3/2023   Men’s Complaints

“Men are so sensitive”, sings Herbert Grönemeyer, and: “Men have a rough ride but take it easy, they’re hard on the outside but really soft inside”. In this clinical issue we look at how and where men are sensitive, and which type of vulnerability emerges from their sex and hormones as well as their specific imprinting. The topic is not just erectile dysfunction or other benign physical urogenital complaints. The common potency problems have a strong psychosocial component, frequently expressing overload, burn-out and depression. Pressure to achieve, risk-taking behaviour and a lack of competence in health matters means that men are more prone to certain illnesses. The epitome of this is executive burnout. As Grönemeyer said: “Men get a heart attack, men are lonesome fighters, crashing through every wall, ever onwards”. Using clinical examples, we want to show how masculine behaviour patterns and attitudes favour particular illnesses. We also look at the effects of how men deal with their illness, examining which remedy groups and “men’s remedies” are particularly indicated in such cases.