Depression is a pathological change in the human psyche, characterized by the so-called depressive triadNamely: a decrease in the general ability to experience positive emotions and receive joy from life (anhedonia), qualitative changes in the mechanism of thinking caused by joyless, often pessimistic thoughts, as well as psychomotor inhibition.
Depressive disorders are the most common cause of sudden apathy and the general loss of taste for life peculiar to people of all age groups and gender.
With a long stay in a similar state, it rises risk of undesirable effectswhich can be expressed in the form of various comorbidities or general suppression of the physical health of a person, for example, problems in the work of the cardiovascular system, organs of the gastrointestinal tract, serious sleep disorders, as well as disorders of sexual function.
About the symptoms and treatment of depression in men talk in the article.
Disease development mechanics
The modern world, which is in constant motion and development, as well as a changing society, largely determines the occurrence of various depressive disorders not so much among the fair sex, who, as we know, are inherently vulnerable and more emotional, but also among men.
Many people today do not feel confident in the future, various spiritual experiences, tragedies and losses, make the human psyche more vulnerable to various diseases.
And if in his youth initially laid down a craving for life and the attendant joythen, over time, the risk of apathy and negative thoughts only increases.
About it and testifies statistics: the number of depressed after 50 years increased by three times compared with the younger age group.
Experts say that in the upbringing and gender role of a man, there was originally a concealment of his problems and feelings, a fear of appearing weak and asking for help.
Hence the visit to the psychologist - often exclusively female prerogativewhen men for the most part seek to drown out disturbing thoughts by drinking alcohol, gambling and isolating themselves from society, instead of seeking qualified help.
How to understand that your man is depressed? Find out from the video:
The main reasons for the development
Just as there is no exclusively male depression, it is impossible to single out a specific reason for the development of this ailment, since depression is it is always a set of fundamental factorsincluded in themselves, as well as biological predisposition, psychological characteristics of a person’s personality, his lifestyle, social status and relationship with his environment.
Transferred stress associated with the loss of loved ones, loss of workplace, divorce, death of a loved one, a sharp financial issue, the problem of loneliness - all this causes feeling of insecurity and some helplessness in men.
An important factor in the development of depression can also be the physical health of a person - trauma suffered, serious diseases, various forms of disability, addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Age as a risk factor
It should be noted that age is also closely related to the presence of the disorder. These or other events that occur at a certain stage in a man’s life increase the risk of depression in a man.
Conventionally, age-related depression can be divided into three main groups, namely:
- Up to 25 years. This period of life is characterized by various turning points, among which are: leaving your home, starting an independent life, making difficult choices for your future, determining your place in society, searching for your first job. Such situations for a young person are largely accompanied by a huge amount of stress and doubt.
30-40 years. The so-called midlife crisis, which is characterized by an awareness of its role in life, a high level of responsibility before the family and, as a result, various alarming thoughts about career, stability, health of close people and family integrity.- 50-60 years. This is a group of men about retirement age. The main cause of depressions at this age is the loss of their social significance by a man, a decrease in self-esteem, such factors as aging of the body and, as a result, general physical discomfort, fear of old age and loneliness, loss of spouses also worsen the general mental state.
30-40 years. The so-called midlife crisis, which is characterized by an awareness of its role in life, a high level of responsibility before the family and, as a result, various alarming thoughts about career, stability, health of close people and family integrity.Classification disorder
Modern psychiatry today recites more than 20 different types of depressive disorders, each of which has a number of its distinctive features and an individual clinical picture.
The most common types of disorders include:
- Clinical depression - The most common form, characterized by a gradual increase in symptoms. As a rule, the patient is apathetic, he lost interest in life, reduced physical activity.
With a long stay in this state, pessimistic thoughts, loss of self-esteem, suicidal thoughts can be noted.
A common cause of the development of this form of the disease are various transferred stresses and experiences.
