Anxiety and Depression Men Suffer Differently

Throughout much of history, conditions such as anxiety and depression have been downplayed by society. However, recent studies and medical research has shown these conditions can have grave consequences if ignored. Consequently, these studies, coupled with increased awareness, have led to a different outlook altogether. Anxiety is now recognized as a severe condition, and more people are seeking help whenever they start experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms.

How Anxiety and Depression Effects Men and How to Manage It

However, if you look at those seeking help for anxiety and depression matters, you’ll realize a startling revelation. Women are more likely to seek intervention for anxiety issues as compared to men. Does this mean women are more prone to anxiety attacks? Are men immune to depression and anxiety? The simplistic answer to both these questions is a resounding no! Men can just as easily have all of the anxiety and depression symptoms they may just be harder to detect.

Is depression more rampant in women than men?

Different schools of thought have been developed to explain why women seem to suffer from anxiety compared to men. The first school of thought speculates that women are more willing to come out and seek treatment. This means while men may be displaying anxiety symptoms, they are less likely to take any action.

Another line of thought is more resources have been dedicated to helping women suffering from depression and anxiety. Men, on the other hand, have few-to-none resources readily available. Additionally, the aforementioned increase in awareness may be tilted to favor females at the expense of males.

So, while men suffer from anxiety and depression, they often don’t have enough information to take action. And even when they are willing to get help, there aren’t enough channels dedicated to men’s depression.

Unfortunately, the lack of attention directed towards males exhibiting anxiety symptoms has led to a spike in the number of men committing suicide.

So, what can be done to ensure men suffering anxiety symptoms get as much help as needed? The first step is creating awareness. Society as a whole needs to understand the symptoms associated with depression in men.

Anxiety and depression symptoms in men

Certain anxiety and depression symptoms cut across the board. However, some of these are either unique to men or associated with males in larger percentages. Some of the symptoms men face while suffering from depression and anxiety include;

• You become easily agitated or irritable
• Insomnia – You have trouble getting quality sleep
• Improper dietary habits
• You experience increased muscle aches and pain
• Panic attacks
• You may experience vertigo and dizziness more often
• Extreme sweating

Some of the symptoms are emotional, including;

• Being absentminded most of the day
• Fear of losing control
• Negative thinking
• Detachment from family and close friends

How do you treat it in men?

As mentioned above, awareness is the very first step towards helping men dealing with anxiety and depression issues. However, the conversation needs to move from awareness to treatment.

Anxiety and depression are curable conditions. No man should ever have to worry about the above-mentioned anxiety symptoms as you can seek treatment. Some of the top treatment options for men struggling include;

1. Medication

Modern medicine has come a long way in helping people suffering from depression and anxiety. While you may be tempted to do a quick search on which medication effectively fights anxiety, you should start by seeing a medical professional.

Consulting qualified personnel on issues dealing with anxiety will help you understand what kind of anxiety you are suffering from and the appropriate medication and dosage. Under no circumstance should you self-medicate as this can lead to addiction.

Some of the popular medication used in the treatment of depression and anxiety include;

• Benzodiazepines
• Antidepressants
• Buspirone

2. Therapy

Sometimes, combating anxiety symptoms may lead you to see a therapist. Different kinds of therapy can help you overcome anxiety. These include;

• Exposure therapy
• Talk therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy

It is worth noting that women seek out therapy and mental health services more than men. As such, men need to be encouraged to see therapists as a method of dealing with anxiety.

3. Lifestyle change

One of the leading causes of anxiety today is the lifestyle you adapt to. Therefore, a change in lifestyle choices can help you deal with anxiety symptoms and lead a wholesome and healthy life.

The beauty of lifestyle choices is you have control over some of these choices, and a quick glance into what you can change will go a long way to dealing with anxiety.

Positive lifestyle choices, such as sleeping more, eating a balanced diet, and exercising, can help fight depression. Additionally, some of these lifestyle choices can help you overcome harmful lifestyle routines and conditions such as addiction and drug use.

In some cases, you may require tailored professional help while changing or adjusting your lifestyle.

Ultimately, men are prone to anxiety and depression, just like anyone else. This information will help you determine whether you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety of is exhibiting anxiety symptoms.

Once you have this established, you can then work out the best way to combat and overcome depression for men everywhere.