Anxiety disorders are often thought to be female mental health conditions, even though they affect both sexes regularly. According to research, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as men, but that statistic can be a bit misleading.
It is widely accepted that American men are actually under-diagnosed as a population when it comes to anxiety disorders. This is thanks to the cultural values that are drilled into men’s heads from birth with regard to the notion that men are to be pillars of unshakable strength. They are never to show signs of weakness and there should never be a problem that they cannot overcome or solve on their own.
It becomes pretty easy to see how difficult it would be for the average man in the United States to admit they were suffering from an anxiety disorder, while trying to live up to that archaic gender role. Here are the signs you need to know about anxiety disorder symptoms in men.
How to Tell If Your Loved One Is Suffering From Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Since men can often be their own worst enemy when it comes to admitting mental health disorders, experts have put together a small checklist of five easily recognizable symptoms to look for if you fear your loved one may be suffering from excessive anxiety.
Tiredness – Tiredness is the most common symptom men with anxiety report. They will feel tired and run down very often even when they haven’t done the physical exertion to warrant it.
Disturbed Sleep – Disturbed sleep is another common symptom men with anxiety disorders report. Men suffering from anxiety generally sleep very little. Their sleep is often interrupted, and if they’re lucky enough to fall asleep without trouble, they usually cannot stay asleep. They will awake in the middle of the night with their minds racing and then have extreme difficulty falling back asleep.
Headaches – It was recently discovered that recurring headaches can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder in men. Frequent headaches that seem to always develop at similar times are especially telling.
Digestive Disorders – Stomach aches, nausea, constipation, heartburn, indigestion and all around problems with eating are the most common physical symptom of anxiety in men. This is one of the most direct ways the mind communicates to the body that it is unhappy.
Respiratory Trouble – Trouble breathing, shortness of breath and generally being unable to breathe properly are considered to be major symptoms of an anxiety disorder in men.
What to Do About Anxiety Disorder
While these five symptoms aren’t enough to guarantee that a man in your life is suffering from an anxiety disorder, they can serve as a solid barometer for when it may be a good idea to consult a specialist. Untreated anxiety disorders can impact all aspects of your life in an incredibly detrimental way and also increase your likelihood to develop a substance abuse problem exponentially.
Destination Hope is a full-service addiction treatment facility with a specialty in dual diagnosis sufferers like those afflicted with anxiety and addiction. If there’s a man in your life who’s abusing drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with his untreated anxiety, direct him to the staff at Destination Hope today so they can give him the help he deserves and needs.
