Men and Depression

May 10, 2018

STEPHEN RODGERS

Depression: It’s Common. There is Hope.

You might be surprised to hear that depression is a common issue among men. In fact, it’s more common than you might think. According to one large study, 30.6% of American men have experienced a period of depression over their lifespan. This same study found that men and women experience depression at the same rate.

The bad news is that left untreated, depression can become more chronic and in some situations lead to suicide. In fact, men greatly outnumber women in suicide rates. The good news is that Denver Men’s Therapy can help. We have a highly qualified team of therapists who specialize in Men and Depression.

Identifying Depression in Men

While depression may be common for men, it’s often misdiagnosed or overlooked. One reason is that recognizing symptoms in men is not easy. Men often suppress their feelings, hide them or even mask them with other behaviors. In addition, the way that men experience depression is different from their female counterparts.

However, there are signs that might indicate you or someone you love is struggling.

These signs include:

fatigue
lack of concentration
irritability
loss of interest in hobbies
overworking
sleep disturbances (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)

Denver Men’s Therapy understands the unique needs of guys. We are the only team in Denver that specializes in working with Men. Let’s get down to work.

Overlooked symptoms.

The overlooked symptoms we often see in men are anger, physical pain, and reckless behavior. The depressed male might be quick to anger or appear irritable. They might also be feeling physical pain or discomfort. In addition, they might engage in unhealthy behaviors like substance abuse, drinking or excessive work as a way to cope.

.Men Under-Report Symptoms

Therefore, this often leads to depressive symptoms getting worse because these men do not seek effective treatment such as psychotherapy.

There are several factors that lead men to under-report depression:

Some men have difficulty identifying and expressing their emotions.
Some men might feel that saying they are depressed means they are weak.
Some men feel that they must suppress feelings.
Attributing depression to failures and career disappointments.
Self-medicating or masking depression with drugs and alcohol.

Therapy is a highly effective solution for treating depression in men.

Unlike medication, therapy has little to no side effects. In fact, we know from the research that therapy is as effective as medication. Unlike medication, therapy often resolves the core issues that are causing the depression. Therapy for Depression involves changing negative beliefs about the self and world, making behavioral changes and resolving core issues related to the individual symptoms. In some cases, therapy and medication are required to treat complicated symptoms, but counseling can be a way to problem solve before resorting to further medical treatment.

What people are saying about Denver Men’s Therapy:

“I would highly recommend Denver Men’s therapy. They were extremely helpful. If someone asks me for a recommendation, this is where I’m referring them to.” -J.D.

There are some common questions men have about therapy:

What is therapy like?

Therapy is not a long open-ended conversation. Therapy involves three phases. The first phase involves both the client and therapist getting to know each other. During this time the history and course of the depression are understood. Then therapy goals are created. Goals keep the therapy on track. The next phase is the work to meet the goals. This is where the action starts. This phase often involves learning coping skills. Then identifying and resolving core issues related the depression. The final phase of therapy starts once the goals have been achieved and therapy wraps up.

How long will I be in therapy?

This is a great question. However, it’s difficult to answer. Motivation, the severity of the symptoms and how stable the individual plays a major role in the length of therapy. To get a better idea of how long therapy might take for you, please call us at 720-295-4233.

What is Denver Men’s Therapy

Denver Men’s Therapy is the only group practice in Colorado specializing in therapy for men. Our unique approach uses the strengths all men have within them in combination with evidence-based treatments to resolve depression.