When it comes to men, Indian men specifically, the narrative is pretty straightforward. Study, work, marry, work some more, send kids to college, retire.
Work hard enough to ensure your retirement is financially secure. And then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
But here's where that perfectly baked cookie crumbles.
Six months post retirement, suddenly health issues crop up. The heart is not quite ticking right, the blood pressure is shooting up (or spiralling down), there are bouts of depression, anger, frustration.
Travel plans are put on hold, hospital visits increase and there is a withdrawal from social life. A recent study gathered data that was statistically significant. Too many men were dying at the age of 62 in the US. The study seemed to indicate that retirement had something to do with it.
While it's a US specific data, doctors report a similar pattern in India, where life expectancy in men is 67.4 years according to National Health Profile 2019.
What Goes Wrong?
In Vedas, 4 stages of life are laid out for a man:
Brahmacharya (life of a student, celibacy)
Grihastha (married man)
Vanaprastha (retirement)
and Sannyasa (ascetic, hermit)
Each stage has a purpose. You are born to achieve something, fulfil certain social responsibilities and then move towards self discovery. But where does despondency creep in?
Dr Manjari Tripathi, a neurologist from AIIMS explains it:
Dr Samir Parekh, a psychiatrist from Fortis Hospitals, Delhi warns against generalisations when it comes to gender, saying retirement blues impact both sexes.
Brains of Men and Women Age Differently
A recent study told us women what we've always known. A healthy woman's 'metabolic brain age' was consistently younger than that of men of the same age.
The study helps better understand the differences in cognitive decline rate between men and women. Basically it tells us why women remain sharper for longer and are more resilient to ageing related health issues.
Sugar (glucose) fuels our brain. But how the brain metabolises the sugar changes as we age. While both male and female brain metabolisms show signs of decline, in men the metabolism is more sluggish.
But this alone does not explain why men at retirement struggle more than women. There, sociological and psychological factors come in.
Loneliness of Being Old
As old family structures have crumbled, loneliness among the elderly has become a public health issue, warn experts. It's been linked to physical illness and cognitive decline. Even in the company of a spouse, men often find themselves lonely and isolated. Having never made their spouses an equal partner, they struggle. This study has found a clear link between loneliness and early death, pegging it as a bigger risk factor than obesity.
Loneliness has been linked to increased levels of stress hormone, cortisol, and vascular distress that can lead to high blood pressure and decreased blood flow to organs.
Does it also age the brain faster? Dr Parekh says that the brain is already at a stage of decline when you enter your senior years. Lack of brain stimulation, along with lifestyle changes, declining social network and support systems can make that process that much more evident.
Retirement Age, Activity and Keeping the Brain Young
Ashok Agarwal is 80. Every morning he wakes up at 5 am, goes for a 45 min walk, has a healthy breakfast and heads to work. He's travelled the world and has no interest in slowing down or retiring. He's battled prostate cancer, death of a spouse and loss of a younger sibling. But what he fears most is not having anything to do. "I am going to work till whenever I can. I'll drive, update my gadgets, travel and keep upto date with my medical checkups," he says.
There's an economic argument for increasing the retirement age to 65. The recent Economic Survey even suggested it. But does it also make sense medically? There's no single answer.
Dr Tripathi suggests 65 would be more apt. And post that every six months there should be a cognitive and physical capacity assessment.
But more importantly, if there is functionality, if you want to and if it gives you satisfaction, go ahead and work, suggests Dr Parekh.
Along with financial planning, doctors advise that men and women keep themselves active.
Basically, retire from work, not from life.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)