Do Men And Women Handle Stress Differently? Why?
Everyone is different, regardless of their sex. But research shows that generally speaking, men and women very handle stress differently. This is an important realization for managing your stress. After all, if biological factors are at play, you must factor them in when trying to calm yourself. Here are just a couple of examples:
Stressed women seek to process the situation. They are more likely to ask for support and reach out to others with support. Conversely, for men, escape is often the first reaction. This could take the form of suppressed feelings, distractions, or aggressive sports or exercise. All of this can be helpful but why does it happen?
Why Men and Women Handle Stress Differently
There are myriad reasons that could be addressed but, first and foremost, you must examine the role of hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and oxytocin. Both men and women, when their stress reaction is triggered, release all three hormones in the name of survival.
Surplus cortisol and epinephrine in your bloodstream can temporarily help during a crisis. If they remain present in higher doses for too long, they can cause physical and emotional problems. Thus, the body also releases oxytocin to mitigate the impact of cortisol and epinephrine.
But here’s the catch: In times of stress, women secrete higher levels of oxytocin than men do. These men are more at the mercy of the harsher influence of cortisol and epinephrine. Also, women naturally have higher levels of another hormone called estrogen. The blend of estrogen and oxytocin results in the type of support-based stress reaction described above.
Meanwhile, men are far more likely to compartmentalize. They do so in the name of problem-solving and/or escape. Fueled by hormones (and other biological differences), men view stress as a competition to win — either by hiding it or defeating it.
In light of this, it’s interesting to note that men will perceive eye contact as a potential threat. This causes them to miss facial cues. Women, on the other hand, pick up far more facial cues than men and use this perception as a path toward stress reduction.
The Impact of Stress on Men and Women
It’s said that women are more often stressed than men. Of course, this is heavily impacted by the reality that women are far more likely to report feeling stress. They seek help more often than men do. Either way, when either men or women are treated for stress, certain trends become visible.
Women, when stressed, are more likely than men to experience:
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
Chronic pain
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Autoimmune diseases
Sleep disturbances
Migraines
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
As for men, stress most commonly causes:
High blood pressure
Infectious diseases
Anger issues
Alcohol and/or drug abuse
How Men and Women Manage Stress
Nearly half of both sexes engage in walking and other forms of exercise in times of stress. Besides that, men tend toward more solo activities, e.g. activities. Women, on the other hand, will seek out social time with friends and family. Sadly about 4 percent of women do not practice any form of stress management. For men, that number is 10 percent.
As touched on above, women will more frequently contact a therapist. This is a wide decision and one that men should be encouraged to consider. Stress is normal and inevitable. It’s also daunting to feel you are at the mercy of outside events and your hormones. Weekly therapy sessions are a proven method for coming to terms with such issues.
If you feel stress has become overwhelming, I invite you to reach out soon for a free and confidential conversation for managing anxiety with men's issues or anxiety therapy.
