Men’s mental health: depression
Depression is a hot topic in the media, which helps reduce the unnecessary stigma attached to it. The more we talk about depression, the more we will see it as part of being human.
Just about all of us will suffer an episode of depression during our lifetime. For some it is a clinical, deep-rooted long-lasting melancholy and for others it lasts a few days or weeks.
There is no research evidence showing gay men suffer depression any more than members of the general community. However, we do know that being a gay man today can be very tough on the human psyche, when competing for attention in the demanding homosexual landscape of fashion, fitness, obtaining sex and the clubbing environment.
It is easy to get depressed if this homosexual landscape fails to reflect back to you that you are a worthy person.
How do you know you are suffering depression and to what extent? Look at the following statements and mark 1 for sometimes, 2 for often and 3 for always.
In the last two weeks have you:
1. Found little interest in doing things.
2. Felt down, depressed or hopeless.
3. Had trouble getting to sleep.
4. Felt tired and with little energy.
5. Felt badly about yourself, a failure or letting your family down.
6. Had trouble concentrating, reading the paper or watching TV.
7. Found yourself moving or speaking slowly so that others notice.
8. Had thoughts you would be better off dead or thoughts of hurting yourself.
9. Poor appetite or overeating.
A score of 4 or below means you have minimal depression, 5-9 means mild depression, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe and 20-27, severe depression.
Regular exercise, a good diet, good sleeping habits, staying social and finding a meaningful activity (any work including volunteer work) have been proven to be extremely beneficial in reducing symptoms of depression.
Anti-depressants also provide great relief for many sufferers with moderately severe to severe depression, as they give sufferers a starting point to improve mood so they feel like doing new things. Anti-depressants are not habit-forming, zombie-making or addictive, as the myth goes.
Research has shown that when counselling and anti-depressants are combined they offer a greater degree of success than just anti-depressants on their own.
Now you have completed the test, how do you rate? Can you exercise a bit more, eat better, sleep better, stay more social and find meaningful things to do?
If you rated poorly, seek help from your GP, and share your concerns with either trusted family or friends.
And remember: people suffering depression also impact others’ mental health, so seeking help will in the end make your friends, family and community happier. You have the right to be happy and enjoy life. Gay life, after all, is such a gift.
INFO: Gerry North is a qualified counsellor in the gay community. If you have an issue you want discussed personally or in this column, email Gerry at [email protected]
Sorry Gerry I didn’t mean that not talking about our concerns isn’t a good thing,its always good to talk about the things that concern us,but Ive seen people get depressed, especially the young vulnerable and insecure, because people suggest they might have a problem, I mean psychiatry is telling the community that half of us are going to have a mental illness at some point, is that a suggestion or a piece of data to help, or injure, create insecurity, make us think either ourselves or our brothers mad, get us ready for our bout of depression or madness that must be coming, ie whens mine coming, is it here? think about the millennium bug as an example, i know people who through obsessing and over reacting lost everything over that. falling into the doom and gloom factor surrounding it,its the same as suicide, the language is so out there its almost trendy, a Japanese suicide club has seen hundreds commit suicide, I agree the best thing anyone can do is talk about things to find answers that ease those concerns, the trouble is that psychiatry and mental health are actually tapping into, building up insecurities we all feel, and then calling these troubled people nasty names, ill, diseased, chemically imbalanced,psychotic,bi- polar,etc, and force poisoning them for what the right information and ongoing non invasive care will generally heal, and its these oppressed and depressed, with a forced pill in them, that tires and alienates them, that then go out into society and reflect that despair into the community, the community recognizes that despair, but they and the victim cant do anything about stopping it, or helping them, because the psychiatrist with his or her bag of magic pills, wont let go or stop what they’re doing, or even allow for that to be put to a test of slow and careful withdrawal, and they are forced to continue to struggle tired and fogged up with the same anchor on their back every minute of every day, with no end in sight.
So its not what your saying im worried about, its the advantage psychiatry takes from that that im worried about,I’m sure you have every good intention, but there are psychologists selling out to them now, because they’ve(psychiatry’s) been given all the dollars, and we all need to feed our families, peace mate, Ive always believed in talk therapy,to me its the only way to deal with our mind, emotional, psycho”logical” problems before any other way, and if psychia”try” could do and act that way, i wouldn’t be here trying to make sure it happens, but i guess thats probably what your actually doing, so sorry again. I can see im lost in a despair myself, and im out here attacking any language that might lend itself to the people that have caused that despair,I know they help some people, im not uninsightfull at all about that, but thats what im being called by the very people who create a deeper insecurity and despair in over half the people they treat, people with tears in their eyes and despair in their hearts from the very treatment they’re giving/forcing them to take,not for a week or a month , but for years and years, without any hope or chance for escape for what was once an unfogged somewhat troubled existence, but is now a fogged up more than troubled oppression,without any light at the end of that tunnel, again to more than half of their victims. And these victims have no rights, because the people who drug and oppress them simply say your wrong or uninsightfull to their pleas, and simply say I can see what you cant, shut up open your mouth and swallow. Love, empathy, compassion, guidance and understanding is always the best medicine.
Hi John
I hear your comments very loud and clear. People avoid telling others about their depression, because of some of the things you actually mention, and this can lead to a terrible outcome.
Talking, understanding, demystifying and doing something about depression is very important.
Take care.
[…] And remember: people suffering depression also impact others’ mental health, so seeking help will in the end make your friends, family and community happier. You have the right to be happy and enjoy life. Gay life, after all, is such a gift. (www.starobserver.com.au) […]
Going on this id reckon wed all at least have to be moderately depressed, lets all take a depression pill and get more depressed shall we, being there, thinking there,acting there, articles like this are maybe going to help some people to recognize their concerns, but they are also at the same time going to suggest to people they’re depressed without a doubt, and thats going to ultimately depress everyone and send that message out into the community for us all to impact and reflect to one another, and at the same time sell sickness(Anti-depressants also provide great relief for many sufferers with moderately severe to severe depression,)(see) and poisons to the community, we all feel little interest from time to time, we all feel down from time to time, we’ve all have trouble getting to sleep sometime. we’ve all felt tired sometime in a week, we always think about the good we are doing for our family, thats what we are meant to do, easy to not be able to concentrate sometimes, and sometimes we don’t eat properly or skip a meal because we are too caught up with other things, or too busy, or preoccupied, these are all normal things, or certainly not abnormal, life is about ups and downs,thats why its called a rollercoaster, thats just the way it is, some people are lucky to be on long run ups , some on long runs down, nothing special about knowing that,as long as you don’t obsess about these normal life hurdles that we all have to get over, like this article could make you do, your ok, its always about feeling ok, feel ok think ok, goes hand in hand, don’t lose sight of that, thats the main point in being well,information and behavior will help with that, and don’t obsess over things, sometimes i wonder if its about mental health and their affiliates needs to be the doctor,and sell a poison instead of guidance away from the stresses we all feel,or the public’s need to be sick,and for them to feel, their doctoring,it seems and feels all so defeatist, and hopeless helpless, this statement should read Depression is a hot topic in the media, which helps increase the unnecessary stigma attached to it. The more we talk about depression, the more we will see it sold to everyone in the community, and the more we can sell ourselves and poison to fix it with,so come on board, play the game, you know your sick. I’m sure this guy means well, but sometimes meaning well doesn’t make well.