Under the bravado and macho exterior of our male population lies a hidden truth, that men too fall prey to bouts of depression. This mental health problem affects an average of 1 in every 7 American men, yet this problem has remained to be unrecognized and unaccepted in the realm of male machismo. But with the revelations in light of Heath Ledger’s death, Owen Wilson’s attempted suicide, along with a long list of depressed celebrities, depression has become an open problem and a source of great concern.

Depression in fact affects both men and women at any given age, though how they respond and manifest this disorder may differ as men often exhibit the physical symptoms of depression while women delve on the emotional aspects. Recent depression news revealed that 40% of middle aged men are suffering from depression, significantly higher than women who are pegged at only 25%. Depression in men is also harder to recognize as men are not prone to be expressive of their emotions and as such it is essential that we learn to diagnose these depression symptoms to help the men that we love recognize and seek immediate help to counter this disorder.

Depression in men, especially when left undetected, can lead to a string of other social and health problems ranging from loss of work, to divorce, as well as cardiovascular problems and suicide. As a matter of fact, 80% of all recorded suicides are men and most likely caused by undiagnosed depression.

Identifying Male Depression

Men and women exhibits depression in a highly different manner, while men resort to acting out their moods, women turns to verbal outbursts. According to the latest research, the most common signs of depression in our Adam population includes increased anger and irritability, reduced ego, constant blaming of others, paranoia, restlessness, compulsive behaviors, insomnia, feelings of self disgust, becomes overly conscious and controlling, turns to alcohol and substance abuse for temporary relief and violent behavior.

Overcoming Depression

As men are more likely to deny that they have a severe mental condition, it can prove to be much more difficult and complex to diagnose and treat, experts say that it take 3 health professionals to cure 1 depressed man. Medical experts also agree that men do not respond well to traditional anti depressants and medication of which may even lead to more serious depression issues. Most experts suggests regular exercise, healthy diet and a strong social support system to help ease the treatment and recovery process for depressed men.

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