Marc Reiner, M.D.

For a variety of reasons, men are often uncomfortable with the idea of needing to see a psychiatrist. Men often are not as attuned with the body’s natural ways of telling them that something is wrong both mentally and physically. Whether they see this admittance as a sign of weakness or they do not put the connection together that physical pains can be the sign of something larger such as depression, many men may be unknowingly suffering from mental health problems. Male stereotypes have made it difficult for men to feel comfortable taking about their feelings and thus have forced men to view therapy as something that is not masculine.

While it is believed that more women suffer from depression, researchers are beginning to understand that men may not be recognizing that they are depressed, and may also not be seeking treatment as often as women. Depression is a serious medical condition that affects the body, mood, and thoughts. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. But appropriate treatment, often involving medication and/or short-term psychotherapy, can help most people who suffer from depression.

Dr. Marc Reiner has been a psychiatrist for over 20 years and during this time he has learned and observed the difficulties that men face when the time comes to seek psychiatric help; and as a man, Dr. Reiner can relate to his male patients in a way female psychiatrists never could. Men are much more comfortable discussing both physical and emotional pain when seeing a male physician over a female physician.