Chronic disorder is a more severe form of depression and can last more than a few years. As a rule, such a man can lead his usual way of life, but his general emotional background is rather pessimistic, such a person does not have joy and interest in anything, sleep is disturbed, libido is lowered, often men with this form of disorder prefer isolation from society and sharp narrowing the circle of your communication.- Bipolar disorder is the most severe form of depression, which requires not only medication, but also inpatient therapy under the supervision of specialists. Its main signs are: sharp mood swings: if initially aggravated irritability is observed, the patient is crying and deprived of interest in everything that happens, is inert, then after a while the patient may have a sharp rise in physical activity, motivation to act, a feeling of euphoria, uncontrollable laughter.
With particularly advanced forms, there is also a manifestation of delusions and hallucinations, bouts of uncontrollable rage.
- Against the background of pathological processesoccurring inside the brain, namely, the lack of neurotransmitters, it is customary to isolate such a severe form of depression as endogenous, which also has all the classic symptoms of depression, expressed in an apathetic state, decreased physical activity, appetite, sleep disorders and anxious thoughts.
- Hidden depression - a form of disorder, which is rather difficult for diagnostics, since specialists often worsen general mood deterioration, loss of strength and apathy for various autonomic pathologies, various forms of hypertension and manifestation of osteochondrosis.
Psychogenic and psychotic disorder. If in the first case we are talking about a healthy psyche, which can suffer due to various negative factors (stress, psychological trauma), then the second case is caused by genetic predisposition and in special cases this form of disorder may be accompanied by various delusions, delusions and hallucinations.- Neurotic and atypical disorders. The neurotic form is characterized by combining both the manifestations of the depressive syndrome and neurosis, due to the individual characteristics of the patient’s psyche and his general level of excitability, when atypical is characterized by classical depressive symptoms coupled with atypical manifestations in the form of increased appetite, excessive sleepiness, tearfulness, the presence of panic attacks and various phobias.
Chronic disorder is a more severe form of depression and can last more than a few years. As a rule, such a man can lead his usual way of life, but his general emotional background is rather pessimistic, such a person does not have joy and interest in anything, sleep is disturbed, libido is lowered, often men with this form of disorder prefer isolation from society and sharp narrowing the circle of your communication.
Psychogenic and psychotic disorder. If in the first case we are talking about a healthy psyche, which can suffer due to various negative factors (stress, psychological trauma), then the second case is caused by genetic predisposition and in special cases this form of disorder may be accompanied by various delusions, delusions and hallucinations.Signs and symptoms
Signs of depressive syndrome in men, as a rule, are less pronounced than among women.
Some patients may completely change your social circle, or completely withdraw, become uncommunicative and devoid of any initiative, when others, on the contrary, become more contacts, aggressive and quick-tempered, tend to take risky actions - gambling, driving high speed vehicles, searching for extreme sports and promiscuous unprotected sex.
Many men hide up to the last and do not want to recognize, both for themselves and for their loved ones, the presence of such negative changes within their personality and the need for qualified specialist assistance, preferring to go into the world of their illusions or self-medicate.
TO the most pronounced symptoms depressive disorder include:
- heightened aggression and irritability, suspicion, tendency to private scandals and a desire to control everything that happens, in some cases a tendency to violence;
- loss of interest in life, meager emotions, apathy and lethargy;
- loss of concentration, rapid fatigue, a general decrease in efficiency;
- pain in the back and chest, frequent migraines;
- sleep and appetite disorders, decreased libido;
- the lack of an objective assessment of reality, oneself as an individual — hence the constant feeling of guilt, which turns into self-flagellation.
Why does depression occur and how to fight it? Find out from this video:
Why is this condition dangerous?
Many men underestimate the threat of this disease, believing that able to independently overcome ailment and all its attendant symptoms.
Meanwhile, a depressive disorder tends to progress and cause serious consequences, significantly worsen the quality of a man’s life and deprive him of his usual joys.
Constant nervous tension, finding a man inside his pessimistic thoughts, various fears and anxiety, can destroy the quality of sleep, lead to chronic insomnia, significantly disrupt the cardiovascular system or only aggravate existing diseases.
Depression negatively affects the work of the brain, depriving the patient of concentration, reducing his memory quality, general performance, the desire to learn and generate new ideas.
Specialists have proven that such disorders contribute to a decrease in the size of the brain and, as a result, reduce his mental abilities.
