Why is depression in women is 2 times more often than men

What is depression

Depression - one of the most common mental disorders, it affects more than 300 million people. According toThe Ministry of Health reported on the growing number of patients with depression Representative of the World Health Organization, Russia has about eight million patients with depression. However, few people know what it is.

The word "depression" replicated, but each under this concept understands something of their own. Most often referred to simply as depression or low mood melancholy that overcomes autumn or winter.

But in fact this difficult condition in which a person resides in a depressed mood. Complement its disturbed sleep and appetite, anxiety and guilt. Sometimes a person falls into a depression: can not work and even perform some small everyday actions (to brush your teeth, for example, or go to the store). In patients with a high risk of depression, suicideDepressionIt leads to disability and reduced quality of life.

This means that depression should be treated. But our attitude towards mental health still leaves much to be desired.

Why we are talking about depression in women

Mental illness are subject to both sexes, and men, too, can get sick. But women are more likely to suffer from depressionMajor Depression Men: Women 8.5% compared to 4.7% men.

A significant gap - almost twice. Where it is taken, no one knows exactly. However, no one knows exactly why there is general depression. Scientists suspect that the blame hormones, heredity, traumatic life circumstances. As for why women get sick more often, too, there are several theories.

Because women are particularly hormones

When it comes to a woman's mood, a lot of who have a desire to write off all the physiology and the infamous PMS, from which all evils. Hormonal fluctuations do affect the mood: before puberty incidence of diseases in children of different sexes do not differ, but after the girls begin to get sick more oftenWhy is depression more prevalent in women?.

Depression can not be attributed only to the menstrual cycle: it lasts longer than a standard cycle on it is influenced by many factors. But physiology obviously not left out.

Because women can give birth

Statistics on the incidence and effect an all-female version of the Depression: Postpartum. It's not about banal fatigue and lack of sleep, which experienced probably all parents, but about the lingering state with all the signs of depression, which appeared just after the birth. According toDepression and Mental Health by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 10-15% of women develop postpartum depression.

Because women are worse off

One may argue about who is heavier than necessary: ​​women or men. But in general, in the world, women often live in poorer, they have limited access to resources, including to healthDepression in women: Understanding the gender gap. In developed countries, women often experience a double burden: and in the workplace and at home, doing household choresParents and children, men and women in family and society.

Women are more likely to experience depression in senior positions as foundWomen in Positions of Power Show More Signs of Depression Than Men the University of Texas. The researchers suggest that this is due to stereotypes: women have to overcome them when they get a high position, are faced with prejudice while men are less likely to work.

Women are more exposed to violence. According toViolence against women WHO, during the life of one in three (!) At least once experienced physical or on itself sexual abuse. Any such incident could be a triggering factor for depression.

Because so passed

It is believed that women react to everything that happens, much brighter than the men with them. Therefore, they pay more attention to your feelings and give them a way out.

says psychotherapist Olga Popova, many families believed that the boy should be taught to restrain emotions, not shown, to suppress them. He is taught to be strong, learn to count in difficult situations just to yourself, do not complain about poor health and circumstances of life, showing by their very nature.

The female differs from the male depression

Common symptoms of the disease are the same in both sexes. The difference in the details.

Women get physically

According to Olga Popova, female depression has expressed somatic component and masquerades as the most various diseases of the body: cardiovascular, reproductive, neurological, gastrointestinal and other disease. Therefore, patients are turning to different doctors, and to psychotherapist reach last.

Depression often begins after the stress, appearing first weakness, malaise, headache, dizziness, sleep disorders and appetite. This oiled pattern leads to the fact that women are not even aware that this is a depression, not a "deficiency disease" or something like that.

Women feel anxious

In women, depression is often joined by other mental disorders, each of which itself requires treatment. For example, anxiety. The woman begins to anticipate the threat, undefined danger. Her haunted by fear of failure at work or in your personal life. It gets very hectic and highly experienced for the life and health of their loved ones, for their welfare.

Often during a panic attack is combined with heart palpitations, pain in the heart, dizziness, feeling of lack of air, nausea and abdominal cramps. Against this background, depressed mood remains unnoticed.

Olga Popova

Others difficult to understand why a person is constantly worried - because of objective reasons for alarm. Therefore, patients with anxiety disorders often people decide that themselves is wound, and is added to common problems and even a sense of guilt for their own state.

As noted psychotherapist, in the clinical picture of men to the fore the alarm will not soon, but barely controlled aggression, anger and irritation.

Women disturbed eating behavior

Violation eating - it is also a sign of women's depression.

The woman suddenly begins to suffer bouts of binge eating (bulimia), try using food to cope with their negative emotions and feelings: anxiety, fear, resentment, disappointment, irritation, sadness, boredom, and so Further. It was jammed their problems and experiences that takes another slice of cake, another cake, ignoring the absence of hunger. Increases weight, and it turns into a single source of anxiety, frustration and sadness.

Less commonly, depression may develop anorexia - refusal to eat.

How to recognize depression

The main symptoms of depression do not differ in males and females, and that on what grounds it can be suspected.

1. Constant sadness, despair, hopelessness.
2. Constant feeling of guilt.
3. Loss of interest in things and activities that were previously enjoyed.
4. Sleep problems: insomnia or conversely, drowsiness.
5. Inability to concentrate.
6. Strange pain, which is not possible to establish the cause.
7. change in appetite: loss of taste and hunger, or, on the contrary, the constant desire to chew on something.
8. Suicidal thoughts.

What to do with depression in women

Depression - Depression is, and does not really matter what sex the ill person. Therefore, it is treated the same way in men, women and even in people who have not decided on the gender.

Treatment may be divided into two methods: pharmacological (pills) and psychotherapeutic (with specialist). In fact, one method rarely works without the other: drugs withdrawn from the well of depression, but they do not learn to cope with her return, and do not explain how to live with different manifestations of the disease.

Olga Popova said that it is important to bear in mind the seriousness of the danger and depression, which can come to life quietly and gradually. Over time, it becomes heavier and without treatment erases all the joy and colors of life, increases anxiety, sadness, despair and takes his last strength.

Tips close like "you need a novel", "Rodi child, and let it be", "buy yourself a new dress", "go down to the beautician" will not help. Unfortunately, they can lead to deterioration.

Olga Popova

The best advice is to offer to see a doctor, therapist and help in finding such a doctor.

see also

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