One of the most effective ways of helping men with depression is to understand what’s going on at a deep level. That’s true for women, too, but women find it far easier to express themselves and to reach out for help.

For men, reaching out for help demands a great deal of courage as society puts too many demands on men to be the tough guys, to be stoic. In their eyes, asking for help diminishes them, making them feel a failure.

Being the tough guy, being stoic is all very well up to a point. But there comes a point when it can be dangerous to continue down that track.

• Depression is the leading cause of suicide. It gets to a point when nothing matters. There’s no point in continuing.
• Men are four times more likely to suicide than women.
• Depression is associated with heart conditions and strokes, which men suffer with at a higher rate than women and at an earlier age.
• Depression is associated with PTSD and many men are unaware of this.
• Men are three times more likely to be intoxicated than women in fatal accidents, often involving only their own vehicle.
• Men are more likely to drink heavily to blot out the emotional pain.

There are many triggers for depression. A combination can be unmanageable.

These triggers include:

• a feeling of disempowerment - this is a big deal
• relationship problems, which are common
• poor communication skills
• sexual issues - erectile dysfunction, lack of interest, etc
• unhappy at work or not working
• post natal depression is recognised in women, but men suffer with the change a new baby brings, too
• medical drugs especially anti-depressant, blood pressure, cancer and steroidal drugs, but others too

Some triggers are interlinked; anti-depressants are known to create sexual mal-function; poor communication inevitably leads to relationship issues. 

Men suffer terribly with shame, with a loss of face.

One of the worst things you can say to a boy is to ‘be a man’. It’s extremely damaging.

Boys grow up feeling they must suppress their emotions and that their manliness depends on this.

Often parents exacerbate this by focusing on achievement and competition.

So boys become disconnected from their feelings. Yet it’s our feelings which guide us to make the right decisions. The right decisions for us.

Without that inner guidance, it’s easy to be persuaded and manipulated into doing things that don’t serve us, that don’t nurture us. They may make a lot of money, and that in itself can lead to an entrapped feeling.

And there’s an empty feeling. A void where love should be.

Often, explosive anger is the only way to find release. There can also be feelings of panic. Anger hides the fear, but is destructive to both the man and those around him.

One of the best ways to find quick relief is to breathe deeply. When you can find the spot in the body where the pain is felt, breathing into that can bring some release.

Releasing these trapped emotions is the first step to reclaiming a sense of identity, a sense of meaning. Feeling these emotions can bring on tears, which are a release in themselves.

In addition, good homeopathic treatment is a highly effective way to deal with depression. For anyone.

Helping men with depression holistically gets to the core of the issue and gently untangles those damaging beliefs that lead to destructive ways. Then there is no need to prove to the outside world their worth as it shines through. It’s obvious. The need to do so naturally falls away. 

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