Depression also contributes to the manifestation of various drug and alcohol addictions, which only worsens the general condition of the patient, bringing a phantom sensation of relief.
For particularly severe cases of depression quite often the patient is visited by negative and suicidal thoughtswhich can be a starting point for committing suicide or other harm to yourself or others.
Diagnostics and therapy methods
If there are similar symptoms and any negative thoughts that can reduce a man’s quality of life, seek professional help as soon as possiblewho can objectively assess the extent of the disease, prescribe competent treatment.
In particular, men should have the courage to admit to the doctor that there is a problem, but such a step is already a guarantee of a successful victory over the illness.
Many patients start therapy note positive changes and a general improvement in both one’s well-being and the quality of life in general.
What can a specialist offer?
With the initial forms of the disease can help and work of the patient with the psychologistwhich will help to understand men with disturbing moments and find the necessary solution.
There are several types of psychotherapy that show decent results:
psychodynamic therapy aimed at resolving personal conflicts within the patient, stopping anxiety states and negative thoughts;- behavioral, contributing to the removal of destructive forms of behavior, expressed in isolation, excessive aggression, self-doubt;
- cognitivewhich combines previous therapies.
psychodynamic therapy aimed at resolving personal conflicts within the patient, stopping anxiety states and negative thoughts;In some cases, the use of such practices as hypnosistreatment of disorders by artfor example, drawing or modeling from clay, magnetic therapy or exposure to electric charges on the brain of the patient, which contribute to the overall improvement of the patient's health.
In cases where such therapy is powerless, the use of antidepressants. How it will be a drug, in what dosage and duration of treatment, depends largely on the clinical picture of the disease and the overall severity of the disorder.
With the complex therapy of this disease, it is shown to drastically change a person’s lifestyle. Various sports activities are useful.where the patient from a variety of options can choose what he likes.
Physical activity not only contributes to the overall improvement of physical health, but also is an excellent helper in the fight against toxic thoughts, as it helps to increase the level of serotonin.
The use of sedatives, which help to cope with insomnia and normalize sleep. It will also be important to include in your diet an increased amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, to take mineral and vitamin complexes.
What can the patient do?
In such situations it is very important to try to set yourself up for positive thoughts, to try avoid stress and conflict situationsand also normalize your daily routine.
It is important for a man to surround himself with those things that used to bring him joy and happiness. This may be a joint vacation with your family, hiking or fishing, various trips.
Some experts advise in such a difficult period of life to have a pet, for care and mutual love are excellent remedies.
In addition to your favorite hobby, you can include visits to various trainings aimed at developing motivation, mutual support and working in a team.
It will be important and turn to readingwhich, as is known, is capable not only to distract from negative thoughts, but also to give wisdom and awareness, as well as to find the key to solving the problems of concern to a person.
Most popular works, which cover topics about the essence and being of a person, as well as about his spiritual experiences, are the books of Louise Hay, for example, “The Big Book of Changes for the Better”, Rubin Grethet “Project Happiness. Dreams. Plan. New Life ", as well as Osho" Life. Love. Laugh".
Prevention
As you know, prevention is an excellent tool not only for the prevention of illness, but also for the speedy cure of a depressive disorder.
What is important to rememberto prevent the development or aggravation of depression?
healthy lifestyle, with enough sleep, time to rest, giving up various bad habits;- balanced nutrition and regular exercise;
- work on yourself. It is important to appreciate the present moment, the ability to enjoy the present day. You should not be too critical of your life and your achievements, you should not dissolve in problems and live fears about the future;
- plan your day, goals and tasks that need to be addressed;
- surround yourself with positive people, things and events that can give a feeling of happiness;
- find a favorite activity.
healthy lifestyle, with enough sleep, time to rest, giving up various bad habits;Depression can affect every person’s life, but at such times it’s important do not ignore the first disturbing symptoms, and immediately begin to help yourself by any available means, also not be afraid to admit the fact of the disease and seek help from a qualified specialist.
After all, the sooner a man begins to work on his illness, the sooner he will be able to return to his usual way of life and find spiritual harmony.
How to treat depression in men? Find out from this video:
