Depression Triggers in Men
A variety of life events can trigger depression in both men and women. Everyone reacts differently to trauma: what causes one person to suffer from major depression may not be a trigger at all for someone else.
“There can be many different depression triggers for men,” says Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, a psychotherapist active in the Men's Health Initiative of BC. “We really don't have any evidence to suggest that triggers for depression are different among men and women. But, there are particular circumstances or events that do seem to be particularly problematic for men, and thus, may indeed be stronger triggers. These usually revolve around issues of loss and grief.”
Any type of grief or loss can trigger depression in men. “It's not always about death losses, while indeed that is a very strong event for any of us to deal with,” says Dr. Ogrodniczuk. “It can be loss in more general terms: loss of employment, loss of childhood dreams, loss of physical prowess, or loss of esteem that we've invested in a particular job that we've now given up for retirement.”
Often, men don't respond to grief in the same ways that women do. This can be due to the “boys don't cry” mentality that many men have grown up with. Men may have difficulty sharing their feelings with their partners, friends or with healthcare professionals, so depression symptoms may go unchecked for a long period of time.
“The longer a man doesn't seek help for depression, the longer those periods of down time will be, and the shorter and fewer the up ones will be,” says Dr. Ogrodniczuk. “So, over a course of many months and years, the man will tend to find himself down for most of the time. The longer that persists, the more difficult it is to treat his depression.”
The amount of time that a man will need to take anti-depressants or undergo therapy or counselling depends on the type and severity of the depression. “Depression doesn't necessarily last for a set amount of time,” says Dr. Ogrodniczuk. “It's quite variable if a man has experienced depression around a particular acute event, for example, a job loss. The depression may last until the time that the man finds a new, perhaps equally rewarding, employed position. But in the general sense, depression tends to come and go.”
If you're feeling depressed, seek help from your healthcare provider. Discussing the issues is an excellent first step, and can start you on the path to regaining control of your life.
