1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stop? Mom? Never told you? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: From house stuff Works dot com. Hey and welcome with 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: the podcast. This is Molly and I'm Kristen and Kristen. 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: I was thinking about an age old stereotype about women 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: recently incoln, which is that women are more in touch 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: with their feelings. I think we get this from women's magazines. 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: We make it it even just from our moms when 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: we're told, you know, he just kicked you because he 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: liked you. You know, we get this message that boys 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: aren't in touch with their feelings. Girls are. That's why 12 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: we you know, when we have fights with each other, 13 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: we just don't get over them. Well right, Um, we 14 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: might be more Women might be more prone to you know, 15 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: just really express times when they're feeling really good, but 16 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: also when we're feeling pretty low call up our girl friends, 17 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: you know, talk about breakups and and traumatic things like 18 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: that that happened, whereas guys might not be as uh 19 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: as quick to call up their brows and uh and 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: chat about how how you know, Jane just broke his heart? Right, 21 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: I mean we're more apt to lay out all out 22 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: on the table, which may be a reason for this statistic, 23 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: which is that women are twice as likely to suffer 24 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: from major chronic depression than males. You know, one theory 25 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: behind this, you know, sort of very big difference is 26 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: that women are just more likely to seek treatment for depression. 27 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: It's not that they have depression any more often, but 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: they just seek treatment for it, right whereas a man 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: might be more um, socially trained to suppress his feelings 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: and just kind of muddle on through things until until 31 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: they hopefully get better. But we might be kind of 32 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: oversimplifying this issue. So so let's look a little deeper 33 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: at what depression is and how it might affect women differently. Um. Overall, 34 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: one in ten adults, about nineteen million of us experienced 35 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: symptoms of major depression every year. It's a big it's 36 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: a big number. So smily, what exactly are some of 37 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: the symptoms, um that constitute major depression. Well 'll me 38 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: give you some symptoms from the National Institute of Mental Health. 39 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 1: They are persistent sad, anxious or empty feelings, feelings of help, 40 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: hopelessness and or pessimism, irritability, restlessness, anxiety, guilt, you feel worthless, 41 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: you feel helpless, You're not interested in your old activities, 42 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: your interests. You just are tired, decreased energy. It's not 43 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: a happy time and it can majorly affect uh your 44 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: ability just to get through a day. Right. And I 45 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: think according to UM doctors standards, you you need to 46 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: show about five of these symptoms for them to to 47 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: think that you are majorly depressed clinically, you know, diagnosed 48 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: with major depressive disorder. Right. And the factors behind uh, 49 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: these types of symptoms could range from genetic, biochemical, psychological, 50 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: and environmental stressors. There's not one single thing that can 51 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: cause a person to become depressed. Right. But the reason 52 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: that when them might be more prone to depression is 53 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: that some of these factors hit women harder uh than men. 54 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: And of course we cannot have this discussion without discussing 55 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: our favorite thing in the whole world, hormones, because for once, 56 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: these hormones are really well, not just for once, they 57 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: always are doing this. They're really kind of messing with 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: our brain here in terms of our likelihood to get depression. Right. Um, 59 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: if you look back at at children, okay, boys and girls, 60 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: until they reach out of lescens have about the same 61 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: rates of depression. But then once hormones start kicking in 62 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: around puberty, that's when the levels really start to change. 63 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: And that's why a lot of researchers are looking at those, uh, 64 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: those major hormonal changes in women's life with puberty, pregnancy, menopause, 65 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: to to find out how hormones might be affecting our 66 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: brains to to promote depression, right, I mean, they can 67 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: look even just at very small times, like between your periods, 68 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: and they're finding they are huge shifts and how a 69 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: woman is able to deal with stressors, and how that 70 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: that inability of deal might make them more depressed. You know, Kristen, 71 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: the first time I went to the guy of collegists, 72 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: actually she told me, um that if I ever felt depressed, 73 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: it was likely hormones just messing with my brain chemistry. 74 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I wasn't depressed them, but she said, you know, 75 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: if you ever are, it's a very common thing in 76 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: women and molly. In addition to how hormones might be 77 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: affecting women's brains, it also research is also indicated that 78 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: men and women might simply deal with stressful events in 79 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: a different way. And this goes all the way back 80 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: to adolescents. UM studies have shown that the girls are 81 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: more likely than boys to continue feeling bad after experiencing 82 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: difficult situations or events, like we might sort of hold 83 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: onto things and process traumatic events longer than boys will. 84 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: Oh we love our process. Yes, we love to replay everything. 85 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: And this ability to ruminate just really works against us 86 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: because we can't let go. And when we have things 87 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: social stresses to ruminate about, then that gets even worse. 