TMS THERAPY
FDA-cleared, non-medication depression treatment
Daniel Hageman
Men, in particular, may be unlikely to admit to being depressed and even less likely to seek help. With about six million American men suffering from depression every year, according to the Mayo Clinic, it is important not to leave this sector of society aside and in the dark. Researchers and clinicians are coming to think that the traditional signs of depression (sadness, worthlessness, excessive guilt) may not represent many men’s experience of a depressive mood[1] and instead they could be showing an increase in fatigue, irritability, and anger. Men are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as ways of self-medication and this makes it even harder to properly diagnose depression.
Men, in particular, may be unlikely to admit to being depressed and even less likely to seek help. With about six million American men suffering from depression every year, according to the Mayo Clinic, it is important not to leave this sector of society aside and in the dark. Researchers and clinicians are coming to think that the traditional signs of depression (sadness, worthlessness, excessive guilt) may not represent many men’s experience of a depressive mood[1] and instead they could be showing an increase in fatigue, irritability, and anger. Men are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as ways of self-medication and this makes it even harder to properly diagnose depression.
Throw yourself into work and you’ll feel better
We mentioned drugs, alcohol, and self-medication as mens’ way of treating their depression. A fourth means of coping with their depression is to surround themselves with their work. This obsession becomes a short term solution for their pain, as it takes their mind away from whatever it is that is bringing them down.
Depression in its early stages is hard to recognize; men don’t complain about feeling sad or depressed, but they do complain about work problems or performance. They show signs of being irritable and angry. Because of the ‘normality’ of these symptoms, many doctors fail to recognize the signs[2].
Male suicide rates outnumbered females four to one
While women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime[3], male suicides represent the majority of all suicides in the U.S., and outnumber females four to one[4]. When trying to explain the gap between these numbers, experts have come up with various explanations – the most discussed being testosterone deficiency and genetic predisposition by gender[5].
While early stages of depression show differences between males and females, treatment is still the same for both. Since men have greater problems expressing their emotions, it is important that a comfortable environment is provided so that the depression triggers can be identified. Psychologists, physicians, and loved ones should be on the lookout for the early signs of depression mentioned above.
Take our 6 question quiz to see if TMS therapy could be right for you
Subscribe for mental health, self-care, and TMS therapy updates for those affected by treatment-resistant depression or OCD.
Thank you for subscribing to our email list!
Oops, there was an error adding your subscription.
Please try again later.
By providing your email address, you are consenting to receive blog updates from Greenbrook TMS Inc. You may unsubscribe from these alerts at any time by following the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of email alerts. At Greenbrook TMS Inc. we take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously. To learn more about how we protect your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Greenbrook TMS supports an accessible internet. If you have any questions about our accessibility features, please contact us at
866.928.6076 and/or info@greenbrooktms.com.
All Rights Reserved | Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers.