The DECLINE MEN

It may be premature to say, but if trends continue, the American male will be a gender in decline.

Story: James Combs

There was a time when men sought to conquer the most difficult of challenges, like building the tallest buildings or climbing the highest mountains. These days, the male species is teetering on the edge of those rooftops and mountaintops as American manhood appears to be in a sad state of affairs.

After decades and decades of social dominance, men are now entering adulthood with less education, less money, less ambition, and fewer achievements than their female counterparts.

eventually graduate to opioids. Others experience a decrease in testosterone and start becoming depressed. They turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with that depression. Some may feel that because they’re older and more mature, they have control over their addiction. However, it’s important to remember that if you drive a car and let go of the wheel, you go straight for a while before you crash.”

Retiring from a career can also leave men vulnerable to substance addiction. While it seems unfathomable that retirees would spend their Social Security checks and pensions on illegal drugs, there are 2.5 million American seniors with alcohol and drug problems, says the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

After retiring, men may feel a loss of purpose, a loss of status, and a loss of social support formerly derived from coworkers.

“We live near numerous retirement communities and have retired males come into our treatment center,” says Diane Peterson, supervisor of adult outpatient substance abuse services at LifeStream. “Many of them don’t have a retirement plan, and I’m not talking about finances. I’m talking about they no longer know what to do with themselves. When you retire and your lifestyle changes, if you don’t have a plan mapped out for what you’re going to do, depression may set in. They feel worthless. They feel less than a man. They turn to alcohol or drugs. They have lots of downtime, and I always say idle time has the potential to be your biggest enemy, especially when you’re dealing with addiction.”

One obstacle men of all ages face in overcoming substance abuse is the tendency to bottle up their feelings.

“There’s a lack of instruction in our society in how males are supposed to express their feelings,” Jorge says. “They have a hard day at work and assume drinking is the best coping mechanism. Nobody has ever instructed them to talk to someone about that hard day of work or figure out why they’re feeling angry about that hard day of work. As a result, when they continue enduring difficult times, they keep turning to the one thing they know. That’s when occasional drinking turns to a full-blown addiction. In my experience treating men, emotional health and the lack of expressing emotions has been the biggest factor why men become addicted to alcohol and drugs.”