Male menopause and anxiety. As ugly, tough, and weird to go through as female menopause. When a man turns forty, testosterone goes down, cortisol goes up. Emotions go berserk. Depression and anxiety are common. Behaviour can get down right weird or upsetting. It’s puberty hormonally reversed.

A man’s body goes through several changes in male menopause. Most produce anxiety that’s often laughed at or not talked about by men.

• Hairline recedes. Sometimes all the way until hair loss becomes chronic, resulting in baldness. Self-esteem linked to how you look takes a tragic hit.
• Skin begins to thin. This is natural in men and women. Thinner skin needs moisturizing so a man will start using lotions and balms, something he might not be used to doing.
• Joints stiffen, partially because they’re worn out. This is from a life of hard work, rough play, possible genetics, and time. Arthritis and joint pain start kicking in.
• Muscle is lost and fat is gained, particularly around the gut. Man boobs start forming. So do the jokes. But man boobs can be sensitive and cause pain, which isn’t a joke.
• You start shrinking. A 5 foot 10 inch twenty-year old man will shrink 1/4 inches by age 40 because the disks of his back naturally compress over time.
• Sex drive goes down as testosterone level falls. There are pills to help with this, but depression and heart attack are possible side effects.
• Hormones go out of control. Depression and anxiety are up because as testosterone drops, cortisol rises. A man will feel emotional and become sad or angry.

Mid-life becomes body maintenance time. Emotions start churning. Questions about personal performance and life choices start weighing on a man’s mind. Life is about processes that if aren’t managed well, become crises. Mid life crisis is when answers to the questions you ask about yourself disappoint you. For instance, is your marriage really as bad as you think it is, or are you just taking a lot of anxiety and unresolved issues to bed? Divorce, extramarital temptations, sexual performance add stress to a hormonally charged body.

Most men don’t talk about their anxiety. They are left to navigate the waters of male menopause alone, with vague ideas or jokes instead of facts or open discussion. Sex is usually the first joke. No one wants to admit being dismal in the performance department. Male menopause is also a time to question past life goals and start setting new ones. When you’re moody you are in a wrong frame of mind to judge your life. Chances are, your life is better than what you believe.

So what’s a man to do? If male menopause isn’t going well for you, get a hormone saliva or blood test for testosterone, SHBG, estrogen, cortisol, DHEA. If these are lower than normal, your doctor can give you supplemental testosterone injections weekly or a daily transdermal. Diet and exercise can raise testosterone levels as does lowering your stress. Male menopause doesn’t have to be a time of high anxiety or depression. Life at all stages should be enjoyable.

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