Feeling blaw, I feel like I'm trying to dig myself out of a semi depression.

What do you do when you feel very blah? nothing is exciting anymore, feel a little depressed, empty in side, like there is a hole though me and I can fill it up. Feel very low mentally, very alone, sad at times, wondering what happened to how I use to feel. I would be care free and happy, tell jokes, felt all was well, and now it's all changed. Please Help!!!

Noel's response

I am assuming you are a man somewhere in your early 50s. If so you are entering a major transition, called andropause, into the next phase of your life, which in Europe is called the Third Age.

When I was in that transition, I went into a mild depression (very much like what you describe), which lasted for about five years. (It doesn't last that long for all men.)

My wife was in menopause at the time, and she felt 'blah' too. In fact we would sometimes comment that we used to laugh and have fun, and now things just seem kind of gray.

But there is good news... along with the mild depression, loss of libido, loss of energy, loss of focus, and loss of confidence, I did gain a greater 'depth of being'. I began to feel more grounded and solid in myself.

By my mid-fifties, my depression began to lift, and I started feeling better. Now that I am in my sixties, I have never enjoyed life more, and my sense of fun and laughter is back.