Men do not recognize depression .. How do you support your husband to overcome it?

Laila Ali

When your husband gets depressed, you may not know it simply.Depression symptoms are different in men than those listed in the well-known diagnostic criteria, but if you make sure that your husband has become depressed, it is important to know that this is not a mistake and you can not cure However, your support will certainly help your husband to overcome this difficult time.

A study by psychiatrist Lisa Martin, published on the Gamma Securities website, aimed to measure symptoms of depression in men compared to women.Analysis using a measure that included conventional depression symptoms found that men and women met depression criteria at roughly equal proportions: 30.6% for men and 33.3% for women.

But using a measure that included alternative symptoms of depression, analyzes found a higher proportion of men with depression (26.3%) than women (21.9%).

The study concludes that men experience depression differently from women, as they experience symptoms such as anger, irritability, sleep disorders and drug use. They are also more likely to describe depressive symptoms as "stress" rather than feelings of sadness.

Socialization of men
Researchers believe that socializing men and educating them on the need to be tough and avoid anything seen as suggesting femininity, including emotions, may cause depression to appear differently in males.

The culture of society does not usually accept men 's depression, nor is it offered as well as women' s depression, so they may end up with severe depression before it is discovered.

"Women tend to be more disciplined in their emotions and able to describe them in depression, but men may not recognize symptoms of depression," Gill Goldstein, director of research at the Connors Women's Health and Gender Biology Center in Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told Life Science. They deny or hide their unhappiness, so the disease may be neglected in men until it becomes more severe. "

According to Goldstein, the symptoms of depression in men may take a long time without being diagnosed or treated, which may lead to the development of the condition into a more devastating mental health problem. Men with depression are more likely to commit suicide than women.

Help the spouse need
In an article titled “6 Ways to Help Deal with a Depression Partner,” social trainer Katie Hurley says on Sycom. If your husband is depressed, you may feel helpless, as depression is a disease of isolation and can negatively affect relationships. Marital leaving a family feeling helpless and afraid.

Hurley says the first important step in helping your partner is to understand the illness whose symptoms are feelings of sadness or despair, changes in appetite and sleep disturbance, loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, fatigue, anxiety or emotion, outbursts of anger, feelings of nothingness or guilt, and problems with Thinking, focusing, or making decisions, and repeated thoughts about death, including suicidal thoughts.

Hurley offers the wife some positive ways to help her depressed husband, the most important of which are:

Be always present
The best thing you can do is simply to be next to your husband.You don't know much and you don't have all the answers.This doesn't matter, but the most important thing is that you can sit and listen to him.You can hold hands, hug him and be present. You can say some nice words like "Tell me what I can do to help", "You are important to me", "I am here for you" and "We will go beyond this together".

Encourage treatment
For many people with depression, the symptoms are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in daily activities, however, those close to them may not realize they are depressed. They may not understand the symptoms of depression and believe that their feelings are just something they have to endure. Often, people feel they should only improve their will, but depression rarely improves without treatment.

In this case, you can help your husband by encouraging treatment.Help you think about getting treatment by expressing your anxiety and desire to help.Discuss what you know about depression.Tell about treatment options, including psychotherapy and lifestyle changes.

A supportive home environment
Lifestyle changes can make a big difference during the treatment process, because depression can absorb a person's energy and affect sleep and appetite, so it is difficult for people with depression to make healthy choices. You can help by:

• Focus on healthy food. Have your husband participate in planning healthy meals and cooking them together to encourage better food choices.

• Plan to do fun things you love together like walking, biking, reading or watching movies.

• Providing a low-pressure environment, routine can help depressed people feel more in control of their daily lives. The establishment of a daily schedule to deal with tasks helps in achieving small achievements.

• Give positive reinforcement, when people feel desperate tend to judge themselves harshly, so be sure to point out your husband's strengths in front of him and others.

Focus on small goals
When a person has severe depression, the act of abandoning a bed may seem like a huge task. You can help your husband by setting small goals and daily achievements. Dividing major tasks into smaller tasks can help your husband take small steps toward returning to normal daily activities.