Male’s Health in the Objective of Stressology – Beyond the Usual

Male’s Health in the Objective of Stressology – Beyond the Usual
Армен Абгарович Мурадян

Ада (Адель) Семеновна Тадевосян

The book “Male’s health in the objective of stressology – beyond the usual” is an example of talented scientific-educational work, interesting, trustworthy and useful to doctors, psychologists, students, and what is more – to a wide range of readers interested in their own mental problems.

Psychological traumas and disappointments, accumulating, entail a discord between feelings, mind and body. We lose a sense of inner integrity, peace in the soul, freshness of feelings and can no longer admire childishly a flower, the sky and their colors, appreciate simple joys of life. As a result, with age, we increasingly feel the tragedy of existence; we plunge into sufferings or into “appraisal experience of life” which substitutes for us the joy of a truly sensual perception and experience of reality. We are inclined to ponder on life rather than live, regretting our own losses. This is the concept of life formed in the human mind during the long years of life of mankind on the earth. The proposed monograph destroys this stereotype. The book is distinguished by substantiation and novelty of the view on a number of key problems of psychic and somatic pathology, imbued with the spirit of scientific optimism and humanism. This is a thoughtful and considerate invitation to a reader to think about a complex system called human-male. The main attention in the publication is devoted to stress and how stress is combined with biological factors of the male body, creating a fine border between pathology and borders of the norm. Authors in their analyses and observations smoothly integrate biology and psychology. The theme of human sexuality, touched on by the authors, is also important. Undoubtedly, human sexuality is itself an interesting subject because it includes a whole range of preferences and complex forms of behavior, especially in men. The book is written by proficient specialists, at the same time it is easy to read since it is addressed to a wide readership.

ADA (ADEL) TADEVOSYAN

ARMEN MURADYAN

MALE’S HEALTH IN THE OBJECTIVE OF STRESSOLOGY – BEYOND THE USUAL

The Law of Gravity is revealed among people as an attraction of a Man towards a Woman. The attraction often arises suddenly, instantaneously and stays forever, creating a whole new world by combining “mismatches” similar to the puzzles of gravity. Once gravity disappears, the attraction remains in the Universe.

Armen Muradyan, Ada Tadevosyan, 2018

Man is a leader (the Universe), a woman is a follower (Galathea). Man teaches, takes action and creates the order on the earth, It is him who is only responsible for both Good and Evil. However, the Woman is the one who is responsible of what type of a man he will become, a Teacher or a Creator or a Destroyer. They are looking for each other, sometimes their whole life, and when they meet, then the Love, the only passion that does not recognize either past or future, becomes their supreme power.

Armen Muradyan, Ada Tadevosyan, 2018

Arshil Gorki. “Mysterious struggle”, 1937

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ada (Adel) Tadevosyan was born in Tbilisi, in the family of a serviceman. After graduation from the Yerevan State Medical Institute in 1961, she began her professional career as a psychiatrist in the psychiatric hospital of Ijevan (Armenia). Since 1963 for 30 years she taught at the Department of Psychiatry of the Yerevan State Medical Institute (now M. Heratsi Medical University). In 1969 she successfully defended her PhD thesis, subsequently received the Diploma of Associate Professor.

A. Tadevosyan is the direct organizer and participant of the work on rendering help to victims of the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia. Since 1989 for many years she was the organizer and Head of the “Stress” Center. The term “Stressology” belongs to her. A Tadevosyan in the most difficult conditions that prevailed at that time in Armenia, created a new service, thereby ensuring the development of stressology in Armenia and determining the priority of this direction not only in the extreme crisis situation. The most important aspect of A. Tadevosyan’s activity was the aspect of developing and introducing a new field of medicine – stressology to students, clinical residents and doctors. For these purposes she wrote a monograph (as the first text-book) “STRESSOLOGY – as a field of medicine on the problem of mental trauma and post-traumatic health disorders”. In 1996 in St. Petersburg A. Tadevosyan was awarded the M. V. Lomonosov Gold Medal for her contribution to education and solving problems on human security and life. As a participant of the National Program for the Development of Psychosocial Aspect “Disaster Management” of the United Nations in Armenia, in 1998 A. Tadevosyan conducted training cycles with rescuers and was awarded a commemorative medal from Hungarian Ministry of Civil Protection. A Tadevosyan is a participant of the Geneva Initiative on Reforms in Psychiatry in 1991–1992 and attendee of many World Congresses.

A. Tadevosyan is the author of more than 100 printed works and several monographs on the problems of mentally traumatized. She proposed a stress-phase-oriented model (SPHOM) of health disorders.

For contribution to the scientific and practical medicine was awarded the Gold Medal of Mkhitar Heratsi YSMU, 2017.

A. Tadevosyan – ScD in Medicine, Associate Professor, full member of the International Academy of Ecology and Life Safety (MANEB), Academician of the RA Academy of Law, member of the Association of Psychiatrists of Armenia, World Association of Psychiatrists, International Association of Traumatic Stress, World Association of Biological Psychiatry, International Association “Stress and Behavior”, licensed psychiatrist, psychotherapist, organizer of public health.

Armen Muradyan is Rector of the Yerevan State Medical University named after M. Heratsi (YSMU), Head of the Department of Urology and Andrology, ScD in Medicine, Professor, whose works are devoted to oncourology, andrology, reconstructive and non-invasive surgery. He was born in the family of a doctor and musician. Out of two possible professions, by the call of the heart, he chose medicine, which became a native element for him. His professional career began as a medical attendant, having passed all the stages of becoming primarily practicing urologist.

