The End of Old Age by Marc E. Agronin M.D

Author:Marc E. Agronin M.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 2018-01-16T05:00:00+00:00

Geropause

For middle-aged women, the experience of menopause is a major transition in life. As estrogen production slackens and then ceases, a woman’s body feels and shows numerous changes, and her mind must cope with the fact that she is no longer fertile. Men undergoing andropause face mildly comparable changes in their body as testosterone levels slowly decline, with losses in muscle mass, libido, and strength. With both phenomena, aging has come knocking on the door as physical attributes that are fundamental parts of our identity begin to change. In an analogous fashion, the sort of challenging and symbolic stagnant quo–causing age points that Bodi and other aging individuals face can sometimes impose a halt or deviation from previous personal development. This stalled development does not involve the same hormonal or physiological changes as with menopause or andropause, but can have an equal if not more profound symbolic and life-altering impact. This age-associated phenomenon is common but has no specific word to describe it, and so in lieu of the inelegant term stagnant quo, I will instead suggest “geropause” as an appropriate label.

A geropause refers to a downward shift or even a moratorium on pursuing and developing new interests, skills, relationships, roles, or life circumstances. For many aging individuals, a geropause is synonymous with retirement from active creative activities. For an artist, craftsman, or writer, it is a block from previous artistry; literally, the cessation of creative works. Geropause involves the loss of one’s purpose without anything to replace it. It is not the end of aging per se, but the end of aging that is dynamic, meaning that it is a force for change, and the end of aging that is creative, meaning that it is generating and innovating new things. In essence, a geropause is the beginning of our stereotypical conception of “old age.”

The age point that triggers a geropause may occur at the brink of the adult aging process, as with Bodi, or much later in the process, as with a woman I’ll call Suzanne. Suzanne’s life up until the age of seventy-two had been what she described as a “good hectic,” working as a fund-raiser for several charities, traveling with her husband, and spending time with her grandchildren. After her beloved father died, she decided it was time to retire from work and devote more time to her mother. Unfortunately, she discovered that her husband was having an affair, and during an attempt to reconcile with him it became apparent that there had been too many secrets and lies for her to trust him again. In grief, she moved away to live near her daughter, buoyed in part by memories of her wonderful younger years as a doting mother. This attempt to renew her role as a mother was ill-fated from the get-go, however, since her son-in-law kept her at arm’s length.

Within ten months of her move, Suzanne found herself running out of funds and feeling increasingly depressed. She returned to her home state and temporarily moved in with her elderly mother, only to find herself in perpetual conflict with her brother.

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