You’ve probably heard about how some people struggle and cope with mental health issues like depression in dads and how it affected their lives. You might have even experienced this condition at some point in your life. However, it could still be difficult to detect this condition and manage it.
Depression In Dads
While depression in Dads isn’t a foreign topic in the medical field, there are still a lot of people who suffer from it due to numerous conditions.
Anyone can experience depression, along with other types of mental health disorders. While some people may think that women are the most vulnerable to this condition, know that males are also at risk for depression, especially first-time fathers. This condition is called paternal postpartum depression (PPD). If you’re one of these people who are noticing some irregular behavior and way of thinking in yourself, then that might be the right time to consult a specialist.
If you’re wondering about the proper depression management and treatment you might need, you can visit this site and other similar resources. Also, you can continue reading this article for more information.
Male Postnatal Depression: Things To Know
Although it’s been stated that women, especially first-time moms, are more likely to develop postpartum depression in dads, there are also cases that men could suffer from this condition. Particularly, PPD could occur after childbirth.
To have a better understanding of this condition, here are a few signs you need to look out for:
- Paternal postpartum depression is a type of major depressive disorder that’s prevalent among first-time fathers. While mothers are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression, many experts believe that men may also show symptoms of this condition during the first trimester of their wife’s pregnancy and after the baby was born.
- Approximately 10% of the male population all over the world become more prone to PPD during the three-to-six-month period upon childbirth. In many cases, paternal postpartum depression becomes a result of hormonal fluctuations and mood shifts.
- In the case of PPD, the level of male testosterone drops to an alarming rate, while prolactin, estrogen, and cortisol levels continue to increase, creating an imbalance in hormones.
- While it may not immediately result in notable changes, sleep deprivation, along with constant neurochemical changes, could significantly increase the likelihood of developing PPD. Apart from that, some of the most common risk factors that could trigger PPD may include poverty, stress, anxiety, relationship instability, history of diseases, and sickly children.
- The loss of a loved one could also lead to this condition. On the other hand, one of the most efficient predictors of PPD is a man’s wife’s mental health condition. Some people believe that men whose wives are struggling with depression may also suffer from it.
- While the risk factors and symptoms may differ, one thing’s for sure—depression in both parents could significantly affect their children.
What Causes Depression in Dads?
When it comes to understanding how depression could affect one’s life and trying various alternatives to better deal with it, one must not forget the most important aspect: learning the cause of the problem.
While PPD isn’t a new thing in the medical field, there are still limited studies that could determine the key factors that could cause this condition. If you’re wondering about where PPD may stem from, know that its causes may range from the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, and social aspects of a person.
Specifically, the following are some of the most common reasons behind PPD that you must know about:
- Sleep deprivation
- Extreme grief
- Traumatic childhood experience
- Anxiety
- Complicated relationships
- Lack of emotional support
- Social isolation
- Loss of a loved one
- Stress due to parenthood
Besides these aspects, the toxic view about masculinity and society’s treatment of males may also lead to paternal depression. Particularly, society’s notion of manliness and its suffocating practices that promote toxic masculinity could largely contribute to the rising number of male depression cases.
Symptoms Of Paternal Postpartum Depression
To better understand paternal depression, you must begin with its symptoms. Particularly, you need to know that the symptoms of PPD may vary depending on the patient suffering from it. For instance, one’s tolerance against stressful events and environment could create a huge difference in the way they deal with its early signs.
Some of the most common symptoms of paternal depression you need to know may include irritability, sensitivity, and violent behavior. Not only that, but they may also suffer from chronic diseases due to depression. Also, fathers can engage in harmful activities, develop addictions to substances, and engage in domestic violence even at the slightest trigger. Here are other damaging aftereffects of male depression:
- Extreme feelings of worthlessness
- Lack of sexual drive
- Alcohol abuse
- Anger management issues
- Shifts in appetite
- Lack of sleep
- Palpitations
- Difficulty in breathing
While some people may think that depression is all in one’s head and is just a product of their imagination, know that a person’s overall mood may affect how they interact with other people. A father’s behavior toward his children, in particular, might change depending on the shifts in their mood.
In such aspect, a father who’s suffering from paternal depression is more likely to get violent over small mistakes from their child. They’re also less likely to bond with them and interact in positive ways. Depression should neither be disregarded nor ignored as it could significantly affect one’s overall behavior and normal functioning.
Coping With Paternal Postpartum Depression
It’s never easy admitting to yourself that you’re suffering from psychological disorders like depression and anxiety, let alone getting through it. Especially for males, who’ve been taught to not show any sign of weakness and vulnerability, it could be difficult to accept their situation.
No matter how long and bumpy the road to recovery may become, always know that just like any other type of mental issue, depression is curable, if not managed. Despite sounding so difficult to handle, one has greater chances of getting through their condition, especially if they know the right ways to do it.
To better know how to deal with male depression, here are some simple yet highly efficient tips you can follow if you’re battling this condition:
Monitor Your Overt Behavior
When it comes to managing your depression, one thing you must monitor is your overt behavior. This part is essential as most patients often lack sufficient understanding of their condition and think of them as a newfound habit. However, denying your situation won’t do any good to your condition and could even worsen it.
