The British Journal of Psychiatry reports that there will inevitably be rise in incidents of male depression over the years to come, as increasingly men struggle with the shift away from traditional male/female roles.

Male identity tends to be tied up in work, so with the economic crisis meaning widespread job losses, many men are finding that losing their job can have a devastating effect on self-esteem and confidence.   This obviously can apply equally to women who are made redundant, but on the whole it seems that men are much less likely to seek help when they have depression, feeling that this indicates a sign of weakness. 

In addition young adult males who are not in any form of employment or training and also possibly lack a positive male role model in their lives are at much greater risk of suffering from depression, and resorting to ‘self-medicating’ with drink and/or drugs. 

I have written in previous columns the importance of having a role throughout your life, and this article seems to me to underline this. 

What I believe society needs to do is to make sure that people are encouraged to accept that many different roles and family set-ups are valid.   The importance of family must be stressed, with emphasis on the fact that putting time and effort into being a good dad reaps the best rewards.  It is also essential that, in this period of uncertainty in the economy, we make sure that everyone has access to sound financial advice and help.   Giving information about relevant training courses and education is also necessary, along with making it simple and easy to sign up for volunteer work.

Above all, men should be encouraged to talk about their problems with a professional and to realise that this is not a sign of weakness, but is actually very healthy as by seeking help sooner rather than later, there is every chance that they will be able to feel much better about themselves.

It is possible that depression can be caused by circumstances (loss of job, relationship break-up etc.) or by past issues – even going back to early childhood – which have not been resolved, and which continue to cause low self-esteem and negative behaviour patterns.

My treatment involves the use of hypnotherapy to take you back to any earlier events or issues which may be continuing to cause pain, and shedding new light on these so their power to cause problems is eliminated.  We also look at creating realistic, achievable goals and finding practical ways in which you can achieve these.

If you feel that either you or your partner are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, please contact me in confidence on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.