are eunuchs depressed and suicidal

[gpb3aol (imported)]

After my chemotherapy and I became castrated. I did slide into a depression, but, I just had a quarter of my lung removed, and had been poisoned by chemotherapy, I think I was entitled to be depressed.

I also had some problem determining what was depression and what was emotions coming to the surface. Having been a person with little or no emotions before, having them envelop my sole was difficult to deal with.

Well that's my two cent.

Pauline.

I think many think they are depressed when it's just, they as men, never dealt with emotions. Also, you guys on chemicals would know better than me, but I understand that the quick drop in Testosterone causes the depression, and if one would taper down one might avoid the depression.

[Kangan (imported)]

I seem to fall into Bobbie's first category of voluntary eunuchs. I wanted it for years due to problems caused by an over-active libido. I must say that when I crushed the second cord, it was with a bit of nervousness and apprehension. But that is long past. I chose my destiny and here I am.

[consideredit (imported)]

I'll offer a bit from another point of view. At one point I explained to my doctor that I feel what I think are the physical feelings of depression yet do not feel like I have any reason to be depressed. While my T wasn't low - it wasn't where it could be - not quite sure why. In a very short time on a T supplement the feelings of depression went away. My doctor explained that it's quite common and the first thing she looks for when people like me present such symptoms.

I suspect that there might be a lot of experience to support a doctor's thinking that if adding T takes away depression then taking it away is likely to cause depression. That may be an incorrect conclusion however there is lots of experience with otherwise health men who've been castrated because of injury or illness - and my guess is that it's that base of expience that is used by the doctors. I have to say that my docs have made it clear to me that people are incredibly variable especially when it comes to T levels. Feelings of sexual frustration cause their own set of problems - that's tough for anyone to judge how any one person will feel before or after and suggests that predicting the outcome of hormone adjustment is difficult at best.

[tomsaltsman (imported)]

Just keep in mind that these are the same "know-it-all" clowns who park their thumbs up where the sun don't shine concerning global warming and a thousand other important issues.

And why is "depression" worse than wanting to have sex with dead people or some other sexual aberation? Necrophilia is just one of many paraphilias that can easily destroy one's ability to have a meaningful relationship.

[gpb3aol (imported)]

WOW, where did that come from.

Pauline

[kristoff]

WOW, where did that come from.

Pauline

No Shit! Is ALL of Tom back?

[Paolo]

Such broad generalizations are generally a bad idea.



(Insert Richard Dawson's sound clip here)

As the survey says...

We're a pretty diverse group, as anyone who was at the last MoM can attest to.

OK, we can leave a few members out of the 'pretty' category...

But to say ALL eunuchs are depressed, well, no.

Are all eunuchs tall and thin? No.

Depression is a side effect, though, and if you use the SEARCH function, you'll find that quite a few were blindsided by it. It's an associated risk.

[gpb3aol (imported)]

The life and times we live in (GW, the war, the economy, the right wing Christians and other hate groups, over population) the list goes on. You don't have to be a eunuch to be depressed.

Pauline

[mrt (imported)]

This might be a good question for Sister since your experience is in this area and professional.

I started out with testicles that didn't "function" and had low Testosterone as a result. Life for me was not great. I was in a serious funk. I didn't know why and my GP did a physical, asked me a number of questions and said that what I had sounded "like" mental depression. But to be sure she was going to check my hormones. (Testosterone, Thyroid etc) and when it was discovered that I had low Testosterone I went on HRT and got better. LOTS. My depression "symptoms" went away.

My question has always been this. Is it really "depression" as in mental depression when your suffering from low to no hormones or is it a different thing? I've always thought it was two seperate things. A blood test can tell for example that you have low testosterone and dialing that up with injections or gels or patches seems to help people assuming they don't also have Mental Depression. And from what I know (Which I admit is zilch) there is no blood test for mental depression. Its more of a subjective test by a professional. Correct?

I'm really interested in others point of view on this. Is Mental Depression one thing and ahh... what to call it? Hormonal depression another? Can you have both? I think so btw....

BTW from what Jesus posted. I think he is right - its far too complicated to lump all eunuchs together and say "Castration = depression" Clearly a young super stud guy with testicular cancer who is told Monday he has cancer and has a bilateral orchiectomy tuesday is going to feel different then say a transexual person who has been saving up their pennies for the surgery and sees this as a step to where they want to go. Or any other voluntary Eunuch such as myself that saw the operation as a plus.

And if I "get" mental depression is there some connection to feelings of self worth and positive outcome vrs tragic "oh shit why me?" Or is it mostly brain chemistry and genetics?

I suspect its some of all this and hormones in many cases. Which is why I am amazed with my good doctor who is able to sift though a very complex set of things and come up with a correct answer.

[plix (imported)]

You were very lucky that your GP thought to check your T level. Most doctors do not do this, and instead the diagnosis of "depression" is given and SSRIs are prescribed.

I know of many cases where this has happened, and these guys have spent years or even decades on SSRIs trying to figure out why they still don't feel so great. Some have even had their marriages and other aspects of their lives ruined over the doctor's mistake. Then years later they find out it was low T all along. Once they start T therapy, they feel better than they have in years or decades. And since SSRIs are suspected to lower T, they may even make the problem worse (and goodness only knows what other long-term effects these powerful and little understood drugs have on the body and mind).

This could have easily been you if it were not for you doctor's knowledge to give your T a check first. You have a good doctor

You are right that there is no objective test for depression, and that is my biggest beef with it. This diagnosis is entirely subjective, usually given by only one person, and often it is based on one short interview. There are no objective tests to confirm any diagnosis of depression.

I have been given more psychiatric diagnoses than I can count by therapists who have seen me no more than a few sessions, sometimes as few as one. These people usually knew nothing about me or my history. And many of their diagnoses were later said by other therapists to be mistakes. So if the diagnosis of "depression" is to be given, it is one that should be given with care, only after all possible physical medical problems have been ruled out. It is a diagnosis that follows a person for the rest of his or her life.