ANXIETY is the sixth largest contributor to health problems worldwide, with an estimated 264 million people living with this disorder on a daily basis.
On average one in eight men will have depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.
Many view depression in men as ‘unmanly’ and a sign of weakness.
Because of this men are less likely to talk about their anxieties, instead attempting to mask their anxiety with poor coping behaviour which make matters worse.
All people will worry and feel anxious about certain things in their lives, which is normal.
But when it starts interfering with your day-to-day activities or changes the way that you used to approach life, then professional help is needed.
This disorder severely affects relationships in that the coping mechanisms applied often affect those close to the person, such as alcohol abuse, abusive behaviour and depression.
Society places pressure on men in terms of having to be seen as confident, in control and be decision makers.
Men are also stereotyped as the provider, protector, being dependable, confident and fearless.
However, these traits that society labels men with could lead men to feeling inadequate and emasculated.
If left untreated, anxiety does present itself in many forms.
Abuse, gambling, drugs and reckless behaviour are some of the confidence gaining and coping mechanisms embraced by men.
Anxiety can trigger anger in men, with violence, outbursts, bullying, abusiveness and explosive temper bursts the result.
The result is a sense of an empty life that turns to depression with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
There is a range of factors that contribute to or even trigger the development of an anxiety disorder.
These include genetic predisposition, physical, medical and environmental factors.
Signs of anxiety
Physical – pounding or racing heart, excessive sweating, muscle tension or aches, restlessness or agitation, dizziness or vertigo, shortness of breath or sensations of choking, insomnia, panic attacks, fatigue, nausea or irritable bowel syndrome.
Emotional – constant worry about what could go wrong, perceiving situations and events as threatening when they are not, indecisiveness and fear of making the wrong decision, difficulty concentrating, feelings of dread, concentration problems, avoidance, catastrophic thinking, irritability and edginess, nightmares or intrusive thoughts in which traumatic scenes are replayed in the mind, mood swings, being overly vigilant towards danger, absentmindedness and fear of losing control.
In addition, persistent sadness, apathy or loss of hope or suicidal thoughts could show that the anxiety has morphed into depression, a common condition seen together with anxiety disorders.
It is important to share your symptoms with someone you trust.
Start with a family member or friend, but always find your way to a health care professional who would be able to help you manage the symptoms.
Treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling and in some instances, medication depending on the type of anxiety present.
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