Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In Men
On average, one in 8 men will have depression and one in 5 men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.
Men are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than women. They are also less likely to talk about it. This increases the risk of their anxiety or depression going unrecognised and untreated.
Untreated depression is a high risk factor for suicide. In Australia, there are about 3,000 suicides each year. Around 75% of people who take their lives are men, with an average of almost 7 men taking their lives every day.
Its important to remember that anxiety and depression are conditions, not weaknesses, and effective treatments are available.
and depression not only for you, but for your friends and family. Visit Beyond Blue to find out more about anxiety.
What Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
If you have SAD, ask your provider:
- What treatment is best for me?
- How can I prevent depressive episodes?
- Will light therapy work?
- Should I take an antidepressant?
- When should I start treatment?
- How long should my treatment continue?
- What can I eat to improve my symptoms?
- What else can I do to feel better?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that happens every year during a specific season, usually winter. Symptoms can include a lack of energy and feelings of hopelessness. Fortunately, theres treatment for seasonal depression. Talk to your healthcare provider. Theyre there to help.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/10/2022.
References
Things To Do With Depression
Journaling Write down your thoughts and feelings. This can be a form of release and gives relief.
Find someone you can talk to about it Being able to be vulnerable with someone you have trust and confidence will help you better cope with the overwhelming effects of what bothers you.
Channel through art There are many brilliant people who are deemed deviant, such as artists. These people may also show signs and symptoms of depression, however, because of their ability to project their thoughts and emotions to artwork, people accept their eccentricity. However, note that the goal is to channel it to more productive and fulfilling activities.
Exercise Instead of constantly splitting from one meaningless task to another, work out! This increases the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine responsible for mood, sleep cycle, digestive system regulation, feelings of pleasure, movement and motivation, areas which affect someone with depression.
Meditation A research analyzed meditation has good results on clients suffering from clinical depression when used as an intervention during the course of therapy.
Lessen your screen time You are neither going to find the end of the internet and seek true relief just scrolling through your phone. Research has shown that social media contributes to depression and self-esteem. Use of gadgets and being in social media can also be addicting.
If choosing is hard for you to do, try these steps:
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Impact On Emotional Health
When busyness is glorified and encouraged, you may end up overextending yourself with varied obligations, appointments, commitments, and responsibilities. Busyness may lead to feeling:
If you are unable to complete tasks or uphold the many obligations you have dedicated yourself to, you may end up feeling guilty, or as if you’ve let yourself of others down. If you derive self-worth through being productive and completing tasks, feeling as if you’re falling short can impact your perception of yourself.
Being overly busy and exhausted may lead to an increase in stress and/or decreased self-esteem. This may trigger more serious mental health disorders including anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders.
How Is Seasonal Affective Disorder Diagnosed
If you have symptoms of seasonal affective disorder , dont try to diagnose yourself. See your healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation. You may have another reason for your depression. Many times, seasonal affective disorder is part of a more complex mental health issue.
Your provider may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These mental health professionals will ask you about your symptoms. Theyll consider your pattern of symptoms and decide if you have seasonal depression or another mood disorder. You may need to fill out a questionnaire to determine if you have SAD.
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Who Is At Risk For Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is more common in younger people and women. Youre also at higher risk if you:
- Have another mood disorder, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.
- Have relatives with SAD or other forms of depression or mental health conditions, such as major depression or schizophrenia.
- Live at latitudes far north or far south from the equator. Theres less sunlight during the winter at these latitudes.
- Live in cloudy regions.
Its Difficult To Slow Down
That adage stop and smell the roses may seem cliché, but it can be hard to do for those who cant stop being busy. If you find you have difficulty taking in the details of the daythe way your morning coffee tasted, the smile on your co-workers face, or the sounds of children playing in your front yardbecause you feel like you must go onto the next item, you may be addicted to being busy.
A good next step for this is to slow down as much as possible. Take a deep breath, pause, and notice whats going on. You can start with your body: what does it feel like inside? Do you observe any tension or tightness? Do you feel happy, sad, lonely, mad, or something else? Where do you feel that feeling in your body? Can you allow it to move through your body?
Next, see if you can move on to tuning in to the experience of others. Slow down and really listen to what they are saying instead of giving a rehearsed response. Can you tune in to what they might be feelings? Can you give yourself the space to really be present with others? Feel your way into what its like to be truly present with you family and friends.
Being busy can be a good thing. As humans, we may often have a desire to be productive and use our time well. Its when the busyness takes over our lives and we stop enjoying living that its important to look more closely.
