The midlife crisis turns up often in discussions about men in their forties. Often in response to why they would do something 'out there,' like buying a really fancy motorcycle, or creating an elaborate 'man cave.' Typically unexpected, uncharacteristic behaviour that tends to surprise those who think they know them well.

A step deeper in the analysis takes to seeing that the predominant emotional narrative stems from a feeling that, 'the best is behind me already,' The extravagant of the motorcycle, or say, the new electric guitar, is a way to assure the self, and indeed the observing world, that the best is still ahead.

We know now of course, that feelings and physiology are not separate domains. One of the big changes that happens in men's bodies as they age is that their free testosterone keeps declining. Peaking in early adulthood, free testosterone drops by 1% every year in the forties. While for a lot of men this does not necessarily mean that there is a crisis, but for a significant number it is connected to feeling burnt out, past the prime, ancxiety, irritability or stress. It is also linked to drop in muscle strength, sleep issues and increased frequency of pains and aches, and it all comes together to raise the question that men often find themselves asking, 'am I still man enough?'

This is obviously not to say that all of the challenges that men are feeling in their forties are linked to a deficiency in testosterone because as all such complex questions go, the answers are also, well, complex.

However, testosterone could well be a contributing factor. The Ageing Male Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire is a well researched method to understand the changes that a man might be going through, and you can take it right here, and it takes less than four minutes to complete. An added advantage of doing it right here is that you get to understand how your experience of ageing compares to that of other men.

How well are you ageing