Many of the men I know, including myself are reaching that 70 and 80-year-old phase of life, commonly known as the senior years. While much has been written about women and aging, there is surprisingly little for men, even though the stage of life is extremely challenging for us guys.
In recognition of International Men’s Health Month, I will be devoting many of my forthcoming Dr. Rob Newsletters to the topic of men and aging. First, I will be focusing on the many challenges we face as aging men. Secondly, I will be discussing the adaptations and solutions men have found. Thirdly, starting now I will be seeking interviews and comments from men and women about the challenges facing men.
Based on my own experience and my many years of providing therapy and coaching with men, here are the top 20 challenges:
Giving up activities we love to do; especially sports.
Managing the relationship with our spouses as we age
Pain and pain management: a major unexpected problem for aging men
Work: decisions about retirement/alternatives to work
Developing new activities appropriate for our senior years
Our relationships with our grown children and our grandchildren
Finances
Deciding where to live
Goals for our senior years
Death and dying
Bodily changes: sexual, energy, hormonal, and basic functioning
Changes in spirituality
Understanding differences between how men and women experience aging
Taking care of others
Self-image and loss of relevancy
Giving back
Friendships with men and women
The world we live in; what to do about it
Considering our legacies
Fears
I want to thank my friends Frank Ascione, Barry Gordon, Bill Schmidt, Nick Luxion, John Mattson, David Tarver, Mike Samuelson, Dick Root, Pat Pasick, Paul Freedman, the many members of my Men’s Groups, and many others for helping put together this list.
I’m sure I am missing quite a few challenges and I would appreciate your thoughts, experiences, and observations that men report that they are facing.
