"Man-the-f*ck-up!" is a phrase I use quite often.
Until recently, I've associated this issue of masculinity as purely sociological and psychological. Do I really need to break down the difference between grown-ass men shedding tears over grown-folk issues vs. crying over spilled milk? I have very little patience for hyper-sensitivity -- It's the very reason why I'm not interested in baby-sitting 2-year olds or dating men with warped perceptions of love.
Lately, I've been thinking, there must be a biological component to the decline of "Men". Lucky me, while discussing the chemical formula of cholesterol in A&P class, we got on the subject of funky hormones.
Stereotypical gender roles are fascinating, particularly since psychological issues are always intertwined with biology. If the feminizing of men extends beyond psychology, then there has to be biological "proof" why men are losing their masculinity. Could this be due to the dropping levels of testosterone?
Enter our good friend, BPA. Even the least environmentally-conscious person can now call himself an environmentalist thanks to the BPA hupla. We know it's toxic and dangerous, right? But why?
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| Highest level of BPA: Receipts. |
Endocrine Disrupters = Molecules that disrupt hormones.
Xenoestrogen = Compounds chemically different from natural estrogen but act very similarly to it.
The molecular formula of a testosterone hormone is nearly identical to an estrogen hormone.
Translation: It really doesn't that much "stuff" (toxin) to alter the function of the male hormone into the female hormone. This is not only the biological foundation of the decline in masculinity in men but also the reason why men are starting to look more feminine. There has been a significant drop in testosterone levels in men in the last 60 years. It's the reason why we're starting to see intersex amphibians. (Yup,1 frog - eggs in the testes.) And the reason why Puerto Rico is starting to see girls as young as 2-year olds prematurely developing breasts. (What happens to these 2-years old as they continue to develop prematurely - Menstruation, menopause, osteoarthritis?)
I won't even divulge in the heavy biological impact this has on the psyches of males and females and the sociological influences... Because Newsweek did it so well.
Back to balls...
Aside from BPA, many other toxins are also known as endocrine disrupters, such as, the drug-dujour, Anti-depressants. Although the media refers to my generation as "Gen-Y", I think the "Prozac-Generation" is far more candid. In addition to prozac, the majority of my friends growing up were doped up on one or more of the following: Lithium; Xanax; Ritalin; Adderall; Dexedrine; and other wonderfully colorful, mood-altering, pills.
The major concern for parents back then were how these pharmaceutical drugs would affect their kids 5 years down the road. 10 years? 20 years? How long will they have to pop that Xanax? Yet, no one was wondering how these drugs would directly affect every other human-being on this planet.
Q: Where do all the chemical remnants go?A: Urinated by the doped-up kids, and flushed into our water system for everyone to enjoy.
I would hardly consider myself an Ed Begley Jr. disciple but I try to do my part. For the last year, I've become incredibly interested in environmental issues because I've recognized the undeniable correlation between the environment and health.
I can't commit to the health field without consciously being aware of the environmental factors. I have to be concerned with how these drugs are altering the health and wellness of unsuspected individuals.
It's obvious, we've become a pill-popping culture simply because it's more convenient than digging deep and getting to the core issues. But at what cost? The diluted concentration of these chemicals found in our water system is having a huge impact on the genetic coding of the entire human race. Yeah, I said it... And what?
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| NADA w/acupuncture needles. |
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| Ear seeds. |
There's a deeper moral and ethical question to consider; particularly if alternative treatments are available. I've had auricular therapy and the NADA protocol used to alleviate my stress, depression and addictions. Treatments varied with the use of acupuncture needles and "ear seeds" (tiny metal balls that stick directly to the ear).
Personally, my choice to use acupuncture instead of pharmaceutical drugs was purely based on the the fact that I am an addict with a highly addictive personality and I can't afford to take another drug (albeit, "prescribed by a health official") to treat some other disorder. Rehab wasn't fun the first or second time around and I doubt Round #3 would be any different. Just as important, I don't like the idea of chemically altering my physiology; and no one could give me a definite answer on the long-term effects.
As I'm learning more about the environmental factors on heath, I can't advocate pharmaceutical drugs as the first option without mentioning all the other options available today. We need to recognize the everyday choices we make in our own lives have a severe, global domino-effect. Purely, based on just wanting to be a better human-being, we need to really reconsider all our options, thoroughly, before making a decision that will impact, not only our lives but the lives of others.
