Depression Targets More Women Than Men

Did you know, statistically women have more chances to get depressed?

There are nineteen areas in our brain linked to depression, sixteen of them connected to female sex.

Women are more prone to hormonal changes - PMS, pregnancy, post-natal depression, menopause - you name it, they have it.
Men's brain produces more serotonin, which is a brain chemical that makes us happy.

So, that's why women eat more chocolate than men! In fact, statistically, we consume 60% more chocolate when we are feeling down. And I imagine now, that women do need it more than men, with less serotonin and all.

We also look at our problems differently.
Men tend to distract themselves, watch TV, play computer games (I'm generalizing here, people).
Women keep mulling over the same problem or event. I do know that female brain is tenacious. If I muck up, my wife remembers it for ages.

Socially, women are more under pressure today. Not only they need to have good education and a successful career to be considered accomplished, they're expected to marry and raise kids in between.

But what's the difference in signs of depression for men and women?

Men get irritable and angry, our mood swings. We blame someone else for the cause of our depression and want to confront them. We stay on the sofa and watch TV 24/7, browse Internet for hours, self-medicate and generally become restless.

On the other hand, women close up. They feel pathetic and worthless, their self-confidence plummets. Women tend to blame themselves, not anyone else, for their troubles. They try coping with their apathy and avoid conflict at all costs.

These signs should occur for at least two weeks, most of them daily, for the doctor to diagnose you as clinically depressed.

Good news for women, - they are more likely to acknowledge that they are depressed and seek medical attention, so their percentage of recovery from this illness is higher than in men.

So, how to determine that you are clinically depressed?

* First, they rule out that some physical ailment caused changes to your mental state. They do some tests on your thyroid - a gland that, if destabilised, plays havoc with your hormones. They check your central nervous system or if you have some kind of cancer.
* You're asked what other medications you're taking, as some of them (for example, steroids for your arthritis) can lead to depression. Even over-the-counter diet pills can make you feel low.
* Last, you probably go through the blood check to make sure that your liver and kidneys don't have any problems and can process prescribed medication at normal pace.
* Obviously, you're also questioned about your state of mind. But this baby - is a topic for some other day.

So, folks, share with me how you feel.

Is it really different for men and women? Did you try to go to the doctor? Does chocolate truly help?