Depression is a serious issue and it really deserves a place in the mainstream social narrative – especially when it comes to men who are dealing with depression. So many men will make the mistake of thinking that they shouldn’t be discussing their feelings with others because they don’t want to be portrayed as weak or needy. For the longest time, men have had to live with the stigma of always having to exude unemotionality and stoicism. But that’s wrong. Men should always feel welcome to talk about their feelings. Men should always be given an open space for expression and discussion.
Feelings can be very dangerous when they are left unaddressed; whenever they aren’t dealt with properly. As a woman, you always need to make sure that your man feels safe enough to talk about how he feels with you – especially when his feelings are eating away at his insides. But sometimes, the key is really in being able to get him to open up. He might be dealing with a lot of issues in his life and he might not just be telling you. It’s your job to make sure that you are able to fish these things out of him. You need to get him to start talking to you. And that all starts with being able to identify if there is a cause for worry in the first place.
You want to make sure that you are with a guy who isn’t hiding anything from you; who doesn’t have any skeletons in his closet. You always need to make him feel like he can open up to you about anything; that you would be willing to help him face his demons. You need to make him feel safe whenever he’s with you. Your man might be walking around with depression and neither of you might even be aware of it. He can seem like he’s perfectly fine and strong on the outside. But he may be dealing with some pretty serious stuff on the inside and you both need to tackle these things. But how do you know for sure? You just need to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for the following signs:
1. He has more bad days than he does good days.
As people, we generally have our good days and bad days. But for the people who are depressed, it seems like the good days are rare luxuries and the bad days are torturous constants. When your man seems to be dealing with more bad days than good ones, he might be dealing with something much deeper.
2. He gets angry over the most meaningless and simplest things.
When you are depressed, you are carrying so many things inside of you. And all of that weight can make a person very irritable. So if your man is lashing out over the simplest things, then that’s an indicator that there’s something else going on.
3. He resorts to vices such as alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs.
A lot of times, to distract themselves from the weight of their feelings, men will resort to other stimulants to help pass the time. Sometimes, they can develop addictions to vices such as alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs – and these are all very dangerous when consumed at high levels.
4. He feels constantly exhausted.
A person who is depressed is going to feel so tired with carrying a lot of emotional weight all of the time. And if he’s always feeling tired even though he hasn’t even really been productive, then that means he’s dealing with things that you don’t necessarily see with your eyes.
5. He tries to push you farther and farther away.
A depressed man is a man who knows that he has issues but he might refuse to address them. And while he’s trying to figure things out, he might want to isolate himself even from the people he loves. He might not want to drag you into all of his negativity and so he might try to push you farther and farther away.
6. He has a very unstable appetite.
If he’s either gaining or losing a lot of weight uncontrollably within a short time frame, then you know that something is up. Massive weight gain or weight loss within a short period of time can be a sign that he’s dealing with some serious issues on the inside. Poor appetite can often be a result of some serious physical or mental health issues.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
What you need to do if you find out that your man is dealing with depression is talk to him about it. Show him that you’re concerned about him and that you’re willing to support him through whatever he is dealing with. And when he’s ready, encourage him to seek professional help. And make sure that he knows that you’re going to stay by his side as he’s figuring things out.
