The depression in the woman: Statistics show that women suffer more depression than men, this is due to there are biological differences among both. The hormonal changes, such as estrogen and progesterone seem to have an important effect in the state of mood of women. These changes occur in the hormonal levels and produce a series of events that are associated to the depression, particularly the changes of the menstrual cycle, the pregnancy, the abortion, birth of a baby (pos labor depression), menopause, the kids period, the maintenance of the home, single mothers, take care their parents, old people and a job. Also, contribute to the depressive state, certain traumatic events like rapes and other forms of sexual abuse.
A recent study of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH by its acronym in English) demonstrate that women predisposed to suffer the severe premenstrual syndrome (SPM) are relieved from their physical and mind symptoms (for example depression) when are suppressed their sexual hormones with a medication. If it stops to give that medication, the hormones are reactivated and in soon after, the symptoms come back. On the other hand, to the women without SPM, the temporary suppression of the hormones don’t produce any effect.
The depression in the man: Although the man has less probability of suffering depressions than the woman and is more unwilling to admit that have depression, doing the diagnosis more difficult. The depression can also affect the physical health of the man, though in a different way of the woman, affecting mainly to the coronary disease (heart attack) and raising the death rate.
The man easily takes refuge in the alcohol and the drugs, masking the depression; the excessive work also can mask a depression. The depression in men is declared with irritability, anger and discouragement, instead of the feelings of despair or helplessness. Therefore, it can be difficult to recognize. Even when the man is realized that is depressed, compared with the woman, has more resistance to look for help. However, the suicide rate in the man is four times higher than in the woman, but the attempts of suicide are more common in the woman than in the man. As of the 70 years of age, the suicide rate in the man increases, reaching the maximum level after 85 years old.
Some companies offer programs of mental health for their employees. These can be of great help for the man. It’s important that the depressed man understands and accepts the idea that the depression is a real disease which requires treatment.
The depression in the old age: The old people are depressed mainly when they retire and cease their work activities, showing less interest in their new daily activities, after the death of a beloved, by secondary effects of the medicines or by a disease which affects them. The lack of treatment of the depression in old people can cause an unnecessary suffering. When the person of age go to the physician, can describe only the physical symptoms being reluctant to talk about their feelings of despair or sadness. If it’s done the diagnosis of the depression, the treatment with medicines or psychotherapy helps that the depressed person recover their capacity to have a happy and satisfactory life.
The depression in the childhood: The depression in the childhood can be recognized when the child shams to be sick, refuses to go to the school, doesn’t want to split up from the parents or fears that one of the parents dies. The largest child can put in a bad mood, get in trouble in the school, behave like a mischievous or undisciplined child, to be bad-tempered or felt misunderstood. Due to the changes that suffer the teenagers, sometimes it’s difficult to establish if a child is simply going through a phase of its development or if it’s truly suffering of the depression. Sometimes a child has a change of behavior marked that worries the parents, or the teacher mentions that the “child doesn’t seem to be the same”. In such case, after rule out physical problems, the Pediatrician can suggest that the child has to be evaluated, preferably by a Psychiatrist specialized in children. To be necessary a treatment, the physician can suggest psychotherapy. The children constitute a different population and cannot be treated as if only were adults in miniature. A defined form of depression, named anaclitic depression takes place in the second half of the first year of life in the children that have been separated from their mother. In different combinations and degree of severity, this kind of depression combines apprehension, sadness, frequent crying, rejection of the environment, shyness, delay, lethargy, lack of appetite, insomnia and expressions of misfortune.
