There are lots of stereotypes about both sexes. Many are based on truths but get exaggerated along the way. Men don't show emotion, for example, and women show too much. Men are thinkers and strategists while women are givers and worriers. We now know that some of these stereotypes were based on ignorance and don't do either sex much service.
In days gone by, women's perceived "hysteria" might have been postpartum depression or severe menopausal symptoms. Men's "strength" or appearance of being smarter than women was sometimes based on a lie, causing them to have a much higher rate of suicide than women.
A study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that one such stereotype may be true and that is that women worry more than men.
The journal LiveScience reported that the study was conducted between 2010 and 2011 with 22 percent of the women saying that they feel worried or anxious on a daily or weekly basis, compared to 16 percent of men.
As the women got older, they felt less stress and anxiety. The higher numbers of female worries were between the ages of 18-64, rather than old age which the study describes as over the age of 75.
The highest percentage for stress in women was during middle age, which is ages 45-64 according to the study. Upon old age, the number dropped down to 16 percent for women.
For men, the same decrease occurred with old age, from about 18 percent of men worrying in middle age, to 11 percent in old age.
Female hormones and stress levels are no myths, incidentally. While we see stress in male and female teens due to hormonal changes and social pressures, women in middle age have genuine cause for concern when it comes to their changing bodies and stress.
However, it should be noted that middle-aged men can also experience weight gain, hair loss and general aging that can cause anxiety too.
Women see huge changes in their bodies from around age 45-60. Weight gain, dry skin, hair and nails (not to mention vaginas) and a loss of estrogen can play havoc with the body and cause worry not experienced in earlier years. Menopause can also bring night sweats, insomnia and fatigue.
Combined, anxiety levels can soar.
EmpowHER expert Dr. Carrie Jones sees this increased worry in her practice.
In her article Is Your Anxiety Worse With Menopause? she wrote, "it is reported that 51 percent of women between 40-55 years old experience mood swings or anxious feelings more regularly than when they were in their twenties and thirties."
Dr. Jones acknowledges that the research isn't clear as to why this is. However she believes that loss of progesterone in women contributes to a lack of calm in their lives, and hormonal transitions in general cause anxiety.
Because middle age is also a very busy time for women, worry can also be increased by work responsibilities, dealing with older children and college stressors, as well as possibly taking care of aging parents.
Dr. Jones recommends that women talk to their doctors about their options, keep physically fit and make sure they have a support system. Women also need to accept that this is a normal (albeit unpleasant) phase of life that will pass.
It was noted in the beginning of this article that lessening stress in older age is being reported. This could be due to the decrease of certain stressors in raising children, worries from jobs and difficult relationships with supervisors, co-workers, their children's teachers, and worries about college costs.
Wisdom could also be a factor. The older we get, the less we tend to fret over things we know aren't worth it. And while our health may not be as it used to be, more time (ironically) is on our side for rest and reflection.
Sources:
LiveScience.com. Women Worry More than Men. Web. Retrieved October 27th, 2013.
http://www.livescience.com/27926-women-worry-nervous-anxiety.html
EmpowHER.com. Mental Health. Anxiety. "Is Your Anxiety Worse With Menopause?" By Dr. Carrie Jones. Web. Retrieved October 27th, 2013.
https://www.empowher.com/anxiety/content/your-anxiety-worse-menopause
Reviewed November 8, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith