Why are women twice as likely to experience depression as men?

Mood swings in women can occur for various reasons. As a rule, they occur during puberty, during pregnancy or due to increased tension, stress, depression and lack of activity. Managing and controlling mood swings requires patience, persistence, lifestyle changes and proper nutrition. If you are in a relationship with a woman who often experiences mood swings, then the following tips may help you.

Don't bother her

If you see that something is bothering your girlfriend or wife, then go to her once and ask her what is wrong. If she has no particular desire to talk about this topic, then leave her alone and don't bother her. Give her some time to calm down. Let her deal with her emotions on her own. Constantly asking her why she's upset will only make things worse. Therefore, do not write off going to help her, but give her a little time to calm down.

How to learn to control yourself

It has been proven that it is difficult to control this condition on your own. This is due to the fact that the fluctuations are irrational and the woman cannot explain what caused them. How to cope with this condition?

General recommendations

To reduce the specific reaction of the body caused by hormonal imbalances, certain rules must be followed:

If a woman notices that her emotional background changes while performing any actions, she urgently needs to stop doing them.
If you anticipate an imminent change in mood, it is recommended to remain alone with yourself. This will help not spoil the mood of your loved ones; also, being alone, such a state is easier to bear.
It is necessary to try to artificially improve emotions and think only about the positive.
It is necessary to give up harmful foods; they disrupt many metabolic processes and saturate the body with carcinogens and toxins.
It is necessary to take regular walks in the fresh air.

Drug treatment

Whatever the cause of mental instability, the fight against the disease must be comprehensive. The patient needs to visit a psychologist and take prescribed medications.

In most cases, the following remedies are prescribed:

Tricyclic antidepressants. The most well-known medications in this pharmaceutical category are Imipramine and Amitriptyline.
Medicines that regulate the activity of the vascular system.
Homeopathic remedies based on medicinal plants and vitamin complexes.

It must be remembered that you cannot prescribe medications yourself, as there is a risk of worsening the situation.

Listen to her needs

If you see that a girl has been in a negative state for a long time and has problems with mood swings, then try to find out what exactly she is upset about. Perhaps you did something wrong and she is angry with you. Or it could be something minor that also caused her mood to worsen. Try to find out what exactly caused her negative state. Listen to her carefully and do not avoid a seemingly boring conversation with her. Talk to your girlfriend to see if she needs help. Overall, start paying more attention to her.

Don't give in to conflict situations when she's in a bad mood

Don't be too serious and biased towards the girl, even if she is wrong. When a girl is in a bad mood, she has a desire for quarrels and conflict situations. You, in turn, need to stay away from this, even if she is wrong about something. Be smarter at this point and don't pay attention to her mistakes. Don't fall for blame games and inappropriate arguments. You don't need to be right now. After a while, the woman will understand that she was wrong. And your calm behavior will have a calming effect on her and improve her well-being.

Changes in her mood

Mood: detached

If a woman withdraws from you and does not react to your presence, then she is one of those whose mood is subject to strong sudden changes, which men rarely expect.
If this is caused by the fact that you just had a fight, then it is probably difficult to resist the temptation to leave everything as it is if a woman behaves this way. However, if you are faced with a situation where a girl does not want to communicate with you, then usually you just need to give her a little time to put her thoughts in order before trying to figure out the reasons.

If you try to talk to her before she is ready for it, you will still not know all the facts. You will most likely communicate with an offended woman who will only snap back.

Mood: depressed

If your girlfriend is more prone to depression than outbursts of anger, then most likely she needs not some time alone, but your moral support.
Try to be supportive (no sexual innuendo needed) to let her know that you appreciate and love her. If her bad mood continues longer than expected, try to organize an evening that is similar to one of the best in your relationship, such as going to a favorite restaurant or nightclub.

A surprise like this can do wonders. This will improve her mood, and she will immediately understand that she is the most important thing for you.

Mood: anger

There is a big difference between provoked and unjustified aggression.
If her bad mood is the result of your words or actions, take the first step and apologize, without waiting until she draws up a battle plan, determines the battlefield, and then challenges you to battle. But if her anger came out of the blue, then apologizing is the last thing you need to do. Instead, carefully try to figure out the source of the problem. There is no need to make hasty conclusions and offer hasty solutions.

If she cannot properly explain the situation or express everything that is on her mind, then there is no need to put pressure on her. If this happens, return to the initial situation and stay a little away from it.

Mood: emotional need

After disappointments, your girlfriend will need confirmation that she is still not interested in her.
Whatever you do, do not embarrass or confuse her, because the girl who needs your expression of emotional affection is exactly one of those who needs not just any gifts from you, but, above all, your support. The best way to show your support is to buy that couch she's been wanting to buy for a long time, or go bowling with her because she's been dreaming about it for a long time. This flexibility in your behavior will help her feel supported.

Mood: general deterioration

The difference between depression and a general deterioration in mood is very small.
A good indicator is the duration of such a mood (it takes longer to get out of depression) and how she behaves: a general deterioration implies complete apathy, and depression in most cases causes tears. A girl who feels lost, regardless of the reason (gained weight, lost her job, or just doesn't feel well) may need some extra compliments from you. Unfortunately, general transparent complements are useless in this case.

