Originally posted by BR14
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In other words, it is a contributing factor in something called Irritable Male Syndrome, a genuine medical condition, for which the poster boy is Donald Trump.
Irritable Male Syndrome is virtually identical to Grumpy Old Man syndrome.
Michael Gurianspent a lifetime studying and writing about our journeys through life – often with an emphasis on male psychology. His most recent book, “The Wonder of Aging: A New Approach to Embracing Life After Fifty” , addresses how men and women age differently – and why men sometimes turn sour.
First of all, Gurian confirmed that low testosterone can, in fact, be one of the culprits. Starting at about the mid-40s or 50s, every man’s testosterone levels begin to decrease, and sometimes the decrease is precipitous around age 60.
“The whole system is robbed of a chemical that it based its life on for the first 50 years,” said Gurian. “It can create irritability. And a lot of us get kind of depressed. Females can get immensely irritated, too. But when they are depressed, they evidence it in crying and talking. Males tend to use anger more.”
Or to put it another way: Women fret, men yell.
So, are those ubiquitous testosterone supplements the solution? Nope. It’s not that easy. First, as the Mayo Clinic notes, “whether treatment is necessary is a matter of debate.” Second, there are many, many other reasons why men get grumpy.
Some are physical. Men who are overweight and don’t exercise tend to be more irritable as they age, probably because they have more to be irritated about. They lose even more of their athletic identity.
“That’s a really big stressor for guys,” said Gurian. “It’s a rite of passage, where the body changes and you can’t do what you want to do.”
This is not just about sports. Some guys lose something they feel is even more vital – which is why Viagra is such a big seller. Men use it to “put off that identity shift,” as Gurian puts it, into their older selves.
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So here’s the secret to not turning into a Grumpy Old Man: Shift your still not-inconsiderable energies into new, constructive pursuits – ones that make sense for a 60-year-old man. Otherwise, you’ll waste all of your energy patrolling your yard and yelling at kids to get the hell off it.
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