Typical symptoms in men
The basic symptoms of depression are relatively similar in men and women. In the classification for the diagnosis of depression (ICD-10), certain symptoms must be present for a diagnosis of depression to be made. No distinction is made here between men and women.
The main symptoms are therefore usually present in both sexes, they can only show themselves differently. The main symptoms of depression include a depressed mood, loss of interest and joylessness as well as a reduction in drive. Depending on the severity of the depression, either two or even all three symptoms are present.
In addition to these main symptoms, there are numerous possible secondary symptoms, of which at least two must be present in order to diagnose a depression. These include sleep disorders, concentration difficulties, reduced self-esteem, feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts, reduced appetite and restless behaviour. From this classification, which applies to both sexes, it is clear that the symptoms themselves cannot be so different for men and women.
However, the big difference can be in how men and women deal with these symptoms and what they show to the outside world. It has been described that many men who suffer from depression are often conspicuous for their aggressive, daredevil behaviour and significantly increased irritability. They often show an attitude of reproach, so in many cases male depressives blame their environment for their condition.
This can lead to increased willingness to take risks and antisocial behaviour. Men also tend to consume more alcohol during a depression. Physical symptoms such as dizziness, pain or sleep disturbances can also occur.
Unfortunately, both men and women during a depressive episode often have suicidal thoughts. Since men often choose more aggressive or harder variants of implementation, about three times as many depressed men die from suicide as women. Erectile dysfunction can have numerous physical or psychological causes.
Psychological causes in particular play a major role in younger men. Men who suffer from depression can be psychologically very tense due to symptoms such as sadness, loss of interest, joylessness or anger towards the environment. This, or a complete feeling of emptiness and the feeling that nothing is really joyful or meaningful anymore are of course reasons for the psyche to close itself off from sexuality, which leads to erectile dysfunction. Here too, these problems often decrease significantly after a few weeks after the start of effective drug and psychotherapeutic therapy.
Typical symptoms in women
As described above, the basic symptoms of depression differ only slightly between men and women. What is very different, however, is the way the disease is dealt with and what men and women carry to the outside world. While men tend to behave aggressively and take risks during a depression, women tend to have different symptoms.
As a result of the depressed mood and the loss of joy, affected women often show diminished emotions, withdraw from fellow men and are more tired. Feelings such as hopelessness and feelings of guilt towards others arise. They are no longer able to react adequately to joyful events, a tormenting inner emptiness appears.
The drive is missing, getting up in the morning becomes a torture. Everything becomes exhausting and exhausting. The view into the future is marked by pessimistic thoughts, appetite loss and weight loss often occur.
Women also often have suicidal thoughts during a depression. The rate of suicide attempts is even significantly higher for women than for men. Since women often choose “softer” methods such as taking an overdose of tablets, however, suicide attempts lead to actual death less often than in men.
During a depressive episode, women often complain of a morning low, which means that the symptoms are most pronounced in the morning. Very early awakening is also a typical symptom of depression. Depression can occur as a reaction to life events and is called reactive depression.
It is important here to distinguish reactive depression from a healthy mourning reaction, even if the transitions are fluid. In contrast to depression, the end of the mourning process is marked by the loss and the establishment of a new balance. The loss of a loved one, the job, physical integrity – all these can trigger the symptoms of depression.
It often involves things that are necessary for physical and mental well-being – when these factors are lost, grief understandably follows. On the contrary, it is even unhealthy to react emotionally void in emotionally stressful situations. A depressive mood due to emotional stress can last for different lengths of time and is characterised by the typical symptoms of grief such as depressed mood and lack of drive.
By overcoming this mood, the person suffering from it can even be strengthened. The person can gain greater independence and space is created for new (emotional) bonds and relationships. Self-confidence can also be strengthened, so that feelings of guilt and shame can be reduced during the process of coming to terms with the situation.
If the transition from a depressive mood to a healthy grieving reaction cannot take place, the healing process is delayed and a chronic, i.e. longer-lasting depression can develop. The symptoms that predominate in most cases include prolonged depressed mood, loss of appetite, exhaustion, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, low self-esteem and the inability to enjoy things that have always given pleasure. The latter in particular can have a negative effect on the relationship with friends, family and relationship partners, as their attempts to cheer them up fail because of the suffering person’s perceived lack of enjoyment, which is perceived as a lack of pleasure.
Feelings of guilt and worthlessness can also be very distressing for those affected. Both can be triggered and intensified by thoughts that appear to be overdone and false when viewed from the outside. Feelings of guilt towards family members and friends who try to help can put additional strain on the relationship.
In addition, the view into the future is negatively influenced. The affected person sees little perspective for himself or his illness and has the feeling that he cannot escape the depressed mood. The feeling of being trapped in an undertow or a black hole and being pulled down by it is often described.