And no matter what you say, it will not make her believe that it is true. Instead, begin to gently challenge her misconceptions, while avoiding getting into lengthy discussions. Stop analyzing the situation before she begins to understand what you are saying.

If you see self-criticism continuing to emerge, try to joke with it, or even make it even bigger to show how ridiculous her words are. Don't forget that you need to be very careful here.

Mood: stress

A woman under stress is a force to be reckoned with and, as you probably already know, there is rarely an explanation for this.
Regardless of whether the stress is justified or unreasonable, you have two options: stay away from her or do something to help relieve the stress. Something as simple as putting dirty clothes in the washing machine or preparing dinner can go a long way when she's already overwhelmed with so many different things to do.

Even if your action is very small, she will have one less thing to worry about. If you just walk around the house and put away everything that is not in the right place, it will be better than if you do it after she tells you about it. What you don't have to do is act like another source of suffering.

Mood: sexual preoccupation

This doesn't happen often, but any girl is susceptible to this mood.
It will be better if you understand this earlier - you will have an advantage. Even such a mood has two components: it is caused by suffering or a slight disturbance of feelings. This is usually a manifestation of the girl's emotions as she tries to cope with it through passion. If you notice that same look, then you need to behave carefully. One wrong step and her mood can change to the diametrically opposite. And if you do encounter this, then try to put on a good “show” for her. You may no longer have such a devoted “listener.”

WHEN THE MOOD TELLS THE TRUTH Women are complex creatures. For most of them, their mood can change very quickly. Pay attention to her behavior, decide how you need to behave, and this will help both of you cope with the situation. Each time you will not be able to help her, but you have a chance to defuse the situation at least a little.

*The article was prepared specifically for the Youth Portal Xage.Ru, distribution only with a hyperlink to Xage.Ru

How do you usually cheer up your girls? And a question to the girls, what lifts your mood?

Feel for her

Agree with most of the things she says. If your partner is having mood swings due to external reasons, such as an argument with someone at work or just having a bad day, then support her. Agree with what she says, no matter how wrong or funny it is. Ultimately, your girlfriend or wife will feel relieved because she will realize that there is someone out there who thinks the same way as she does. The girl will be extremely grateful to you for this. And when her mood changes and she realizes her mistake, you will laugh together at this ridiculous situation.

Why you need to start with yourself

It turns out that the reason for a bad mood should be sought not in the outside world, but in oneself - not everyone likes this idea either. You need to cope with yourself, and learn to relate to problems in such a way that they do not cause a bad mood - at least for a long time, and you can learn this if you want.

Very often a person exaggerates a problem only because he is used to reacting this way and considers it normal. It is very difficult to advise such a person to look at everything with different eyes, but you can still try.

Let us remind you once again that we are not talking about complex cases when the help of specialists is required, but about something that can be solved independently.

Let her speak

Mood swings in women are not always as problematic as they seem. Sometimes they can simply be the result of pent-up emotions that need to be released. Therefore, you again need to become an understanding husband or boyfriend and listen to your beloved. Ignore how stupid her words may be and don't show it. Just listen carefully and support her statements. As a result, after such a conversation, the girl’s mood will change significantly, and she will feel much better.

Make her laugh

Laughter and positive emotions are what change a person's mood. So make your girlfriend laugh. Turn on some entertainment program, or go to a funny movie together. Tell her a funny story that happened to you recently. Make full use of your sense of humor to cheer her up. This will distract her from the problems that may be in her life. This way she will forget about them for a while and will enjoy a good mood with you.

Help her stay busy

Involve her in everything you can. Because quite often mood swings in women can occur due to low activity. Therefore, you can help control her mood by involving her in activities that will distract her attention. Ask them to cook your favorite dish or help you do something around the house. As a result, keeping busy will help dispel her irritability and distract her from negative thoughts.

Factors in the development of mood swings

Inability to live in the present moment. In this case, a person constantly falls out of situations occurring here and now throughout the day. Thoughts about negative periods from the past can be replaced by worries and worries about the future. Focusing on the present is very difficult for such people.
Poor nutrition. In addition to hunger, food can have both positive and negative effects on mood. The high content of sugar and carbohydrates in consumed foods can lead to causeless anxiety. In the long term, poor nutrition leads to inflammation, followed by neurological damage.
Hormone imbalance. Stress leads to the release of cortisol, which causes the release of glucose into the blood, giving us an extra boost of energy that lasts until the stressful state disappears. Cortisol plays a big role in mood swings because when its levels are constantly high, your brain chemistry changes.
Bad weather. Some people may feel a little depressed due to the greyness and dullness of the day, while for others, bad weather conditions are a real disaster, leading to changes in their emotional state. Most often they appear when the day becomes shorter than the night, and sunlight is no longer pleasing with its presence.
Unmet needs. If a person has a severely disrupted dialogue with his inner world, he may be characterized by constant suppression of his own needs and desires, which is perhaps the most common cause of bad mood.
Lack of love. It is observed in those who in childhood lacked parental warmth, attention and affection, although the reasons may be different. A person is subject to a sudden feeling of devastation, abandonment and despondency.

