Man-O-Pause?

Studies show us that from roughly thirty years old or so, testosterone levels drop at a rate of 1% a year, and continue to drop until the end of a man’s life. Some men never feel it at all, and lucky for them; some men suffer acutely from lack of testosterone. At about the age of fifty or so, a man can be termed testosterone-depleted. Isn’t interesting, therefore, that this exact time of a man’s life can be called a second childhood, a midlife crisis, Papa’s delicate condition? Humankind all over the world recognizes a change in men at this exact age. Measuring testosterone in the blood is still problematic, but you can read the studies for yourself to see what medical science surmises while it hurries to catch up.

Shouldn’t that make womankind feel just a bit special that in one aspect medical science knows more about the female menopause than the male andropause? History shows that this eventuality is very rare. By the way, ladies, it took awhile for medicine to recognize menopause. Here’s a little historical fact that may make you amused or angry, given your point of view. Ever noticed that the root word of hysterical and hysterectomy is “hyster”? This is because, for a very long time, physicians thought that women’s emotions, as wild and uncontrolled as they were, came from hyster—a woman’s uterus?

When the medical profession was overwhelmingly male, that kind of sexual slander perpetuated itself. Even with thousands of women now sporting MDs, PhDs, and myriad other letters behind their names, “hyster” stands.

So, let’s get back to “man-o-pause”. For the more medically esoteric among us, it is a proven fact that even though men’s and women’s change of lives are so very different, the same herbs and acupuncture treatments seem to work equally as well whether the patient is a woman or a man? Massage, meditation, aromatherapy, exercise, a balanced diet and plenty of good water generally have the same effect on men and women. Tai Chi, Qui Gong, just walking. Gentle exercise that gets your heart beating a little faster and brings the roses to the cheeks is often what is called for. 

The Chinese say that at sixty, you are finished with the first part of your life. The second part ends at about one hundred twenty years old, barring any disease and bad health. 

The Chinese said the same thing about women. The concept being, after sixty, you finish your life when you are striving and acquiring and building. Now, the next sixty years can be spent nurturing, mentoring, babysitting, and advising. Or, you can be difficult and really put your children through their paces—something like what they put you through; that is, if you have a long memory and only a teensy grudge.

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