Men’s Hidden Pain

Depression in men is a particularly serious mental health condition – for a couple of reasons. One reason it’s so serious, is that it’s often hidden.

Are you irritable, isolated and withdrawn?
Do you work all the time?
Are you drinking too much?
Do you seek thrills from risky activities?

These are some signs of depression in men. Most people don’t know this, because we think instead of being sad and crying.

But as a result of our lifelong training in how to be a man, we often don’t cry or express sadness or hopelessness when we’re down. We’ve been taught that it’s “unmanly” to express any feelings – and especially shameful to express feelings that might reveal “weakness.”

So we hide our pain – from ourselves and others. And in search of relief from this pain, we often turn to endless work, sex, alcohol, or other behaviors that only end up hurting us more.

When depression remains hidden, it doesn’t get treated – and when it doesn’t get treated, it can become a serious problem. Left untreated, depression usually worsens and can lead to other personal, family, work, or financial problems.