From Kathy in Missouri
My husband and I have had a wonderful marriage for 21 years. He is now 42. I have noticed a shift in his attitude that has disturbed me. He is seemingly indecisive about things and he used to not be this way at all. He has always been my "rock". However, now he is confused about whether or not to stay at his job, open a shop at home, move to town, move to the country, borrow money, buy a new car, etc. One day he will say one thing, the next day he has changed his mind. Is this a symptom of male menopause and how can I handle this without losing my patience? Thanks a lot.
Kathy in Missouri

Jed:

Kathy,
One of the most common symptoms of Male Menopause is indecisiveness and anxiety. I describe Male Menopause as puberty in reverse. In adolescence, our hormones are coming on line and at mid-life they are starting to drop.

Along with that are physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, sexual, and spiritual changes. The bad news is that it is a very difficult and misunderstood time of life. The good news is that it can be an opportunity to grow and change and move into the next phase of life. The key is to be a good listener, understand that this is a phase a man goes through, and be open to his desire to remake his life in a way that is more satisfying.

Next question:
Erectile Dysfunction & Medications

Interview Introduction

• Introduction
• What is Male Menopause
• Common Signs & Symptoms
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Mid-Life Crisis
• Book Excerpt
  Male Menopause and Erectile Dysfunction
• Q&A with Jed Diamond

• Pinksunrise.com Home
• Join our health discussion groups
• Women's Health Center
• HealthBytes
• HotFlash! Perimenopause Matters
• Holistic Health Center
• Ovarian Screening Project
• Search

Male Menopause
by Jed Diamond

So do men really go through menopause? If you think of menopause as hot flashes and a sudden change in fertility, no. But if you regard menopause as physical and emotional changes triggered by significant changes in hormone levels, then yes, men go through it. In Male Menopause veteran psychotherapist and men's-movement leader Jed Diamond looks at the observable and documentable changes associated with male midlife--weight gain, less physical endurance, longer recovery from injuries, reduced interest in sex, feelings of irritability and depression--and concludes that this is indeed a passage similar to what middle-aged women go through. The last section of Male Menopause discusses how men can get back what they've lost, but for the most part Diamond focuses on understanding and accepting the aging process, not fighting it.

The Testosterone Syndrome:
The Critical Factor for Energy, Health, & Sexuality--Reversing the Male Menopause
by Eugene Shippen, William Fryer

Just as women have a menopause, so men experience a "male menopause", often called andropause, which can occur in over a period of 15 to 20 years, and which can take an equally devastating toll on strength, energy, and zest for life. In this book, Dr. Shippan uses case histories to show how adjusting levels of testosterone can have a positive effect on this time in a man's life.

Maximizing Manhood:
Beating the Male Menopause
by Malcolm Carruthers

A revealing and in-depth study of many men facing one of the greatest male taboos. This book discusses the benefits of carefully monitored testosterone replacement therapy.