Depression has typically been thought of as a “women’s condition.” Contemporary culture promotes the idea that women are sensitive, moody, and emotional; so we readily accept that women are prone to depression. It just fits with who and what we think women are. Cultural expectations put pressure on men to appear strong, confident, and in control. Men are not encouraged to express their emotions or their vulnerability. So, we often don’t think that men suffer from depression. But, in fact, they do. And in greater numbers than we have previously imagined.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly 6 million men each year experience an episode of depression. So why is male depression not as recognized? Some suggest that the symptoms of male depression take on a slightly different hue than what we typically see with women struggling with depression. According to Jed Diamond in his groundbreaking book Male Menopause, men also suffer from hormone related irritability, anger, fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, low libido and confusion. Diamond suggests men manifest these symptoms differently. They can be masked by workaholism, substance abuse, or aggression.
Another reason we often don’t think men struggle with mood disorders is because men often don’t talk about it. Terrance Real’s book, I Don’t Want to Talk About it, delves in to the painful legacy of male depression. He explores the cultural conditioning for men to rein in emotions and feelings. When a man is under the grips of a dark mood, he does not have much permission from the culture to acknowledge it. In addition, the stigma of depression that face both men and women, can prevent men from admitting their suffering. These factors contribute to fewer men seeking help for their depression.
Fortunately, the tide may be turning. In the past 10 years a handful of men have come forth to reveal their own struggles with Winston Churchill’s “black dog.” Writers such as Terrence Real, Jed Diamond, William Styron, and Andrew Solomon have written revealing and useful books exploring depression. Their courage and knowledge has contributed to the destigmatization of depression and offers hope and encouragement for men to seek help and relief for their suffering. Because men get depressed too.
