As of: February 20, 2024, 5:54 p.m
By: Natalie Hull-Deichsel
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Depression is often more than just a low mood and lack of motivation.
Symptoms differ in women and men.
Many people still believe that depression is caused by strokes of fate or stress at work or in a relationship.
Supposedly well-intentioned statements from others such as “There are other people who are worse off”, “Concentrate more on the positive things in your life” or even “You shouldn't let yourself down like that” usually reinforce the feeling of hopelessness in those affected.
Depression can actually have different causes.
The earlier it is detected, the lower the risk of serious consequences.
The symptoms are not always clear, especially between women and men.
Depression: Causes and triggers are diverse
Men often show unspecific symptoms of depression, such as irritable and aggressive behavior, which is why the diagnosis is made incorrectly or not at all in many cases.
© fizkes/Imago
Unlike a broken arm, a mental illness such as depression cannot be traced back to a single cause or trigger.
Rather, it is the interaction of different influences that trigger a depressive episode.
On the one hand, there are hereditary factors that increase the risk of becoming depressed.
On the other hand, current triggers such as grief, trauma or burnout can contribute to the development of depression - the risk is even greater for people with a corresponding predisposition.
The causes or triggers of depression are characterized by psychosocial and neurobiological factors, as the
German Depression Aid and Suicide Prevention Foundation
explains.
Depression: What distinguishes women and men in terms of symptoms
People can suffer from depression at any age, whether as a child or as an older person.
Women are about twice as likely to suffer from depression as men - but this may be due to the more typical symptoms such as sadness, depression, sleep problems and pain that many women show.
Their willingness to seek medical help also means that depression is more likely to be diagnosed.
In men, depression is often discovered late or not at all.
The reasons for this are rather unspecific signs and symptoms and the fact that men tend to shy away from going to the doctor because of their mental health.
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Many men not only deal with their sadness as a possible sign of depression differently by not talking about it, they don't even show this classic symptom. Depression often manifests itself through aggressive or excessive behavior.
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Men “tend to be more irritable, everything gets on their nerves, they may have the feeling that they can beat everything together, they exhibit more risky behavior such as speeding while driving, and are perhaps closer to having a glass of wine than they were six months ago,” as Prof Katarina Stengler, chief physician at the Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the Helios Park Clinic
, explained
to
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk .
Both specialists and general practitioners should know and recognize that these can also be signs of depression.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.