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Why We Love Busyness
Research indicates that an individual’s perceived level of busyness may be heavily connected to their self-worth, as well as how others view their status. Individuals who are busy by choice may feel needed, in demand, and important, thus elevating their feelings of self-worth.
Culturally, there has been a shift in status perception in that material objects and goods are no longer the only indicator of one’s social standing. Now, individuals who are busy at work, are overworked, and have a real lack of leisure time are perceived as higher status.
What Do I Do If Im Worried That A Relative Or Friend Has Depression Or Anxiety
If you think a friend or relative is experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, try to talk to them about it.
You may feel uncomfortable bringing up a sensitive topic, especially if the person you’re concerned about doesn’t often talk about their emotions. Explain why you are concerned but avoid diagnosing their problem or forcing solutions.
They may be unwilling to talk about it, but let them know that you’re willing to listen when they’re ready.
There are various ways you can help them, such as:
- Offer your support, listen and reassure them that how theyre feeling can be improved.
- Stay in touch, call or visit regularly. The risk of depression increases when people feel alone and unsupported.
- Encourage them to make an appointment with their GP or another health professional. Offer to go with them to appointments.
- Encourage them to keep active and healthy. Plan occasional outings to get them out of the house.
Supporting a relative or friend with depression can be both rewarding and stressful. There is information and support for carers where you can get help for the difficulties you experience. Contact Carers Direct, Carers UK and the Carers Trust for more information.
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Anxiety And Restlessness: Why You Exhaust Yourself With Constantly Keeping Busy
Imagine it is the middle of the night. While the rest of the neighborhood is sleeping, you are up sweeping the floors or diving into tomorrows workload.
During the daytime, you find yourself overburdened with chores, to-do lists, and mindless distractions. You tell yourself to relax, to take time for yourself.
However, every time you try to sit still for even a few minutes, you are filled with racing thoughts, jittery muscles, and fear.
You are exhausted but still, find yourself unable to stop moving.
Of course, you want to overcome your anxiety and live a more peaceful life. So, why then cant you seem to slow down enough to do it?
Dont Be Pushed By Your Problems Be Led By Your Dreams Ralph Waldo Emerson
21. Im not grateful for depression, but it honestly made me work harder and gave me the drive that I have to succeed and to make it work. Lili Reinhart
22. Only during hard times do people come to understand how difficult it is to be master of their feelings and thoughts. Anton Chekhov
23. If you dont like something, change it if you cant change it, change the way you think about it. Mary Engelbreit
24. When one door closes, another opens. Alexander Bell
25. That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful. Unknown
26. There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well. Nicholas Sparks
27. Those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how. Viktor E. Frankl
28. You may find the worst enemy or best friend in yourself. English Proverb
29. What we achieve inwardly will change our outer reality. Plutarch
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Let Your Anxiety Do Not Drive Your Friends Away
If youre in a bad mood, break off your trip or call. You need to make sure youre not pushing them away, because your mates are important to you.
Pretend youre pleased. Most times, you can really change your attitude by using a fake smile and trying to act and talk happily. As you change your skin, the amount of gladness-inducing chemicals that are created actually increases, which allows you to feel the joy that you represent.
Perhaps by recognising that you cannot manage anything, you can strengthen your anxiety. Most people hang on the depths of depression in false hope that some individual changes, such as more income and a new connection, will solve their problems. Learning to accept your anxiety leads to recovery and mental well-being.
The Importance Of Keeping Busy
The idea of keeping busy may seem exhausting to an already overworked generation of individuals out there in the workforce. They cant bear the thought of adding one more thing to their packed schedule and may wonder about the sustainability of their ventures. In theory, these individuals know the merits of relaxation, however, the messaging may seem at odds at first to find that a healthy existence values both. However, studies show that keeping busy helps with various conditions such as depression, anxiety and recovery from addiction.
Keeping busy involves ones ability to separate the important from the trivial. It is dependent upon prioritizing what actions are meaningful and pursuing them while refraining from getting caught up with those that waste precious time. A person who keeps themselves busy embraces change and hard work and acts accordingly to achieve their goals in life.
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Expecting Anxiety Problems And Setbacks
You also need to prepare yourself for some severe anxiety symptoms, and accept that they’re going to occur along the way. This can be the hardest part for people – especially those that have panic attacks. During your recovery, you need to be okay with the idea that you’re going to have some moments of anxiety along the way. You need to make sure you’re not avoiding your symptoms. Avoiding them will only make them come back when you stop avoiding them.
