Male depression

After many years of understanding that depression is ten times more common in women, the balancing act has revealed more details. Who would have thought that men were different to women but it is true for depression. Women internalise, get sad and cry, blaming themselves. Men externalise, get angry and blame others. Men are more likely to drink alcohol to self manage depression, not understanding that alcohol is a depressant.
If you add the numbers of angry men who abuse alcohol to the list, men and women suffer depression in equal numbers but express them differently. Now such a sweeping statement needs a little closer look. Women with depression also use alcohol to self medicate . Of the two emotions, anger and sadness, women are more likely to have anger than sadness too when they are depressed. Men also commonly feel sad when they suffer depression. Anger seems to be one of the first symptoms of depression. As the illness progresses, people become more withdrawn and sad. In its worst stage, people withdraw and have no feelings, just empty, wooden dullness. As people improve they become angry, always a good sign.
Alcohol, well it is a seducer. It offers a temporary relief as it stimulates endorphins, the happy chemicals in our brain. That lasts about 20 minutes. Then it causes many hours to days of depression.That of course stirs people to drink more and so you get caught in the cycle. Of course socially, economically, health wise, legally you may have complications from the alcohol which then generates more depression.
So when men are depressed, they traditionally get buoyed up by having a drink with a mate. The company is always helpful.
Men are more physically able. Not all men and some women of course are physically stronger but it is a truism. That means that when men decide that suicide is their only way to cope, rather than get help, they are more likely to do something more lethal than women. They are more likely to die than women of their suicide attempt. So for many who fail to see that they have depression, suicide is a last attempt for release or help seeking but men are least likely to survive in order to obtain treatment. Sadly we know this is more true for young men as they are more impulsive. Older people take more time to consider most things in their life so often find other solutions to problems. Men in the rural areas of Australia are more likely to die by suicide as they have more access to guns but also less social supports.
Have you heard of tele-psychiatry? Anywhere in the world, using technology which is often free, you can access a psychiatrist in Australia. Clearly not as good as seeing one in person but provides access to mental health care for everyone.