Understanding Andropause and the feelings of Anxiety

Understanding the male menopause phenomenon and how it relates to anxiety is of great importance to all you men out there that feel it only happens to someone else. Women also need to understand that it is the psychological changes and physical effects of Andropause that are causing their men folk to behave in a certain way.

In simple terms, Andropause refers to male menopause, wherein men experience a phenomenon similar to the female menopause. This occurs due to the gradual decline in testosterone level. However, the fact remains that the whole concept of Andropause is considerably more controversial and that is why men often experience feelings of panic since they lack knowledge of the known cause.

Causes of Andropause and the Subsequent Feelings of Anxiety

The main cause of Andropause is the reduction in the production levels of Testosterone, which is the male hormone produced in the testes and in the adrenal glands. This has a unique effect on every man's total body. This hormone helps to build protein and is essential for normal sexual behavior and producing erections. It also affects many metabolic activities such as production of blood cells in the bone marrow, bone formation, liver function and prostate gland growth.

Since testosterone, levels drop by about 10% every decade of a man’s life after he reaches the age of 30, every man experiences a decline of bio-available testosterone but some men's levels dip lower than others do. This leads to side effects of male menopausal symptoms, like anxiety and feelings of panic.

The anxiety felt by many men is associated with the aging male syndrome as he goes through a complex set of physical and cognitive changes that occur due to a drop in his testosterone level. Loss of energy and vitality, possible hot flashes and night sweats as well as an increase in body weight can all be cause for men going through Andropause and trigger off frequent feelings of panic and negativity. However, if dealt with able counseling and guidance about the issue being a natural change, men can overcome these feelings.

The Solution: Testosterone Replacement Therapy

TRT is the preferred option for men with low testosterone levels, especially after experiencing Andropause; however not all doctors recommend it. Medical practitioners feel it is significantly better for men to go in for counseling so that they can better understand Andropause changes and treat these as normal parts of aging, instead of focusing inwardly on some assumed lack of manliness.

If left untreated, this anxiety issue, related with low testosterone levels during Andropause, could wrongly work its way in to feelings of low self-esteem and poor self-image; clinical depression in the extreme cases is also a reality for many Andropausal men.