You might be surprised to know that depression in men due to erectile dysfunction is the tenth biggest reason for death.
As per the US Department of Health and Human Services research, the depressive symptoms in boys have risen from 4.3 to 5.7% nationwide.
In the United States, millions of men are diagnosed with depression every year. In some extreme cases, such depression due to impotence can cause self-harm behavior or even suicidal instinct.
As per the statistics, every 40 seconds, one person dies of depression because of erectile dysfunction.
There are almost 18 million men in the United States who have erectile dysfunction, and the risk of suicide is found to be 40% to 50% higher than the general population.
The bitter truth is depression exists in half of the people who commit suicide.
Erectile dysfunction is a sexual dysfunction in men who fail to attain a firm erection during sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction affects both the physical and psychological aspects of the person.
Not being able to achieve an erection is not a shame, but many men consider it this way.
How Toxic Masculinity Hurts Men?
Men are brought up in a society that usually promotes traditional masculinity, a toxin that causes complicated feelings towards their own emotions. Usually, all this ends by shutting these emotions forcefully or avoiding them entirely instead of thinking logically and understanding.
This is one reason why men are more inclined toward using external methods to cope with the inward turmoil and the pain that occurs due to depression.
In such cases, men usually overwork or self-medicate by depending on substances like drugs and alcohol to avoid dealing with depression and anxiety.
Here are some casual tones that people usually use from the time of upbringing itself, which slowly prevents men from expressing their genuine emotions.
- Boys, don’t cry!
- Don’t be such a baby!
- Don’t cry like a girl!
- Man up!
- Be a man—get over it, dude!
- Don’t react like a girl!
These phrases seem to be saying directly – stop your emotions if you are a man. You must have heard these or similar to these. When a boy starts to listen to these small things from his childhood, he might feel shame while expressing emotions.
The child takes his own time to understand that all are humans even though the genders are different.
Some men learn to avoid listening to such phrases, but some take it so seriously that they ruin their own lives.
This might happen to a man, not necessarily because of himself, but it can occur due to the people around him, such as his partner.
In some cases, partners do not understand such conditions, and the man alone has to deal with it.
When a man starts avoiding his feelings and gender-defining thinking is heard repeatedly, a problem arises. The person may start feeling sad, have dysfunctional emotional expression, and, ultimately, be depressed.
Recognizing Symptoms Of Depression In Men
Since childhood, a boy has to absorb the negativity portrayed by others, making him believe that confidence, strength, and composure are the only core elements of a man.
Anything “emotional” comes under girly or womanly nature. Therefore, it should be stifled and ignored, even though it is genuine.
This is one of the primary reasons that depression symptoms in men often manifest differently than they do in women. Some of the common symptoms of depression in men because of this toxic masculinity are as follows:-
- Eating disorders
- Erectile dysfunction or impotence
- Frequent feelings of fatigue
- Feeling sad or angry but pretending rage and anger to appear masculine
- Unable to perform daily chores
- Increase in irritability
- Lack of concentration
- Loss of interest at work and in family
- Lack of sleep
- Self-medication with street drugs
- Suicidal thoughts
Also Read: Can Acupressure Cure Erectile Dysfunction?
What Small Things Make Men React Violently?
Sometimes many men react violently when somebody questions their masculinity, especially when it comes to impotence. Impotent men usually feel insecure regarding their sexual life and performance.
As per an extensive study by an expert on men’s sexual health, many men risk long-term anxiety and depression if they cannot perform well in bed. Some take it on their ego and hamper their partner’s life.
They may start maintaining distance from their partners just because they cannot accept their sexual dysfunction.
Exciting things will help him get over it, but resisting his inner voice and hurting others is not the solution. Depression and anxiety because of sexual dysfunction are related to higher suicide rates and sex crime among older men.
Does Depression In Men Really Differ From Depression In Women?
In today’s world, many men and women suffer from mild, moderate, and severe forms of depression due to sexual dysfunction. Although, the relationship between depressive mood and sexual dysfunction is bidirectional and complicated.
In women, sexual dysfunction may cause symptoms of depression, such as sadness, weakness, or illness. But when it comes to men, apart from women’s depression symptoms, some may also become dominant and violent with others.
It has been a very common saying that ‘women get sad when it comes to sexual dysfunction, and men get mad’.
How Should Men Deal With Impotence?
When we talk of erectile dysfunction in men and the depression symptoms he faces, which start affecting him and others, it is apparent it cannot be treated with medication only. Apart from medicine, the person may require psychological help for treating erectile dysfunction.
Your health care executive can work with you to overcome your depression completely. However, only depending upon the medication is not enough; you need to learn to deal with it.
There are two ways to treat impotence and feel confident as ever; either you carry the only condom in your wallet, or you carry both condom and ED pills. Every man knows which one is right. Don’t feel ashamed about being what you actually are and expressing it confidently.
Once you start loving yourself, keeping your impotence aside, the world will change like your thoughts and vision. This is the first step to treating your impotence.
