With lousy economy, men struggling with depression - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Depression strikes twice as many women as men, and women are more likely to talk openly about their illness. With the economy in trouble, and jobs on the line, many men are also struggling with depression.
    
Men may be reluctant to get help, thinking they can fix the problem themselves. They often define who they are by what they do. When they lose a job, Dr. Boadie Dunlop, Director of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at Emory University, says they lose more than a job.

"I find most folks are quite resilient to an initial layoff, and they're like, charged up, ‘I'm going to go get a new job!' But the more they try, and the more they hit walls, and don't succeed, that's where this sort of cumulative sense of hopelessness may build up," said Dunlop.

Many tend to think of depression as sadness, and tearfulness. Dunlop says men are more likely to become irritable, even angry.

"Probably even more common is this loss of pleasure, lack of drive. This kind of withdrawing from activities, loss of interest in pursuing things they liked to do in the past," Dunlop said.

If you're worried about the man in your life, Dunlop says start a discussion by noting what has changed. He says expect resistance, but leave the door open.

"You say, ‘I agree to disagree. I don't think this is a transient thing.  I think there is something more serious going on, I know you don't think that. Let's talk about it in a month and see where we are.' If this is still continuing, maybe you can agree to go talk to someone about it," said Dunlop.

Dunlop says we all experience depression differently, so the symptoms aren't one-size-fits-all. If you're seeing the man in your life withdraw, or no longer enjoying things he used to, it may be time to talk about getting help.