Thursday, January 22, 2009

MIDLIFE - A CRISIS FOR MEN

Male menopause is a real phenomenon and businesses must learn to deal with it, an organizational behavior researcher says in a recent issue of Business Horizons.

At least one man in four faces a severe crisis, wrote Michael E. McGill of Southern Methodist University's School of Business, citing personnel files with accounts of dramatic changes in the behaviour of managers.

Researchers are split over the cause of the mid-life crisis, which affects men between the ages of 40 and 60.

McGill said some men develop an "achievement-aspiration gap," assessing their achievements in light of unrealistically high goals. Others suddenly develop a need to fulfill childhood dreams forsaken in order to meet the demands of family, society or career.

The "empty nest" theory has it that the husband-father reaches a crisis when he sees his wife and children become less dependent on him and less subject to his influence as they become more active outside the home.

McGill said proponents of another theory called the "limits to life" feel the death of a friend or parent, a major illness or even an insurance physical can cause a man to see his own mortality of "the little time left."

"Physiological changes" which are a part of aging become threats, according to one theory, while another says reductions in work activity and family roles create a "role-status" crisis.

McGill said the seventh theory asserts that middle-aged men begin to see the stability they worked for as nothing more than stagnation and change their behaviours to regain a sense of adventure.

He said it is likely mid-life crisis comes from different sources for different men. He said businesses should first recognize when employees are going through the state, then make the workers realize their problem is not unique, and provide counselling.

DON SAYS; This hits home for the alcoholic! The forgoing article shows the case of a normal person going through all the different problems in life. Imagine having an alcohol dependency as well! Think of all the extra problems inherent for the poor guy! The problem should probably handled through counselling with a qualified person to talk to, and don't forget to take the wife along. She is in on all this too.

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