Diet And Healthy Living
As best you can, you should also make sure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle in general. All physical stress can create mental stress. Eat healthy, avoid alcohol, avoid fried foods, and consider vitamin supplements to ensure that your body is as healthy as possible. Each small change will make a big difference.
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Impact On Physical Health
Busyness may lead to sacrificing your physical well-being for the sake of getting tasks done. You may end up making quick decisions that have to do with your day-to-day physical health, instead of making more thoughtful choices. This may include not prioritizing exercise as much as you’d like or not getting as much sleep as your body needs. You may also find yourself ignoring or pushing aside any physical health concerns instead of seeing a doctor right away.
Excessive busyness may impact your physical health by triggering or exacerbating:
- Muscle tension/pain
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What Are The Symptoms Of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association, SAD is officially classified as major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns. So if you have seasonal affective disorder, you have mood changes and symptoms of depression, including:
- Sadness, feeling depressed most of the day, almost every day.
- Trouble sleeping .
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How Constantly Being Busy Affects Your Well
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Being busy is often seen as a badge of honor and a marker of self-worth, with a lack of leisure time viewed as a direct indication of status. However, over-scheduling yourself can negatively affect your emotional and physical health, as well as your ability to maintain healthy relationships.
Signs You Are Addicted To Being Busy And The Reasons Why
A psychologist reveals all
Being too busy can often be overwhelming and stress-inducing. You have a gigantic to-do list and so little time to achieve it all, with your packed schedule and overbooked diary.
But is this self-inflicted are you addicted to being busy?
Psychologist and clinical director of MindMovers Psychology, Jaimie Bloch, spoke to Mail Online and revealed that some of us may actually be addicted to keeping busy. This may be influenced by the fact that when we complete tasks, our brain releases the pleasure hormone dopamine, which makes us feel good.
We can get hooked on this feeling and rewarding experience, so we want it to be repeated. We then crave this pleasure again and again.
Below are the signs of being addicted to busyness, according to Jaimie. Are you suffering from this too?
1. You have a fear of missing out
Many of us pack our schedules to bursting point due to a fear of missing out or being unproductive. If you become anxious at the thought of slowing down and not getting things done, you may be addicted to being busy.
2. You are trying to avoid negative emotions
Occupying all your time with tasks, can also be a way of avoiding difficult issues in your life, such as family problems or a relationship breakdown.
“Some of us use being busy as a way to avoid difficult emotions,” Ms Bloch said. “When our mind isn’t occupied with a task, a social event or work we are left with our thoughts and our emotions.
3. You strive for success
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How Is Depression And Anxiety Treated
If you broke your leg, you wouldn’t just struggle on without help. You’d get in seen to. Mental health is as important as physical health and can be treated successfully. There are several treatments available often a combination of treatments is needed.
If your symptoms are mild, your GP may take a ‘wait and see’ approach. They may give you some advice on how to cope with symptoms then see if symptoms improve within a few weeks.
Talking treatments
Theres something called ‘talking therapies’ now, which can really help people who are feeling low, anxious or out of sorts.
Talking treatments allow you to talk to a trained professional who can help you manage your thoughts and feelings and the effect they have on your mood and behaviour.
Examples of talking treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling. They may be one-on-one sessions or in a group environment.
If you are considering talking treatments, be sure to mention any cultural, language or religious needs you have or any hearing or sight problems, so they can be addressed when arranging therapy for you. Talking treatments are effective and available for free on the NHS.
Therapists Are Standing By To Treat Your Depression Anxiety Or Other Mental Health Needs
One of the challenges faced by people who retire after a long life of working is deciding how to use the extra time available. Much like the teachers I worked with, doing nothing soon becomes very boring, even depressing. What impresses me is the creativity of people to find things to do that absorb their attention and keep them involved in life. One person, a former engineer, decided to use his garage to build a sail boat. It took a few years to complete the project but, once done, he successfully launched it and spends lots of time, with his wife and friends, sailing.
A friend of mine, a retired French language teacher, has always love railroads, especially freight trains. He now belongs to a railroad club with like minded people who visit rail yards and even meet some engineers who let them run some of the engines with their supervision. They also write about, photograph and study the history of American railroads.
I know other people who build model trains, collect stamps, coins, baseball cards and so on.
There are people who do not retire but continue to work or find a new job after they retire. At any age, work is not only a way to earn a living, but a way to keep busy.
The point is that it is better to do things than sit at home doing nothing. If you have any doubt, be assured that there are plenty of things to do.
How do you spend your leisure time? What do you do to stay busy? Is it difficult for you to find things to do?
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