Pressing play on the pause in life
MOVEMBER, an annual event involving growing moustaches throughout the month of November, aims to raise awareness of men’s health. Men’s health takes centre stage, and efforts are taken to spread awareness and help men, covering topics including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. However, there is another enemy to an ageing man’s health – the male “menopause”, also known as andropause.
A 2013 article titled Andropause: Current concepts published in Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism defines andropause as a syndrome associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction or a decline in the feeling of general well-being, caused by low levels of testosterone in older men. Testosterone does more than fuel a man’s sex drive, as it also affects changes during puberty, mental and physical energy, muscle mass, the fight-or-flight response and other key evolutionary features.
Public awareness for andropause is very low and is still debated among some in the medical community on whether it should be considered an actual condition. This is because andropause differs vastly from female menopause, namely because not all men experience it, and it does not involve a complete shutdown of your reproductive organs.
Change does not come easy
A drop in testosterone levels usually occurs in men aged between 40 and 55 years old. Healthline Media Incorporation ,a Us-based provider of health information, explains that when this happens, men may experience symptoms such as low energy, depression or sadness, decreased motivation, lowered selfconfidence, difficulty concentrating, insomnia or difficulty sleeping, increased body fat, reduced muscle mass, physical
weakness, breast tissue development, decreased bone density, erectile dysfunction, reduced libido and infertility.
It is also important to note that certain symptoms are precipitated by changes in the man’s life, such the sudden disability or death of parents, friends or colleagues, children leaving the home, job changes or fear of job loss, slowing down or loss of physical abilities, sexual dysfunction and worries about virility, concerns about future goals and directions, and financial worries.
Walking a lonely road
Overall, andropause causes a lot of changes in a man’s life. However, issues that stem from andropause are sometimes made worse because men generally find
it harder to share their problems with someone else. Rotundus, a Uk-based community interest company set up to support those in need of help with mental health, wrote Why Men Are Rubbish At Sharing Their Feelings? last year explaining the complexities that dictate men’s interactions and expressions of vulnerability.
In the article, three factors were mentioned – stereotype/image, nurturing and security. In summary, men find it harder to share their problems because:
It can denote weakness in a world where “true” men are stereotyped to be strong
Most boys build coping mechanisms for negative experiences by example of how other men around them act when faced with negative experiences
Bottling up emotions may be a
survival mechanism so as to not appear weak and helpless
The article cautions, however, that these behaviours are not healthy as long-term pent up emotions can end up in anger outbursts or mental breakdown, and their loved ones will bear the brunt of it. Therefore, it is important for men to share with a loved one or trustworthy party to ensure their problems can be handled sooner rather than later.
Better coping with understanding
Andropause is a stealthy condition, and most of the time, men do not realise the changes as they are happening. Jed Diamond, a licensed psychotherapist and director of Menalive, a health programme focused on men’s health, says many men and their loved ones do not understand the inevitable changes that go on in a man’s body, mind, and spirit in their mid-life.
Therefore, he illustrates how andropause can affect a man and his loved ones so they can better understand and cope with the condition as a family.
Men and women often go through mid-life changes at the same time. A great deal of mutual understanding is needed to support each other’s process.
Parents often go through menopause or andropause while their children are going through adolescence. Conflicts can arise if changes on both sides are not understood.
Andropause generally arises slowly over a number of years. Symptoms may be difficult to recognise and interpret, and sometimes arise and abate very quickly.
Andropause shifts the male identity, so such a change can be terrifying to any man.
Andropause has less research done in comparison to menopause in women, so some medical professionals may not fully understand or accept the concept of andropause.
Andropause can be treated with a number of methods, including hormone replacement therapy, exercise, diet, medication, cognitive and psychotherapeutic support, and couples and family therapy.
Taking back control
Awareness on men’s health has slowly increased in time with the help of efforts such as Movember and growing usage of the Internet among the elderly. However, Carol Bradley Bursack, an eldercare consultant and author for website Agingcare, says there is still much work to be done to fully lift the taboo and sensitivity of discussing men’s health, especially when it involves changing male identity as they age.
Her article, Andropause: A taboo topic for many men, notes that one factor that can be improved is the way society and media portray the condition. While we do see erectile dysfunction medication advertisements on media, little is spoken about what causes it among other issues. Therefore, she urges men to regain control by finding a balance in life, such as looking for new goals to aim for and sharing life experiences with people you trust and love. Seeking help from therapists, psychiatrists, doctors, nutritionists or fitness experts can also help in certain areas of your life.
As we move forward in men’s health globally, men themselves must recognise, step up and take charge of the changes in their body as they age. These may be the first steps you can take to ensure healthy ageing and stronger relationships with your loved ones down the line.