physical health problems
- Relationship problems
- Employment problems
- Social isolation
- Separation or divorce
Need some advice?
For information and advice,
call the SANE Helpline on
1800 18 SANE (7263)
or visit www.sane.org.
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