Men do not actually go through menopause, in the sense that women do. There is not a complete shutdown of the reproductive system of the kind that women are familiar with. As men age their testosterone levels will decrease, this can lead to a diminished sexual function. European scientists often label this as โviro-pauseโ, andropause or a kind of male menopause. Regardless of the terms used to describe this condition, the point is that it is much more gradual than menopause is for women. Viro-pause doesnโt always affect all men, and may not have any bearing on fertility.
The term โmale menopauseโ seems to be the most common way to describe the sort of patterns that are also associated with your typical mid life crisis. When a man is confronted with ED, he may very well respond in ways that arenโt exactly age appropriate. You hear stories all the time of older men divorcing and remarrying younger women; some even start entirely new families.
Self esteem seems to be a primary driving force behind the mid life crisis scenario. It can be somewhat disheartening when a guy is really reaching his financial potential only to discover his first bout with ED. If there is disharmony between his sexual life and career, he could be facing troubling personal issues.
Not to mention the worst case scenario, where he is not doing so well on the financial or career side of his life and has ED to weigh him down that much further. Itโs easy to see how a little bit of impotence can really be a โwrench in the gearsโ so to speak. Regardless of a manโs personal achievements, there comes a time when he is facing the onset of declining sexual appeal (in an almost identical way to that of his female counterparts). What a drag, thatโs almost too much to bear isnโt it. Some men may find it simply impossible to lift themselves out of such a dreadful situation.
As to be expected, men are not nearly as ready as women to share their difficulties with others. Women are known to complain about their partnerโs dejection, irritability, weariness, or loss of libido. Men in relationships during these tepid times (with an understanding partner) fare much better than those without.
Ten Great Steps For Dealing With Mid-life Crisis & Better Sex Life
1. Try not to lay the blame on your significant other. Deal with your relationship problems and move on. A fresh face can really raise your self esteem. A fresh love affair can be quite refreshing. Bear in mind however, that your problems with ED are likely to appear again.
2. Change isnโt always a bad thing, and some things are inevitable and out of your control. On a positive note, older lovers can do it for longer periods of time; and with age comes experience.
3. Become a โhealth nutโ. There is a lot to be said about nutrition and exercise; itโs great for all of your body systems and your mind as well. A sedentary lifestyle filled with daily toxin intake can be more than partly responsible for sexual shortcomings.
4. Consider hormone replacement therapy; with a little research you might simply decide to take care of it with this simple procedure.
5. Work on yourself more, and learn to truly identify your best qualities. Remember, they say that you canโt love another until you love yourself; this also applies to the bedroom. Consider other activities; take some lessons, go to school, or therapy.
6. Work on further developing your personal relationships with your friends and family.
7. Explore your sensual side. Slow down and really take the time to soak in the world through your senses.
8. Become a hopeless romantic. Try doing some of the things you did with your girlfriends / lovers when you were younger, and try to recapture those feelings again.
9. Try to really satisfy your significant other. Having an erection is not a prerequisite for bringing a woman to orgasm; there are plenty of gay women who are living proof of that. Seeing your partner smile after a sexual romp may be just the thing you needed in order turn things around for yourself. Also you can try buying products for her to get her in killer sex mood!
Donโt be afraid to seek professional help. There are a lot of people with great ideas and techniques waiting for you that have helped others with the same types of difficulties that you are facing.
BrightFutures Staff