Surviving and understanding the Jekyll and Hyde male menopause syndrome

Some if not all men fear this certain stage in man’s life called male menopause. For many, this crisis is the start of half dying and half living nature.

But what about male menopause is really scary?

When a man reaches the age of 40, he starts to become irritable, easily stressed and starts to lose his passion and purpose in life. This turning point of the way to andropause haunted men in one way or another - Male menopause syndrome.

There are three causes linked to male menopause syndrome. First is the fluctuation of male hormones. This is a normal occurrence as we age. But also, this can be manifested due to lack of nutrients and exercise. The next factor is the change in the brain’s biochemistry. The decrease in the supply of neurotransmitters increases hostility, anger and impatience. The third and the resolvable cause is the increase of stress level. It could be due to too much consumption of alcohol or due to psychological stresses. How you handle circumstances can be a big factor in this area. It could be avoided if only you would try. These factors became part of the mid-life struggles which challenge men to overcome.

Many wives had their stories to tell about their partners with altering characters, husbands who turn from being Jekyll to Hyde, from being compassionate to mean. The male menopause syndrome patterned to the book of Robert Louis Stevenson entitled “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” had so much in common.

The story is about Dr. Jekyll who had this pursuit of separating the good and the bad nature of man. In his quest, he encountered rejections from colleagues and superiors. For that he had to work alone for his project. Then, Dr. Jekyll had to do the experiment with himself. That separated his evil nature who turned out to be Mr. Hyde. In contrary to the good persona of Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde had been murdering the board of governors who turned down the cause of Dr Jekyll. All through the story, Dr Jekyll had been pursuing in vain to control his evil half.

The same pursuit happens to men who are suffering from the male menopause syndrome. From being the responsible and loving Jekyll, they had the tendency to turn to being the irritable Hyde. Men at this age seemed to change overnight.

But these tendencies are often triggered by loss of a friend or relative. The death of a close person seemed to trigger thoughts of them being the next in line. And the realization of their being mortal is so striking that he has convoluted thoughts.

The confusion that he feels is often accounted to his responsibilities and to the people surrounding him. Then he describes this feeling as being trapped and subsequently loses his sense of being.

At this crisis, men need to be understood. It is a crucial period when a man would want to be free and to destroy the order of the old ways. It is the period when they need to feel needed, and that they are important. There could be a lot of remedies in store trying to relieve the symptoms of male menopause. They can cause side effects, however. The best cure is to give them enough support and guidance to overcome this crisis.

Menopause--The Silent Howl for Males

An aged man walks along the road when a frog shows up in all of a sudden, the frog uttered to him, “If you will kiss me I will transform into a beautiful maiden.” The man, after hearing the words of the frog, picks it up at once and places it inside of his purse. The frog in its great confusion asked the man, “Why didn’t you kiss me?” But the man answers, “I would prefer to have a frog talking inside of my purse.”

This story can be likened to a satire wherein it depicts an aged man with a sexual insecurity. According to some researches, a man reaching the age of 50 and 60 are already not capable to perform for quite several reasons. And this situation is often associated to male menopause.

Nowadays, approximately 18 million of the male American population are affected with this dilemma on waning sexual potency, affected by the lowering of the testosterone level.

Moreover, this dilemma which is often termed as the midlife crisis for aging men does not solely affect their sexual potency; this also affects their mood, as well as their endurance, quite akin to the feelings of women when they are also reaching their menopausal period.

According to specialists, male menopausal may show various symptoms like frequent fatigue, grouchiness, the lowering of sex drive, decrease in life’s enjoyment, waning strength of erections, falling fast asleep after eating dinner, the ability in sports is gradually declining, lowering of strength ad stamina, and decrease in energy.

If a man above the age of 50 is experiencing three of the mentioned symptoms, there is a chance that it might already be a low testosterone syndrome.

There are statistical studies that also reveal the effects that can be related to the lowering of testosterone level, these are:

• Reduce of libido level, this includes the eagerness for sex and the sexual thoughts

• Reduce in muscle mass

• Reduce of memory level

• Increase of heart ailments

It is usual that on the part of the women, they often perceive that men will not go through to anything like what they will go through as they reach their midlife. However, with all these presented facts about male menopausal, it shows that women and men will be going through to a closely alike experience in the later years of their lives.

People frequently focus on the differences between the menopause of male and female that they tend to neglect the numbers of its similarities, like for instance the impulsive mood swings, anxiety and bad temper, the aching of neck and back, the lapses and loses of memory, the lowering of concentration, lowering of self-esteem, the feeling of gaining weight, and sickness or injury takes longer time to cure.

Although men go through some reproductive modification, they do not lose their capacity for reproduction, unlike women. However, because men are considered to have a sturdy performance in terms of sex, many of these men would prefer to keep the frog talking inside of his purse and dismiss the fact that it can transform into a beautiful maiden, than let the situation caused by male menopause insult his sexuality.

Note this, the fatigue brought by male menopausal dilemma is taken by these men quietly, yet, inside of them there is an out bursting howl.

Boys Don’t Cry: What You Can Do With Male Menopause and Depression

Men are considered tough. At a young age they were taught how to wear masks. Emotions, especially feelings, which denotes weakness does not have any room in a man’s life. Men in effect tend to deny what they truly feel. Studies show that men are more susceptible to depression since negative emotions are suppressed.

Depression is an emotional disorder. An individual who is said to be depressed begins to experience prolonged sadness, time and again anxiety, inability to concentrate, unexplainable anger and low self-esteem.

The occurrence of depression varies. Some people experience it as a form of reaction to uneventful situations in their lives. Others feel depressed as a response to excessive smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and taking drugs. Depression can also be inevitable when an individual undergoes chemical and hormonal changes in the body.

Male menopause or known as andropause to some, is a condition in which a man undergo changes – it may be physical, emotional, or to some extent spiritual. If a male individual reacts negatively towards andropause, then he is prone to experience depression.

“Boys don’t cry,” is a cliché. It is high time that men do what is necessary to fight depression caused by male menopause phenomenon.

Acknowledgement is a key to acceptance. Male individuals should acknowledge that they too like their female counterpart also experience menopause.

Education then leads to better understanding. After accepting the fact that you have male menopause then it is best to educate yourself with the said condition. Learn what the signs and symptoms are, then the diagnosis and treatments. It is also best if you undertake research for facts and issues concerning andropause. The Internet is a good venue to learn more about male menopause and depression. There are also online organizations which you can turn to to help you with your dilemma.

Better understanding is a bridge for you to project a positive attitude. Negative emotions block your sensibility for you to have better comprehension of what is happening in your body. Depression usually roots to suppress negative emotions. It is not asked from you to portray a happy face yet you are miserable deep inside. What is being asked from you is that you have to learn how to deal with the situation. Make no room for self-pity for it will only worsen the situation.

Do something about it. After you have taken the necessary steps then move forward to getting help. Primarily, get help from your significant others. This is the time when their unconditional support and love is needed. Explain to them what you are going through. Let them know what specific help you need, if there are.

You can seek assistance from a physician who has expertise in andropause and depression. He can point out the changes that might happen to you and further prescribe you on what you should do.

Support groups may also be helpful. If there are support groups in your community, then it is best to join them so that you will feel that you are not alone in your battle.

No man should allow depression to rule his life. Male menopause is never a reason for you to wallow in depression. After all, look at the brighter side of things, andropause welcomes you to a new phase in your life – a phase where you can put down your mask and reveal your true self.