Men and women react differently to depression

May 5, 2014

Place men and women in similar situations, and more often than not, they will react and behave differently. Although we’d like to think that men and women are fundamentally the same (except their reproductive organs, of course), the scientific and universal truth is that they are different beings. This is no different when they experience depression. In fact, although they share common signs and symptoms, a better understanding of the differences may help those with depression, say experts.

Studies suggest, women are at twice the risk of developing the condition as men. This can mainly be attributed to biological reasons such as hormones and genes — they get disrupted when brain regions are developing in the male and female foetus.

These biological changes during foetal development lay the groundwork that create a vulnerability to mood disorders, such as depression.

In addition, women are emotional creatures. They tend to be more tuned to their feelings, and better able to describe them when low. Men, on the other hand, might not recognise their symptoms as depression. They tend to deny or hide their unhappiness. So the illness might get overlooked until it becomes more severe. Here are seven ways pointers that may help you identify depression around you.

Women ruminate more
Dwelling on unhappy situations and rehashing negative feelings, known as ruminating, occurs more commonly in women with depression as compared to men who suffer from the illness. This behaviour may involve negative self-talk, crying for no obvious reason and blaming oneself. Rumination does not help people. In fact, it tends to make them feel worse. Unlike women, men tend to distract themselves when feeling down, which helps ease melancholia.

Men turn to substance abuse
Men may drink heavily or turn to illegal drugs to experience a high, and mentally escape from what they are feeling. Before they know it, they are addicted. In women, substance abuse tends to occur after the onset of depression, or as anxiety levels increase.

Depressed men also try to mask their sadness by turning to other escapist ways, such watching too much sport and working excessively, or engaging in unhealthy habits, like gambling, smoking, or driving recklessly. Depression is also more likely to show up as anger and irritability in men and teenage boys.

Stress depresses women
Women may be more likely to become depressed in response to a stressful event. Some evidence suggests that when women experience stressful situations, such as a death in the family, a difficult relationship or losing a job, they tend to respond in a way that prolongs their feelings of stress more so than men do.

This may be because of interactions among stress hormones, female reproductive hormones and mood-regulating neurotransmitters.

Men go mute
No matter how awful they are feeling, men will never let you know. They just don’t say it. They are experts at bottling up their feelings. Although women are hit harder by depression and more vulnerable to it because of biological reasons, the illness is missed more frequently in men.

Doctors and even family members may not pick up on depressive symptoms in men, so they can end up with severe depression before it’s detected, explain doctors.

Women despise food
Depression and eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, often go hand-in-hand. Depression is also much more likely to occur at the same time as an anxiety disorder in women, such as panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

Men are suicidal
Since depression symptoms in men can go longer without being diagnosed or treated, the condition might develop into a devastating mental health problem. Men suffering from depression are also more likely to be successful than women when they attempt suicide.

Even meds work differently
This new area of research suggests, aside from showing different symptoms, men and women metabolise and absorb antidepressants differently, too. And therefore, they need to be treated differently.

Source: The Times of India
Published: 05 May 2014

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