Upon noticing some red flags in your mood and behavior, the best thing you can do is to seek help from professionals who can help you assess your situation. But before that, you might want to begin with talking to your family about your observations and ask for their assistance. If you think that your parenthood might be affected by seeking their help, note that your family are the first people who can help you recover from depression without any prejudice or criticism
If you’re determined to recover from your depression, you might as well begin by consulting with psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals who specialize in treating that condition.
Establish A Recovery Plan
Recovery from depression may be considered an impossible mission by people who have little idea about pursuing recovery. If you want to efficiently manage your condition, you must be well aware of what your objectives are. Creating a comprehensive recovery scheme, in particular, could be a great help in keeping you motivated and driven throughout the rehabilitation process.
As a rule of thumb, your plan must consist of all your short- and long-term goals, as well as the alternatives, to help you better obtain your objectives. You may also create a checklist of the measures you need to take to recuperate from your condition.
When deciding on your rehabilitation plan, you must always prioritize the things that could suit your needs. Particularly, you must know if your plan could work best in your situation and decide which areas need to be altered. Learning about the available treatment options could help you recover faster.
Identify The Risk Factors
While it’s been previously stated, it’s important to know the importance of knowing the risk factors that could trigger your depression. While some people may not consider this option. Know that many people tend to suffer from the risks of psychological disorders due to inadequate care and treatments given to them that don’t suit their situation.
Particularly, you must trace the root causes of all the unusual behavior you’ve been seeing lately in yourself and determine the type of treatment needed. By doing that, you might want to consider undergoing certain psychological assessments and tests that could help evaluate the severity of your condition.
Knowing the reasons behind your strange behavior could create a huge difference in speeding up your recovery and helping you heal faster. By doing that, you can better explore the available options and alternatives you can take to improve your condition.
Know The Right Treatment
Upon ng the biggest contributors to your depression, the next thing you need to do is to know the right type of treatments and medications applicable to your condition. Specifically, it’d be beneficial to consult your trusted counselor or psychologist for recommendations. Also, you may consider signing up for a rehabilitation center to address your situation.
You may also observe yourself so you have an idea of how severe your condition is and find pertinent information about it. Also, you can research the type of treatments suitable for people with paternal depression and ask for your physician’s opinion about it.
Whether you’re well aware of your condition, it’s best to consult a registered psychologist for better results and to prevent worsening the situation. If you like, you can even attend some counseling sessions or support groups, as long as it’s advised by the psychologist or psychiatrist.
Ask For Help
Getting over any type of psychological disorder isn’t a walk in the park for many people. Despite the number of technological innovations and alternatives you can consider. Treating depression in dads proves to be a challenging task for almost everyone. To efficiently manage your condition, the best thing to do is to seek help from reliable people around you.
When you’re dealing with severe psychological conditions like paternal depression, having people to support your back could significantly motivate you and keep you focused on pursuing recovery rather than just succumbing to your condition. Whether you’re a father. Always know that your loved ones can help you bear the difficulties you may encounter throughout your journey to recovery.
By normalizing seeking help during difficult times, you can help not just yourself but also several people who are going through the same as you. You can also motivate others to face their condition head-on rather than ignore it.
It’s also recommended to consult a mental health professional to get through depression. Our friends and family are a big help when combating depression; however, professional treatment is still highly advised. A simple search for terms like “psychologist near me” or “psychologist ndis registered” should already provide a list of experts that you can reach out to.
Develop Stronger Relationships
Establishing stronger relationships with the people around you could benefit you in more ways than one, especially when dealing with depression. Particularly, it could help you avoid worrying about other people and resolve issues about relationship instabilities.
Apart from that, you may also consider finding a support group to help you get through your condition better. These may include your family, the people around you, and those who’ve been through the same condition. You may also find friends during the rehabilitation process. Through these people, you can efficiently manage your depression.
Motivate Yourself
Your motivation to pursue recovery should neither rely on someone else’s decision nor should it be a result of pressure from other people. Your decision to pursue rehabilitation and your drive to heal should come from within yourself. This is to ensure that you’ll keep going despite the lack of support from other people.
Also, keep in mind that your lapses and shortcomings today don’t belong to tomorrow. If you feel like being unproductive in your recovery today, know that you still have tomorrow to fix them. You just have to keep going and motivate yourself.
Practice Self-Care
Even if you’re a father to your kids, know that promoting self-care is one of the most efficient and simplest alternatives to combat symptoms of depression. Particularly, this could efficiently help you manage signs of PPD and other types of depressive disorders. You may also teach your kids the importance of self-care to protect them from experiencing your condition.
Key Takeaway – Depression In Dads
Depression in Dads is one of the most common types of mental health issues that could affect one’s life in many ways. Considered as one of the most prominent underlying factors behind numerous cases of suicide and health decline. There’s no denying that depression in dads could leave severe effects on one’s life that could last long. Despite being relatively lesser known, males could also suffer from depressive disorders like paternal postpartum depression.