There were days when I dreamed you were gone. I couldn't hear you cry. I couldn't watch her feed you - this is how one of the fathers recalls the first weeks after the birth of his son.

Young Dad's Depression - What Are Its Causes?

Sleepless nights, stress, pain, fatigue - the worse well-being of young mothers is not surprising. Some of the women suffer from baby blues, or postpartum sadness. It appears between 2 and 5 days after the baby is born and lasts for 2-3 weeks. Unfortunately, sometimes mental health problems are more severe and take the form of postnatal depression. In this case, support from relatives, psychotherapy and sometimes also pharmacotherapy are helpful. When all eyes are on the baby and his mother, the young dad may also have problems finding himself in the new situation.

Fatherhood is a responsibility and a huge change in life. A young dad may have concerns as to whether he will cope with the new challenges and whether he will be a good father. Fatigue appears, but so does the relationship with your partner or wife. After all, the most important thing now is caring for the baby. A man may feel lonely, relegated to the background. If we add to this the concern for the toddler's mother, who is struggling with postpartum depression herself, we will get a large dose of emotions. A dose that may contribute to the development of paternal postnatal depression.

Mental diseases - the scourge of the 21st century

Men rarely like and are able to talk about their feelings. Worse well-being is a problem for them and it is best to sweep it under the rug. In the case of young fathers, there is also social pressure to be the head of the family. A sense of responsibility for a woman and a child.

A young mother can be tired, irritable and sad. In the case of men, especially the young father, the consent to worse well-being and mental health problems is smaller. According to stereotypes, a man must be healthy, strong and courageous, and crying is reserved only for women and children. This kind of thinking is very harmful. Effect? Men suffer loneliness or displace disease.

How is male depression manifested?

Male depression is a taboo subject and often a source of shame for the sick themselves. However, the statistics do not lie. Every fourth man deals with paternal postpartum depression. According to the data, it is men who commit suicide more often. Is it because they are mentally weaker? Not. The reason is their loneliness in the fight against the disease, the pressure imposed on them by society and the willingness to cope with all the roles assigned to them.

Symptoms of male depression include irritability, attacks of aggression, trouble concentrating, sleeping. Sexual disorders, falling into addictions. Isolation from people, and even from the immediate environment, i.e. the partner and the child. A young dad may avoid contact with the child and run away to work. It is not difficult to predict the effects of this behavior, such as poor father-child relationship.

How to help a person with depression?

Postnatal depression in men can be difficult to diagnose. Eventually, the man takes a back seat. However, it is the young mothers who are usually the first to notice their partner's worse well-being. Supporting loved ones and talking are the first steps to better mental health. In many cases, as in the treatment of depression in women, psychotherapy and even pharmacotherapy are necessary.

Let us not underestimate the problems with mental health - when the mind is sick, the whole body becomes sick. Many sick people deny their disease and refuse to admit it. Untreated postpartum depression in men can lead to tragedy. If you notice disturbing symptoms in yourself or in a loved one, take action. Sometimes a single conversation can have a huge impact on a person's health or even life.

How Do You Know If A Young Dad Has Postnatal Depression?

Depression is typically associated with sadness, while in the course of postpartum depression in men, problems such as increased irritability, impulsiveness or even explosiveness may come to the fore. Other possible symptoms of male postpartum depression include:

●     avoiding contact with other people,

●     changed appetite (it can both increase and significantly decrease),

●     sleep problems (in the course of postpartum depression, a man may struggle with insomnia and sleep much longer than usual),

●     a tendency to resort to addictions (a young father can both increase the amount of alcohol consumed and, for example, return to an addiction he has already quit - e.g. smoking cigarettes),

●     unspecified, unjustified fear and worry,

●     reluctance to look after the child, making various attempts to avoid care only (e.g. by staying at work for a longer time),

●     reduced willingness to engage in sexual contact,

●     sadness and depression.

Postpartum depression in men should not be underestimated. With its high intensity, a young dad may - as in the case of other depressive disorders - experience suicidal thoughts, which may even make him attempt suicide. It is for this reason that young mums - who typically spend the most time with their newly minted dad - should be alert and pay attention to the mental state of their partner.

Resources: GIA.miami

What if a man has postnatal depression?

If a young mother suspects her partner is suffering from male postnatal depression, she should first talk to him honestly. Men are generally less likely to talk about their emotions - a woman should therefore carefully talk to her partner about the fact that she is worried about her mental state.

In mild cases of postpartum depression in men, disorders may pass relatively quickly and spontaneously, and the support given to a man from the closest environment may accelerate the pace of these processes. However, there is a risk that a young father with postpartum depression will require specialist care, e.g. in the form of pharmacological treatment or the help of a psychotherapist.

So if a young mother notices significant mental deviations in her partner that may correspond to a depressive disorder, she should not hesitate - she just needs to seek help. With the severity of male postpartum depression, not only is there a risk that the bond between father and child will be much weaker, but there is a risk that a young father may even end his life prematurely by committing suicide.

Have you ever met with young fathers who were suffering from depression? Maybe it happened to you? We are curious how you dealt with the problem. Let us know in the comments below.