Depressive Symptoms: Men vs. Woman
Common symptoms in men include:
- Feeling more irritable with a “shorter fuse”
- Being easily distracted with worse attention
- Feeling more tired and fatigued
- Thinking that others are to blame for the current situations
- Being more suspicious and lacking trust for others
- Sexual side effects, impotence
As you can see, there is some overlap in symptoms, and generally, both men and women will have similar symptoms. Men tend to be more angry and irritable while women tend to feel sad. This has a lot to do with fulfilling gender roles. It is more acceptable and expected for men to respond with anger than sadness. For women, the opposite is true.
The anger will come from a number of sources. For one, your overall stress is likely higher when depressed. When stress is high, you are like a pot already simmering on the stove. It only takes a few more degrees to trigger a rolling boil. Other people will experience you as having a “short fuse.” You will experience it as being annoying, dumb or infuriating.
Secondly, your anger comes from a need for control. As a man, you like to have power and control over the world around you. Depression works by making you question your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Women respond by being indecisive while you become even more self-assured and quick to act. Many of these impulsive choices will not work out for the best, and when they don’t, you will become even angrier and more controlling as you place the blame elsewhere.
Pressures to Deny
Gender stereotypes and expectations play a role in the second barrier. Despite all of the progress made to reduce the negative stigma attached to mental health treatment and issues, men continue to see certain disorders as feminine. To some, admitting that they have depression is like admitting that they are no longer fully male. After all, they claim that men are strong and women are weak. Unfortunately, these flawed opinions only lead to increased issues now and later on in life.
Men often report thinking that they should be able to “get over” their depression or “push through it.” They believe that their willpower can conquer depression. They can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and move on with life. No one is quite sure where this thought process comes from, but it is evident in other aspects of life. If a boy gets hurt on the playground, parents will encourage him to “walk it off.” If a girl gets hurt, parents of either sex will provide a more nurturing response.
Oddly enough, some mental health issues are more gender neutral or even more accepted for men. Anxiety and ADHD seem to be perceived in neutral ways. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are seen as more masculine disorders, which might lead to more acceptance in the diagnosed male. This perception is rather foolish, though. It is like saying diabetes is feminine and cancer is masculine. Everyone is susceptible to some type of mental health issue. Depression does not care about gender.
