Have you been on a rollercoaster ride of your emotions lately? Have you been feeling down and worthless without understanding why? Have you been having trouble sleeping occasionally? Have you lost your zest for life? If so, you may have depression.
What is depression?
Both men and women can undergo depression, a feeling of intense sadness that keeps them from doing what they normally do. Feeling depressed makes someone lose interest in anything for long periods of time, but it is a treatable medical condition. Other symptoms of depression include:
- Feeling of emptiness
- Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities
- Oversleeping, or not being able to sleep
- Overeating, or not wanting to eat
- Thoughts of suicide
- Inability to meet responsibilities
- Feeling of fatigue and restlessness
- Indecisiveness and loss of concentration
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and helplessness
What causes depression in men?
Reports show that men in the U.S. are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Men were raised in a culture where they are expected to always be tough and in control. They generally have a harder time dealing with depression than women and resort to alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and engaging in risky behavior.
Depression in men can be attributed to several factors like genes, brain chemistry, hormone imbalance, and stress. Usually, it is a combination of these factors.
What is the link between low T and depression?
A low testosterone level can lead to significant changes in a man’s physical and emotional well-being. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability, and other mood changes are most common in men with low T.
Low testosterone levels lead men to developing major health problems like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure – including depression. Some known effects of low testosterone also appear to be symptoms of depression. Men with low T are more likely depressed, and men with depression are more likely have low T levels.
A study a led by Dr. Molly M. Shares in 2004 found out that men with low T levels are four times more likely to have clinical depression as compared to men with normal T levels.
Furthermore, testosterone levels affect serotonin levels in the brain, a natural hormone that’s responsible for regulating moods in men.
How can depression be treated by testosterone therapy?
There are different types of therapies that can help treat depression. One of which is bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy. It is a medical treatment normally used to boost or balance out testosterone levels with natural medication hormones that act exactly like the hormones that our bodies naturally produce.
In a study by researchers from West Virginia University School of Medicine, results showed that testosterone therapy indeed plays a significant role in easing depression symptoms, particularly in men. T therapy addresses low T levels and the symptoms associated with it – including symptoms of depression.
Let go of the “tough guy” mentality and recognize and acknowledge that you are undergoing depression. Don’t hesitate to seek help. The choice to rise above depression is in your hands. To add, Jeffrey Eugenides, a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Awardee quoted, “Grief is natural. Overcoming it is a matter of choice.”
For more information about bioidentical testosterone therapy, click here.
