Signs of Depression in Men

Some people believe that clinical depression is a medical condition that only affects women. Although women do make up the majority of the depression cases seen by hospitals and doctors, men are also affected by depression but are less likely to seek medical attention for the condition. This makes it even scarier when a man suffers from clinical depression as they are less likely to get the professional help that they need and are more likely to commit suicide.

The signs of depression in men are different than those in women. Men are also more likely to not pay attention to their signs of depression or pass them off as nothing. They can be better at hiding the signs and symptoms from friends, family and coworkers. Some men just have trouble recognizing the signs of depression since they don't think it is a condition that affects men.

Although the symptoms of clinical depression are basically the same in women and men, the way that they are expressed in men differs.

Men are more likely to notice the physical signs of depression more than anything else. They may report things such as being extremely tired, fatigued, sleep problems such as insomnia or sleeping more than normal, and muscle tension that is chronic. They may also report other physical symptoms such as lack of appetite or constant headaches.

One of the major differences between the signs of depression in men and women is that men hardly ever exhibit the emotional symptoms that go along with clinical depression. This may because men are stereotyped as not being able to talk about their feelings or because they just aren't willing to open up to others. Men will hardly exhibit the common signs of crying and sadness as a women would.

Some other behavioral signs of depression in men may actually be harder to recognize as actual symptoms of depression. Behavior such as alcohol or drug abuse, being angry quite often, engaging in dangerous or extreme behaviors such as gambling, dangerous sports, or dangerous sexual activity may all be signs of the greater problem of depression. When these types of signs are exhibited, it is harder to diagnose a man with depression and not just having a drug problem or a problem controlling his temper.

If you happen to be suffering from some of these signs of depression for more than two weeks, you need to consult your doctor. Treatment is available for depression and it is something that can be dealt with and you can overcome it. You need to get help, though, as that is the only way to that you can overcome your depression and beat it. It does not matter if you are a man or a woman, you can suffer from depression.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-men