Depression is linked with many hormones in the body. Yes, women can suffer postpartum depression after being pregnant. Yes, menstruation causes fluxes in hormones that may cause an irritable mood and other more serious forms of depression. Yes, the onset of menopause can cause depression.
Oh wow, lookie there. As a woman, I'm already more susceptible to depression because of my hormones. But the role that these hormones play in some forms of depression in women doesn't make one's depression in less valid. It's insanely offensive when some idiot boy says "oooo must be that time of the month" because I'm behaving moody or withdrawn. No, you dingus, profusely bleeding from an orifice of my body doesn't always cause my depressed, self-harming behavior. Check yo self.
I have been suffering from depression for years. Depression doesn't always take the "time of the month" into consideration. Every day that I wake up, get out of bed, and be fairly productive is a serious victory in my book. Don't equate my every day mental and physical battle with something as trivial as period cramps or a craving for chocolate.
2. I have an easier time disclosing to people and talking about my depression than men do.
I am very much aware and appreciative of the ease in which I can talk about my depression. Men are socialized to not be emotional or cry so they have a harder time processing their depression. Men are more likely to successfully commit suicide than women and I'm pretty damn certain that is because we as a society prevent them from reaching out for help for fear of being emasculated which is all sorts of . I am very grateful to be able to create a support system of friends and family that I can talk to anytime of the day about my depression.
Although disclosing to someone that I suffer from depression is always a little nerve wracking and uncomfortable at first -- like, hey I'm clinically depressed and you might not see me for days on end because I quite literally cannot get out of bed but wanna be friends anyways? -- I'm usually completely unafraid to make that aspect of my life very visible and well known. I deeply feel for men who suffer and feel that society shames them for expressing their emotions or for not being mentally strong 24/7.
3. I often self-medicate with sex and relationships.
When I was first diagnosed with clinical depression and starting taking anti-depressants, I was also going through a phase where I was sleeping around a lot. I thought I was just a super liberated kewl kollege girl. But there wasn't anything liberating about getting shit faced every weekend and sleeping with strangers for me. Turns out that those who suffer from depression have a higher level of engaging in risky behavior such as binge drinking and unsafe sex.
Although both men and women who suffer from depression sometimes self medicate with alcohol and sex, I felt like I had a harder time bouncing back from the reputation that I created for myself a few years ago. Women can't get away with sleeping around as easily as men. Back in the party days of my youth, the guys were given high fives for shacking up with a girl while I was left to sneak out the back door to embark on my self esteem-boosting walk of shame.
Self medicating with risky sex is unhealthy as is. But the social pressures I felt as a woman who was acting promiscuously caused even more damage to my self confidence and happiness.
4. My depression also causes hormonal and reproductive issues.
Many hormonal imbalances that are linked to fertility issues are also linked to depression. Although it has not been proven that depression causes reproductive issues, the two certainly go hand-in-hand in some situations. Also, the self-harming behavior that women who suffer from depression are often drawn to can have a negative impact on their reproductive abilities. These behaviors include smoking, drinking, and abnormal eating.
My depression came with a lot of self-harming behaviors such as smoking, cutting, and for a period, heavy drinking. Smoking and heavy drinking in women can cause infertility, abnormal menstruation, and early onset menopause. So essentially, my depression causes me to be more susceptible to treating myself like shit which in turn, affects my reproductive abilities. I consider the effects my self-harming behaviors have had on my reproductive health a serious threat to my womanhood. The shitty habits that my depression has led me to pick up are literally destroying my female sex organs and my natural level of hormones which is actually horrific.
Also, simply having female hormones makes me more likely to experience certain forms of depression such as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and hypersomnia, a symptom of depression.
Depression is a truly horrific disease regardless of sex or gender. It warps beautiful minds and has taken some of the loveliest people from this world. I am grateful for every day that I don't let my depression take over me. I am aware that depression is idiosyncratic for every individual, however, I feel for my fellow sisters that experience depression uniquely because of their gender or sex.
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