The Male Menopause and Mid-Life Crisis
Does the male menopause really exist? Those who believe it does call it Andropause because of the belief that testosterone levels in men drop and this hormonal shut down has symptoms very similar to the female equivalent the Menopause.
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Aches and pains
- Sweating and flushes
- Reduced libido
- Erectile dysfunction (which can be particularly hard as men tend not to talk of such things.)
Andropause usually occurs around the age of 50 and quite often is confused with Mid-Life Crisis which can occur around 30 ,40 or 50 and is more likely to be a psychological or emotional problem rather than a hormonal one. Of course they can both occur together in which case confusion sets in because mid-life crisis (MLC) often throws up similar symptoms to Andropause.
If you think your partner is suffering from Andropause the best thing is for him to get a blood test to check his testosterone levels. There is a hormone replacement therapy TRT available that works in similar ways to HRT for women, although there are mixed feelings among the medical profession regarding the pros and cons of using it. Anti-depressants can help to a certain extent and alternative ways to deal with the symptoms are numerous.
If the life partner understands that Andropause is indeed the cause of her partner’s behaviour it does make it easier to deal with.
If however testosterone levels are normal you may be looking at MLC and that is a different ball game and has to be dealt with in a different way.
Mid-Life Crises
This is usually triggered by an outside event such as death of a peer or parent, loss of job, financial crisis or problems in a marriage or long term relationship or sometimes the children leaving home, this causes feelings that life is passing by and old age is creeping up, and in turn this can cause feelings of wasted time, inadequacy, guilt or even futility.
Some people will try to fight the feelings of unhappiness by increasing their sexual activity, seeking new adventures, or even taking trips down memory lane, others will try to find the answer in a bottle or in substance abuse. Both these ways of dealing with MLC are in fact denial that anything is wrong and a way to prove to oneself that life is great.
MLC does eventually pass although it is believed the later it is recognised and dealt with the longer it can go on for. Good can come from MLC and a lot depends on how the life partner deals with it as at this time there is a great imbalance in any relationship, and it’s worth noting MLC is not just a male thing females can experience it as well.
(I would like to thank Clay for talking to me this morning and not just getting me to understand what is going on for me but also for getting me to research this which in turn has encouraged me to write blogs about it. Thank you.)