This is a great topic for discussion because the answer is both yes, and no! Some call it a mid-life crisis, some call it male menopause and some call it andropause. While hormones might be thought to be at fault, that’s not entirely true – it’s not a myth though, men can experience a ‘change’ in or around their 40’s…
However, it’s not the same as in women when we experience a drop in the hormone levels due to our reproductive systems slowing down. As we know, men are capable of reproducing well into their older years (whether they ought to or not is debatable). Although testosterone levels do drop a little as men age, it’s certainly not in line with the kind of drop experienced during menopause, and according to the NHS, ‘is unlikely to cause any problems in itself’ NHS.
So, what is Manapause?
If it’s not hormones that cause Manapause, could it be lifestyle or psychological?
Bear in mind that a married man is somewhat going through his wife’s menopause with her, he may experience a certain amount of stress, anxiety or even depression too. Not to lay all the blame with her though – at a later stage of life a man may be questioning if he’s done enough with his life, career or money. They may experience a lack of self-esteem due to hair loss or greying, weight gain or the general loss of their youth. These things aren’t specific to women!
The thought of children growing up and moving on with their own lives, or the thought that their family may not be what they’d once pictured it can add to stress which may lead to an increase in alcohol consumption, smoking and eating less healthy foods, all of which added together results in weight gain, sleep problems, low sex drive and perhaps erectile dysfunction.
Hypogonadism
Once you’ve stopped sniggering at the term ‘gonad’, we shall continue… If the reduced production of testosterone is more severe, our gentleman may experience what’s called hypogonadism, where the testes produce significantly fewer or no hormones at all. Being very overweight or having type 2 diabetes increases the risk of this, but it is a specific medical issue, not something that lifestyle or psychological changes can affect.
If you think you do have a significant issue here, you can ask your GP to check your hormone levels.
Managing Manapause as a lifestyle choice
The best way to counter Manapause is to manage your lifestyle choices. Get outside, consume some fresh air and exercise instead of beer, find a club or class where you can have fun with your friends… It’s all about stress management and getting healthy sleep.
- You can try some breathing exercises
- Join a yoga class
- Take brisk morning walks
- And this one’s quite important – TALK.
Being a man can make it difficult to open up about feelings, stress and sex, but the more it’s spoken about the more you’ll find you’re not alone, and the easier it gets to deal with.