The Male versus the Female perspective on Depression
Posted on August 31, 2012 by Rebekkah Slowley Psy BS CLC, One of Thousands of Christian Coaches on Noomii.
Men and women view depression quite differently. Stereotypically, it is also handled differently. Is this you?
Depression is a psychological illness that eats away at your emotions, mind, mood and thoughts. It is a condition where one renders themself helpless to change their circumstances thus feeling miserable with having to live with that fact as they know it. Depression has crossed a dangerous threshold if the person stays in that state longer than two weeks. Depression affects 9.5% of the population or the equivalent of 18.8 million people. Depression attacks both male and female genders and it widely believed that women suffer from depression at a much more alarming rate than men and the statistics prove this theory to be true due to the fact that 73% of those affected are women and an additional 9% are adolescents under the age of 18. While there are studies being done that would indicate that due to our changing world this may no longer be true, I am finding that there are certain undeniable truths that support the theory that women are infected more so than men. For starters, there is some Physical, sociological and Psychological issues that are uniquely female. Issues such as menstrual cycles and the symptoms thereof, pregnancy ( the carrying of a baby, birth and postpartum effects), fertility (menopause). These are all issues that men will never be able to relate to directly However, men may find some common ground and level playing field with issues such as executive roles (in the workplace) social acceptance, body image , inequality , sexual and physical abuse, destiny fulfillment, relationships (and the success thereof) and poverty.
While the latter issues may and can be shared by both genders, men and women deal with the issues quite differently. For example, a woman may cry, discuss her issues with a friend or loved one; suffer a significant decrease in her productivity and recreational activities. While a man may be very silent and nonchalant about his issues on the outside, while becoming bitter, angry and rebellious on the inside. Men are more likely to withdraw, to self medicate in an attempt to forget their issues or be involved in illicit behavior to distract from the issues. I guess it’s that internal/ external theory between the sexes. In addition, a major contributing factor to the differences between the sexes is the outlook. Men see being depressed as a weakness, thus they fight very hard not to portray or even admit the illness and as a result 95% of men who suffer from this disease are untreated. Depression in men as a result becomes hereditary. Women view depression as something that is inevitable to face in their lifetime and something they have to fight and conquer. So we embrace and accept it, which is not necessarily a bad thing except we embrace it a little too strong and a little too long. As a result women tend to be more likely to become ill from depression. Hypertension, heart disease, weight gain, premature aging, (grey hair, baldness, thinning) migraines, fluid retention, are all by products of depression. There is some good news for us women though, because we are considered ‘the weaker sex’ we are expected to act out, but we are also conditioned to be the gender that is more likely to not only admit it, but to seek help and overcome it. It is true, we suffer depression quite differently. In the same breath, we respond to it quite differently and I believe that it levels the playing field in the end.