It’s natural to feel down or anxious from time to time. We all do. What’s not natural, however, are prolonged feelings of hopelessness and despair. When these type of emotions are present more often than not, it could be one of the signs of depression in men.
Depression can make every day a constant challenge. It may suddenly seem like you no longer enjoy most, if any, aspects of life. The littlest things can feel like the biggest challenges and simply getting out of bed can feel overwhelming.
While there are certain blanket characteristics of depression, depression can look different in men than in women. And more often than not, men are struggling with depression and don’t even realize it.
7 signs of depression in men
How can you tell if you are depressed? Surprisingly, many men don’t even realize they’re struggling with depression. While some signs are obvious, others can be subtle – especially in high functioning men with high-stress careers and families that rely on them. And yet every guy will manifest symptoms differently, so it’s important to recognize any changes in behavior.
1. Is This Scale broken?
Unexplained changes in weight can be one of the signs of depression in men.
Depression affects people in different ways. Some may find they have no appetite at all, and before they know it, they’re losing a significant amount of weight. While other’s may begin a torrid love affair with food and they start packing on the pounds. However, it seems more often than not men tend to lose their appetite and steer clear of food.
2. Your sleep is a complete shit show
Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep? It could be one of the signs of depression in men.
Just like your appetite can go in either direction, so can the sleep. A lot of guys often end up struggling to get enough sleep. This typically becomes an afterthought though as most guys in high-stress jobs just assume it’s stress as they lay in bed worrying about work, family, finances, etc.
3. you’re Angry & Irritable more often than not
If you feel like you’re more irritable than normal for no reason it could be a sign of depression.
Increased anger and irritability is a huge indication of depression for men. Sigmund Freud said that anger is depression turned inward. Granted, he said a lot of questionable stuff, but he wasn’t off the mark with this one. If you suddenly feel like you’re irritable all the time and every little thing pisses you off, it may be one of the the most common signs of depression in men!
4. Your substance use is getting out of hand
Increased substance use and abuse is often an indication of depression in men.
If it’s starting to seem like you’re going through that bottle of vodka more often than normal or your credit card is reflecting a higher balance at the bar than usual, this is a red flag. One of the tell-tale signs of depression in men is turning to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate.
5. Avoiding Family & Social Situations
Isolation and avoidance of social events is often how depression shows up in men.
One of the classic signs of depression in men is isolation from others. This often looks like skipping out on family get-togethers and bailing on plans with friends. Sometimes it may be more subtle and look like shying away from conversations in social gatherings or ignoring and/or not responding to messages from friends and family.
6. Having an affair with your career
Workaholism in men is closely related to depression in men.
Believe it or not, many men struggling with workaholism are actually struggling with depression. If you find yourself unable to pull away from the computer or phone, it may a sign of depression. When high-functioning, over-achieving men suffer from depression it often shows up in the form of overworking.
7. Increased Risky Behaviors
Engaging in risky behaviors is often a sign of depression in men – in addition to being a risk factor of suicide.
Men are encouraged by society to be risk takers. When things start to get out of control it can be one of the signs of depression. This can look like reckless driving, unsafe sex, gambling and illicit drug use.
Life is short. But depression can feel like an eternity and be a debilitating force that takes over your life before you know it. If you feel like you might be struggling with depression, find an awesome therapist you like and trust to help you get back on track.
James Killian, LPC is the Principal Therapist & Owner of Arcadian Counseling in New Haven, CT where they specialize in helping over-thinkers, high achievers, and perfectionists reduce stress, increase fulfillment and enhance performance so they can move From Surviving To Thriving.