There are many more mechanisms that cause sudden mood swings, and in each specific case they have their own individual characteristics. What is common is that, having a high speed of thought process, a person often unconsciously “stumbles upon” one or another of his problems, which leads to a change in emotional state.

Compliment her

Mood swings in women can occur when love and mutual feelings disappear in a relationship. So make her feel loved and wanted by showing her affection and complimenting her as much as possible. The woman will receive this loving impulse that she is missing and it will change her mood. So kiss your girlfriend more often, say words of love and show attention. As a result, you will notice that her mood swings will not be as frequent. Just don't make your compliments intentional. First of all, they must be natural. Otherwise, this may cause another conflict.

Why are we talking about depression in women?

Both sexes are susceptible to mental illness, and men can get it too. But women suffer from depression more often than men: 8.5% of women compared to 4.7% of men.

A significant gap—almost twice. No one knows exactly where it comes from. However, no one knows exactly why depression occurs in the first place. Scientists suspect that hormones, heredity, and traumatic life circumstances are to blame. There are also several theories about why women get sick more often.

Because women have special hormonal levels

When it comes to women's mood, many people have the desire to attribute everything to physiology and the notorious PMS, which causes all the troubles. Hormonal fluctuations really affect mood: before puberty, the frequency of diseases in children of different sexes does not differ, but after it, girls begin to get sick more often. Why is depression more prevalent in women? .

Depression cannot be attributed only to the menstrual cycle: it lasts longer than the standard cycle, and is influenced by many factors. But physiology clearly did not stand aside.

Because women can give birth

Morbidity statistics are also influenced by the purely female version of depression: postpartum depression. We are not talking about banal fatigue and lack of sleep, which probably all parents experience, but about a protracted state with all the signs of depression, which appeared precisely after childbirth. According to Depression and Mental Health by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 10–15% of women develop postpartum depression.

Because women live worse

You can argue as much as you like about who has it harder: women or men. But in the world as a whole, women often live poorer; they have limited access to resources, including healthcare. Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap. In developed countries, women often experience double workload: both at the workplace and at home, performing household responsibilities. Parents and children, men and women in the family and society.

Women are more likely to experience depression in leadership positions, Women in Positions of Power Show More Signs of Depression Than Men at the University of Texas found. Researchers suggest that this is due to stereotypes: women have to overcome them when they get a high position, while men are less likely to face prejudice at work.

Women are more likely to experience violence. According to WHO data on Violence against Women, every third woman (!) has experienced physical or sexual violence at least once during her lifetime. Any such episode can be a trigger for depression.

Because that's the way it is

It is believed that women react to everything that happens to them much more clearly than men. Therefore, they pay more attention to their feelings and give them an outlet.

As psychotherapist Olga Popova says, in many families it is believed that a boy must be taught to restrain his emotions, not to show them, to suppress them. He is taught to be strong, taught to rely only on himself in difficult situations, not to complain about poor health and life circumstances, thus showing the strength of his character.

Interestingly, until the end of the last century, it was believed that depression in men was an extremely rare phenomenon. Recent research data suggests the opposite: depression is a fairly common phenomenon among the male population of the Earth.

Olga Popova, psychotherapist

Make her rest well and get a good night's sleep

Mood swings in women can often be the result of fatigue, overwork and lack of sleep. Therefore, you need to give her the opportunity to have a good rest and sleep. Sometimes the simplest fixes to life's problems lie in simple human actions such as rest and relaxation. You can also take a vacation and go with her to relax in another city or country. As a result, you will notice significant changes in her mood, which will have a positive impact on your relationship and life in general.

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Pregnancy and postpartum period

Emotional fluctuations during pregnancy are caused by dynamic and constant changes in hormonal levels.

During the period of bearing a child, all cells of a woman’s body are focused on the development of the fetus.

In addition to the hormonal aspect, mood swings during pregnancy may be associated with:

Nausea;
Vomiting;
Headaches

And so on.

At this time, the woman’s body gets very tired and needs rest, walks or sleep.

Changing a pregnant woman's appearance also affects emotional control.

Mood changes in the 3rd trimester may be associated with:

With a big belly that was still flat;
Extra kilos;
Skin changes (affected by progesterone);
Hair loss.

Emotions during this period are influenced not only by hormones, but also by the woman’s personal situation. The more desirable the pregnancy, the expectant mother is cared for not only physically, but also mentally, the higher the likelihood of good health.

More than 80% of women suffer from mood swings after childbirth.

Typical symptoms:

Problems falling asleep;
Tearfulness;
Anxiety;
Feeling helpless;
Hypochondria and doubts about one's motherhood.

A woman is constantly tormented by the thought of whether she is a good mother, whether she is coping with her responsibilities.

Doctors generally do not recommend pharmacological treatment. In most cases, this condition goes away quite quickly.

After about 2 months, the woman gains more experience in caring for her newborn baby.

It is important that after giving birth the young mother receives a lot of warmth, love and understanding from her relatives. I had time to rest.

Why do women have mood swings, what to do and how to deal with it