88 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: There was a study UM published by the APIA, the 89 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: American Psychological Association, that said that one of the things 90 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: women are stressing about, uh is that they have less 91 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: power in society and that this manifests itself and the 92 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: fact that we have more housework you know, we don't have, um, 93 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,239 Speaker 1: you know, the strong roles in our jobs that men do. 94 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: And as a result of all this stress, we're just 95 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: more depressed. Yeah, and I don't know that that's kind 96 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: of an older study that was published I think in 97 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: n And once again I think that that might sort 98 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: of Oversimplifypresian. Yeah, it sounds weird when you say it 99 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: out loud, that just you know, society can make us 100 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: more depressed, like we're being held down by the man, 101 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: literally by the man, the not depressed man exactly. Um. So, 102 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: the fact of the matter is researchers really aren't entirely 103 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: sure why why women are more prone to depression than man. 104 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it looks like there's a pretty strong link 105 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: between hormones. There's a different way that we we think 106 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: about traumatic events and how stressful events um can affect 107 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: us maybe longer than boys. But the good news is 108 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: there are things that we can do to treat it exactly. 109 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: That's going back to my good old kynecologist. She very 110 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: strongly advocated that, you know, a lot of women would 111 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: really benefit from a mild antidepressant. So antidepressants are very 112 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: commonly diagnosed. They work to um normalize these brain chemicals 113 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: that might be getting thrown off by hormones. Basically, the 114 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: hormones could be breaking havoc on our neurotransmitters, and antidepressant 115 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: works to stabilize those. These neurotransmitters are serotonin, um dope amine, 116 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: and so you've probably heard a lot of the common 117 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: names that women might take Prozac, Alexa, zoloft, paxel, alexa, 118 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: pro um these have side effects. Will probably get into 119 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: those in a later time. But you know, some women 120 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: experienced decreased sex drive. They can be tired and irritable. 121 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: It takes a while for them to kick in. You 122 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: need to take anti pressants for about three to four 123 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: weeks before you'll notice any different. But only some people 124 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: might not be too keen on the idea of taking antidepressants. Um. 125 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: For instance, I mean, all those those side effects that 126 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: that you just mentioned don't exactly sound like they would 127 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: make make anyone less depressed. But um, if you're not 128 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: interested in in inipressence, as studies have shown that incorporating 129 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: thirty minutes of physical activity into your day three to 130 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: five times a week does improve your mood and reduce 131 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: anxiety because that's a natural way to boost those serotonin 132 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: levels that we were talking about. And they're also popular 133 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: herbal remedies, well, I shouldn't say remedies, herbal alternatives such 134 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: as Saint John's work that has um shown to be 135 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: somewhat effective with mild depression, right, and there are other, um, 136 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: non medical things you can do just having sort of 137 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: a realistic mindset about it, knowing that depression, if you 138 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: are depressed, is not going to end in a day. Um. 139 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: Sometimes it helps to break large tasks that seem insurmountable 140 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: into very small tasks and just you know, go up 141 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: through it one piece at a time. UM, Spend time 142 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: with people who make you feel good about yourself. Right 143 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: and only, I think a good thing to keep in mind, Uh, 144 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: is this issue that you brought up about whether or 145 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: not women kind of ruminate over problems too much. I mean, 146 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: there might be something to the fact that we might 147 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: just need to like put a problem down at some point, 148 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: realize that maybe we can't solve it immediately, but we 149 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: have to move on keep functioning, and that could help 150 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: maybe with some of these these symptoms as well. Right, 151 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: and I think you know an important thing. The National 152 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: Institutent Mental Health provides some tips for people who have friends, 153 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: UM who are really depressed and they say, you know, 154 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: you need to listen to them talk about this problem 155 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: they're ruminating on. But then you kind of if they 156 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: need to provide a reality check, you know, if they're 157 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: so focused on this negative take the time to point 158 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: out to a depressed friend that you know, you've got this, this, 159 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: and this going for you and does it really matter 160 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: if you know that that and that is is you know, 161 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: out of whack, right. Um. That reminds me of one 162 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: of these studies comparing depression and lescent girls and boys, 163 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: and it found that more than se of depressed girls 164 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: experienced a difficult or stressful life event prior to a 165 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: depressive episode, as compared to only fourteen percent of boys. 166 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: So talking about something like that that happens in having 167 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: having room to share might help. So I guess the 168 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: takeaway message for me, Christen is that you know, if 169 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: you are a woman and do feel depressed, know that 170 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: there might be a reason for it, and that it's 171 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: just not something you have to live with. Like we said, 172 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: find a friend, talk it out, figure out what you're 173 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: not letting go of. Not to be too you know, 174 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: new ag therapy about it. But there are reasons why 175 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: we might be more depressed, and it helps to look 176 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: at the reasons as opposed to just wallowing and sadness, right, 177 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: and looking at those symptoms. If you are exhibiting five 178 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: or more, it might be it might be time to 179 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: go to the doctor. Yeah, don't be held down by 180 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: your hormones exactly. So if you want to learn more 181 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: about hormones, depression and everything in between. Um, You can 182 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: check out how depression works on how stuff works dot com, 183 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: and if you want to send me an Molly a 184 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: question or comment, feel free to send us an email 185 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: at mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com. For 186 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: more on thiss and thousands of other topics. 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