One of the most notable signs and symptoms of depression is the loss of energy and motivation. When you have difficulties in concentration and/or memory, you have a slam dunk recipe for a loss of effectiveness in a competitive work atmosphere. Since men tend more than women to see their worth and identity in terms of their work effectiveness, a man sliding into depression can become even more depressed because he feels what the signs and symptoms of depression are doing to his success or dreams of success. Since the perceived degree of difficulty increases with the depression, men can become more vulnerable to having panic attacks. And when a man attempts his own program of self help for panic attacks, the depression handicaps many of his efforts.
Men can experience the signs and symptoms of depression in many different ways. A man may be grumpy or irritable, or have lost his sense of humor. He might drink too much or abuse drugs. It may be that he physically or verbally abuses his wife and his kids. He might work all the time, or compulsively seek thrills in high-risk behavior in order to cope with the boredom and lack of pleasure. Or, he may seem isolated, withdrawn, and no longer interested in the people or activities he used to enjoy. All of these things hinder starting, continuing, and completing a structured self help for panic attacks program.
One of the more important signs and symptoms of depression for a man is changes in sexual desire. He might a lot more interest in sex because it’s one of the few things that make him feel alive. Or, he may much less interest in sex because of the anhedonia (difficulty experiencing pleasure due to the brain changes caused by depression).
For men, it’s important to understand that there is a brain disorder called depression that may be underlying his negative feelings and behaviors. It may even be an underlying cause of panic attacks. It’s real: scientists have developed sensitive imaging devices that enable us to see depression in the brain. And it’s treatable: more than 80 percent of those suffering from depression respond to existing treatments, and new ones are continually becoming available and helping more people. If a man is experiencing both depression and panic attacks, then it’s important that the program of self help for panic attacks be modified to take into account this fact.
