Depression ?

Q.Depression ?

A.Depression has long been considered a disease experienced by women. Depression is twice as common in women as it is in men. In a study of 23,000 patients, mental health professionals made many more mistakes in recognizing depression in men than in women. In the past, men considered admitting to suffering from emotional problems to be "unmanly." Rather than seeking medical help for depression or even acknowledging that they have such a problem, many men have traditionally handled their feelings by drinking too much alcohol, becoming irritable, abusing their wives and/or children or becoming workaholics or, with little or no warning, committing suicide. Many doctors, in the past, have been reluctant to delve into the emotions with their male patients. Another obstacle in detecting depression in men is that men are only half as likely as women to visit a doctor. Women see doctors on a far more regular basis. Facing less social stigma about emotional problems, women generally feel more comfortable than men in talking about their bad feelings and are more inclined to confront them rather than try to drown them in pills or alcohol. Doctors have, in general, been less reluctant to ask female patients about their emotional health and more likely to conclude that women with certain hallmark symptoms, are depressed. Many people, especially men, suppress their emotional symptoms and instead express their depression through their bodies. They may suffer from headaches, muscle aches, vague abdominal pains and fatigue. Others self-medicate their bad feelings with alcohol and drugs. Symptoms of depression include loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, loss or increase in appetite, persistent sad or "empty" feelings, irritability, thoughts of death or suicide, sleep disturbances, either insomnia or sleeping too much and difficulty concentrating and thinking.

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