Depression is more common in women than in men. Some experts, however, say that's because men often fail to recognize symptoms of the disease -- and are less likely to seek help. In this in-depth report, reporter Laurie Udesky profiles two men who battled depression in New York City. They come from two different worlds -- one is a writer for the New Yorker and the other an ironworker with Local 580 -- but neither man recognized the disease that was slowly taking over his life.

When writer Andrew Solomon found himself unable to get out of bed one morning or even to lift the phone, he didn't know what had happened to him. The author of The Noonday Demon, an acclaimed study on depression, Solomon says he wishes he had sought treatment before he was all but paralyzed by the disease.

An ironworker, who wishes to remain anonymous, was despondent after losing his brother in the World Trade Center attacks. He found himself increasingly short-tempered and agitated. He even stopped wanting to do things with his family. Because he felt that "you're supposed to be macho, supposed to be a guy," he says, he sought help only after his wife gave him an ultimatum.

People might not normally associate anger with depression. But psychotherapist Terrence Real, an expert on male depression, tells Udesky that chronic anger, drinking, and workaholism are often overlooked signs of depression in men.

Click to listen to Consumer Health Interactive's in-depth audio report (9:00 min).

If you'd like to read the audio script, click here.

Click here for Part II: Teens and Depression

Click here for Part III: Bipolar Disorder

Digital Audio Team

Reporter, writer, and digital audio editor: Laurie Udesky

Producer: Laurie Udesky

Script Editors: Diana Hembree and Elaine Herscher

Introductory Narration: Michael Johnson

Sound Engineer: Michael Johnson

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First published September 23, 2003
Last updated February 14, 2008
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive