MALE


DEPRESSION NOT JusT IN THe MIND


Michael McCarney


DID yOu kNOW THAT MeN suFFeRING FROM DePRessION ARe FOuR TIMes MORe LIkeLy TO TAke THeIR OWN LIves THAN WOMeN? uNFORTuNATeLy, HOWeveR, MeN ARe Less LIkeLy TO seek HeLP…


D


epression impacts millions of men of all ages and


backgrounds, but, sadly, many are less adept at recognising the symptoms of this mental health issue.


As pharmacists, you’ll be more than familiar with the fact that men are notoriously reluctant to seek help for a range of health issues – physical as well as psychological – and so it can be difficult for healthcare professionals to provide any form of treatment or medication.


One man’s story


Almost fifteen years ago, when Michael McCarney was enjoying life as a building inspector in his home city of Philadelphia, he could scarcely have imagined that, only a few years later, he'd be trying to kill himself on a river bank in Portglenone.


Michael's problems began when he and his wife moved from America to his wife's home town in County Antrim.


'We moved here to give our young kids a better family life,' Michael says, 'but, almost immediately, I felt isolated. I knew no one bar my family and no one knew me. On top of the


Symptoms of depression


since men find it difficult to talk about their feelings, they tend to focus on the physical symptoms that often accompany male depression. The three most commonly overlooked signs of depression in men are: • Physical pain: Depression in men can often show up as physical symptoms -such as backache, frequent headaches, sleep problems, sexual dysfunction, or digestive disorders. With depression, these symptoms don’t respond to normal treatment. • Anger: With depression, some men can become abusive or controlling. This can often range from a simple loss of humour to irritability, to road rage and even violence. • Reckless behaviour: Men suffering from depression may begin to exhibit ‘risky’ behaviour such as engaging in dangerous sports, driving recklessly, or engaging in unsafe sex.


40 - PHARMACy IN FOCus


physical isolation, I also began to work close to home and this increased the sense of emotional isolation since I wasn't able to escape how I felt by going to work. everybody I came into contact with was either related to someone else, or knew everybody else. I was neither related nor home grown, so I felt totally alone. People weren't being deliberately cruel; it was more a case of small-town mentality and they didn't understand my sense of isolation. I felt, quite simply, that I didn't fit in and, over the course of the next 18 months, I gradually sank into deep depression.


'The depression eventually got so bad that I tried to end it all but was, thankfully, saved. After my suicide attempt, my wife was afraid to leave me alone and would often not leave the house for days, which invariably caused even more strain. I simply didn't want to see anyone. I felt as if I had a big sign hanging over me saying 'broken'. I was even afraid of walking into someone and them asking 'how'ya doing?' because I literally didn't know how to respond.'


Following the suicide bid, it was to be a few months before Michael


even felt able to leave the house. even buying a loaf of bread was a major challenge!


'It was very much a case of 'baby steps' in reintroducing myself to the outside world,’ Mike continues. ‘I began by taking the dog for a ten- minute walk each morning. My wife would also pull up outside shops and I would make a mad dash into the shop to get a loaf. Neither of these actions sounds like a big deal, but at that time they were both monumental tasks for me.'


Michael’s life began to turn around when he undertook a computer course at Portglenone enterprise Group (PeG).


‘It was while I was at PeG that someone mentioned the local Men's shed and it was then that I realised that it wasn't only what I needed as a focus into which I could pour my energy, but I realised that, by helping others, I could also continue to help myself.'


Mike became the facilitator of the Men’s shed, organising events and courses for men from the local area: men, who, like himself, had


experienced a range of mental health issues.


‘Men, who visit the Men’s shed, are often men who have retired and are looking for some type of purpose in life. After a lifetime of employment and structure, they are feeling a bit ‘lost’ and need some type of direction. By attending the Men’s shed, they are not only able to socialise and be part of society again, but are able to discuss issues such as health concerns. sometimes just being able to talk about things can be a big help.’


While he is no longer the facilitator of the Men’s shed, Michael still wants to use his own experience to help others who are on a similar path.


His own journey, however, continues.


‘There's an element of symbiosis in this whole process,’ he says. ‘By helping others, I'm helping myself and we're all benefitting from this experience.


'I'm still on the anti-depressants, but I’ve just accepted that I’m going to be on them for life. From the beginning, they made me feel 'flat' and stopped me from feeling anything, so at one point I took myself off them cold turkey.


‘My mental state immediately plummeted back into the blackness so I began to take them again. The doctors told me that it was better to feel nothing than to feel bad so I've just had to accept that I need them for the foreseeable future.’


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