Men vs. Women | Depression

Depression Knows No Gender

 

There is a lot of pressure surrounding men especially in this day and age. They are expected to act in a "macho" manner primarily when it comes to dealing with pain and issues which are deemed as being "non-manly". Matt Haig, a writer for The Guardian recently published an article discussing the reasons why men shouldn't have to "man up" about their problems.

Instead, we need to speak out because it's evident to see that men aren't getting the help that they need. Matt Haig is an avid believer in raising awareness for Mental Health. He recently published "Reasons To Stay Alive" which aims to provide men with the help that they should be receiving in the first place.

Men need to open up about depression, not man up, says @matthaig1 http://t.co/9CAampYURq pic.twitter.com/x8t1j9KCiP

— Telegraph Men (@TelegraphMen) April 14, 2015

Matt has also went on to broadcast audio-visual content where he speaks more in depth about the work that he's created. It's fascinating in the sense that he is speaking out for men all over the world which is a big step to take considering he suffered from Depression 15 years ago and is now involved with the media. However, his honesty hasn't caused an uproar. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=179&v=BH33vu-S--0

In fact, it's had the opposite effect, he's received an abundance of positive feedback from both men and women across Twitter, Facebook and several other popular social media sites who also share the same views and seek to raise awareness.

"Masculinity" plays a massive part in how men are expected to behave. For example, if a man is ill then they're simply told to "man up" but people don't quite take it into consideration how much of an impact their words can have on another individual. There is a lot of negative stigma attached to Mental Health. 

It's deemed more acceptable for a woman to speak openly about her problems but when a man speaks out, the tables are turned. Why is that okay? No gender is superior to another. We all have problems. We're not perfect. So, why do we have to shrug our problems off and pretend that we are? 

If we have a problem then we should be allowed to freely talk about it as opposed to keeping quiet. It's unhealthy and can lead to an addiction somewhere else down the line.

The moral of the story is that speaking out about what is bothering us shouldn't be restricted to our gender or the body that we are in. Individuals fail to understand that Depression is the one illness where talking relieves symptoms hence why this is a BIG PROBLEM that still needs to be resolved.

Depression and Alcoholism | Diane Smith

Diane Smith is an unemployed mother of one and has been struggling with severe depression ever since the early years of her childhood. In this interview, she opens up about her personal experiences with alcohol and how her depressed state of mind has affected her mentally, emotionally and physically - especially during the lead up to her pregnancy. There is a lot of negative stigma behind mental health therefore it is still viewed as a 'taboo' subject; she discusses common misconceptions, antidepressants and reinforces the idea that there is help out there when and if you need it.

Copyright © 2015 Marianne Smith.

Side note: If you suffer from any Mental Health problems whether that be Depression, Self-Harm, Anxiety, etc and wouldn't mind filling out a very short survey for research purposes then that would be of great help - your contribution ensures that the primary and secondary information is accurate and that the finalised demographics aren't fabricated. The survey covers the likes of gender, age range, physical symptoms you've experienced, coping mechanism(s), medication, etc and any additional comments are welcome. However, if there are any questions that you don't feel comfortable answering then feel free to skip them at any time.

The survey can be found at: 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8LNDWCQ

5 Myths and Misconceptions about Depression

Mental Health is viewed as a taboo subject - it has a lot of negative stigma tied to it. Is it because generation Y self-diagnose themselves with surveys they have found in the midst of the Internet? Is it because you need to be diagnosed by a doctor before you can wallow in self-pity? Depression slowly sucks the life out of its victims despite the fact it might not be visible to the human eye. It is an invisible force that leaves individuals powerless and without a voice. Here are the main reasons why...

MYTH #1: “Depression means you’re crazy.”

MISCONCEPTION: Depression can affect anyone at any time regardless of their gender, class, age, race, etc. Depression and other forms of mental illness do not dehumanise an individual by any means. So, why do they get treated differently? Is it due to a lack of research and knowledge? Is it because there is no ‘concrete evidence’ to show the pain and suffering that they’re experiencing? A lot of outsiders tend to view victims as being “violent” but statistics show that individuals whom are suffering from a mental illness are more likely to be a VICTIM of violence as opposed to being the CAUSE of it. Therefore, it is important that the victim is treated like any other individual in order to avoid further distress.

MYTH #2: “Depression is not a real illness.”

MISCONCEPTION: It is often said that Mental Illnesses are not REAL illnesses due to the fact that they’re not visible. However, Depression is a serious medical condition which affects an individual mentally, emotionally and/or physically. It is a mood disorder which causes a perpetual feeling of sadness to arise. Individuals experience a loss of interest in a number of activities and find a great deal of difficulty when it comes to undertaking day-to-day tasks due to their current state of mind. This is why outsiders have the idea that mental health problems are rare but statistics show that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. 

MYTH #3: “Antidepressants solve everything.”

MISCONCEPTION: There are a lot of misconceptions regarding antidepressants due to the fact that they are viewed as being the ANSWER to patient’s prayers because they are effective, safe and although they aren’t guaranteed to work, there is a high chance that they will. Antidepressants are essentially, the long-term treatment for clinical depression and anxiety disorders hence why so many people are sceptical about them. Many outsiders fear that individuals will become addicted to antidepressants but that is absurd since they don’t cause cravings. However, if the patient is on high doses then it is important that their medication isn’t abruptly stopped as it can be a shock to the system. At the end of the day, it depends on the severity of the disorder, the effectiveness of treatments, etc. The best remedy is a combination of therapy and medicine to balance it out.

MYTH #4: “What good will talking about it do?”

MISCONCEPTION: Unfortunately, the hard-hitting emotions won’t disappear overnight - that is why it’s an unhealthy idea to harbour negative feelings. A common myth is that it’s EASY for young individuals to speak to their friends about their feelings. However, statistics show that nearly three in four young people fear the reactions of friends when they talk about their mental health problems. This is primarily due to the fact that discrimination is still a big PROBLEM in today’s society. As much as it is encouraged that individuals speak to a psychiatrist, outsiders must take into consideration how difficult it is for someone to speak out about how they feel especially when they are constantly getting judged by people whom are not as knowledgeable about the subject. Speaking out about your emotions will allow you to get what’s bothering you off your chest and help to put your mind at ease.

MYTH #5: “You can easily ‘snap’ out of it.”

MISCONCEPTION: That is where people are wrong. You can’t just snap out of a mindset whenever it suits you, especially when you have very low energy. Put it this way, no one chooses to be diagnosed with an illness therefore it is an ignorant thing to say to someone whom is suffering from a mental illness regardless of whether they’re suffering from Depression, Diabetes, Cancer, etc. There is another misconception that those individuals are “lazy” and “weak” but it’s to do with a chemical imbalance in their brain – it is something which they are not in control of. Depression should be treated as seriously an efficiently any other illness.

Top 10 Insightful Quotes about Mental Health

This slideshow primarily consists of insightful quotes into how an individual feels whilst they're stuck in a particular state of mind regardless of their social status, gender, age. This is shown through the mind of writers, actors, poets, etc whom are suffering/have been suffering from bipolar, manic depression, anxiety and the likes. The purpose of the slideshow is to give outsiders a look into how an individual is feeling and it has been accustomed with fitting music to set the scene.