The male hormone testosterone has become an unlikely drug of choice for Wall Street traders seeking to give themselves an edge over their professional rivals.
New York clinics have reported a rise in treatment for 'testosterone deficiency', sometimes known as 'andropause'.
They say many workers in the male-dominated industry are hoping that boosters of the hormone will help them perform better at work and put in longer hours.
Upper West Side osteopath Lionel Bissoon, who now specialises in 'integrative medicine', says he first noticed demand for testosterone replacement therapy when the financial crisis hit.
He told the Financial Times: 'Since the recession started, more guys want to be on top of their game.'
Ninety percent of his patients, he revealed, hold senior positions in the finance industry and are typically in their thirties or forties.
'All of these men are under tons of stress, and stress will reduce their levels of testosterone,' he said.
'As one patient told me: "There’s a whole bunch of whizz-kids beneath me who are ready to take my place."'
One patient, a 40-year-old venture capitalist who goes only by the name John, told the paper that his lack of drive and lethargy was initially diagnosed as depression. A consultation with Dr Bissoon, however, revealed that his problem was actually a testosterone deficiency.
John says: 'Wall Street is a play hard, work hard environment. I now have a bit more of an alpha male personality, and I’m able to get by on less sleep.
'It's the positive side of aggression. You change your mentality and start looking positively at the future.'
Dr Bissoon added: 'If you’re going to be trading on Wall Street or dealing with large sums of money, you had better be confident. The man who is wishy-washy is not going to be successful.'
男性荷尔蒙睾丸素竟成了华尔街交易者为赶超职场竞争对手而选用的药物。
纽约多家诊所报告说，近来治疗“睾丸素缺乏症”的病人增多了，该病症有时也称作“男性更年期”。
据诊所称，许多在男性为主的行业中就职的人希望能通过提升睾丸素水平使自己在工作中表现得更好，投入更长时间工作。
纽约上西区一位专攻“综合药学”的整骨医生莱昂内尔?毕松说，他是在金融危机来袭时首次注意到人们对睾丸素补充疗法的需求的。
他告诉《金融时报》说：“自从经济开始萧条，更多的男人想成为行业中的佼佼者。”
他透露说，他有90%的病人都在金融行业身居要职，而且一般是三十多岁或四十多岁。
他说：“这些男性全都生活在巨大的压力之中，而压力会降低他们的睾丸素水平。”
“一位病人曾告诉我说：‘我下面有一大班年轻才俊都对我的职位虎视眈眈。’”
一位自称名为约翰的病人是一名40岁的风险投资人，他告诉《金融时报》说，他缺乏动力、精神萎靡，一开始被诊断为抑郁症。但是，经毕松医生诊断发现，他的问题其实是睾丸素缺乏症。
约翰说：“华尔街是一个拼命工作、尽情享乐的环境。我现在也有点变成阿尔法人格了，睡眠更少也可以应付工作。”
“这是侵略性的积极一面。你改变自己的心态，开始积极地看待未来。”
毕松医生补充说：“如果你要在华尔街做交易或经手一大笔钱，你最好保持自信。一个优柔寡断的人是不会成功的。”
Vocabulary:
edge: 优势
andropause: 男性更年期
alpha male personality: 阿尔法人格，拥有这种人格的人自信，有主见，勇于承担责任，也喜欢指挥他人。
get by: 过得去
wishy-washy: 优柔寡断的
华译网翻译公司转载 |