Professional medical growth covers the period from 1998 to 2006. After graduating from the Medical Institute, having received a narrow specialty of urologist, he began to work as urologist-consultant in Uronephrological Clinic. In 2001–2002 worked as an on-call doctor in the Urological Department of the Republican Medical Center “Armenia”; 2002–2003 – Assistant of Surgery Department No.2, YSMU; 2003–2011 – founder and Head of the Department of Urology at the YSMU; Head of the Urological Clinic of the Republican Medical Center “Armenia”; Chief Urologist of the RA Ministry of Health; 2009 – elected President of the Armenian Urological Association. Since 2004, without leaving his main practical work as an urologist, combined it with work in the Ministry of Health, first as an adviser to the Minister of Health, then in 2014–2016 became Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia. As Minister of Public Health he repeatedly confirmed his devotion to the “White Doctor’s Robe” by his attitude to patients, people who found themselves in difficult situation (war in Karabakh, man-made and technical disasters), disabled people. Throughout all these years he was engaged in scientific activity; in 2005 defended his doctoral dissertation on the theme “Clinical and biological bases of complex treatment of advanced prostate cancer”; Head of 3 candidate and 2 doctoral dissertations, has more than 50 scientific publications, several monographs. Awards: “Gold Medal” of YSMI, Letter of Thanks from RA Prime-Minister, “National Trust” Prize”, “Medal after N. Lopatkin” from the President of the Urological Association, Medal for “Services to the Fatherland” of the 2nd degree from President of RA Serzh Sargsyan.

ABOUT THE PUBLICATION

Rector of the East European Institute of Psychoanalysis, Honored Worker of Science of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Psychology and Candidate of Medical Sciences, Honorary Professor at the Vienna University named after Sigmund Freud

Mikhail Reshetnikov

Life expectance of the male population, although traditionally lagging behind the female population for 4–6 years, is steadily increasing in all developed countries, reaching in some cases, as in Japan, 85 years. Therefore, the problem of male general, mental and sexual longevity acquires special significance, which has been repeatedly emphasized in international forums held under the aegis of WHO. Due to this, the monograph prepared by A. Tadevosyan and A. Muradyan is, undoubtedly, an actual and timely study and generalization of the authors’ many years of scientific and therapeutic activity. Especially I would like to note the interdisciplinary approach, originally laid in the basis of this publication, as one of the authors is a recognized specialist in psychiatry, and the second – in urology, sexopathology and normal sexology.

Unlike the generally accepted approaches that primarily appeal to the biological patterns of the functioning of the organism and the individual, the main accent of the presentation is deliberately shifted by the authors to the sphere of psychosocial problems of health and longevity. For a long time, medicine and psychology were strongly drawn towards describing some kind of average and even asexual personality. At the beginning of the 20th century, this tradition was violated by psychoanalysts Helen Deutsch and Karen Horney, who first prepared works devoted to the specifics of female psychology. On the Soviet space this topic was highlighted in the monograph of Abram Svyadoshch “Women’s Sexual Pathology”, which became a medical bestseller and survived several reprints. However, so far there are not so many systematic works in which an attempt is made to penetrate deeply into the inner mental world of men. It is this penetration that characterizes the peer-reviewed monograph analyzing the links between the neurophysiological and psychosocial mechanisms of male sexual activity, both in norm and in pathology.

I am pleased to note that, unlike most authors who traditionally (mainly because of their ignorance) do not appeal to the brilliant discoveries of Sigmund Freud, the authors actively use the psychoanalytic concept, while not only referring to the works of this outstanding scientist, but also actively disputing with him. On the whole, the book is distinguished by the substantiation and novelty of the view on a number of key problems of psychic and somatic pathology, imbued with the spirit of scientific optimism and humanism. It will undoubtedly be positively welcomed by both the scientific and the general public.

Distinguished GDOU Chair Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology of the St. Petersburg State University, Professor of Neuroscience of the Institute of Translational Biomedicine of SPSU (Russia), Professor of Southwestern University (China), President of the International Stress and Behavior Society (ISBS)

Allan V. Kalueff

The very title of the book “Male’s Health in the Objective of Stressology – beyond the usual” did not raise any doubts and promised to be an interesting reading. Indeed, modern biology long ago came to understanding that the body of a man and the body of a woman are completely different in both physiology and neurobiology. This book thoroughly analyzes the male body also from the point of view of psychology and psychiatry.

The main attention in the publication is devoted to stress and how stress is combined with biological factors of the male body, creating a fine line between the pathology and the limits of the norm. The authors organically combine biology and psychology in their analyses and observations.

The theme of human sexuality touched by the authors is also important. Undoubtedly, human sexuality is an interesting topic in itself since it includes a whole range of preferences and complex forms of behavior, especially in men. For example, the authors try to give a rather objective biological picture of homosexuality and include it into socio-cultural frameworks and norms. Perhaps we can say that the authors are a bit conservative-traditional in their conclusions and that it is important for the society (and even necessary) to inculcate even greater tolerance. However, the reader will have to charge for himself how often the norms themselves changed in the history of mankind.

This also applies to other forms of behavior – aggression, paternity, suicidal behavior. The book gives a deep analysis of both psychoanalytical theories and modern psychiatric diagnostics in these behavioral domains.

Finally, a special, informal language of the material presentation is also of interest: on the one hand, it is clear that the book is written by experts with knowledge of the subject-matter, and on the other hand – it is read easily and comprehensible to any reader. On the whole, the authors’ book is not authoritarian conclusions of two well-known medical scientists, but rather, a thoughtful and considerate invitation to the reader to think about a complex system called the male body. The book turned out deep, philosophical and wise.

Head of the Department of Medical Psychology of YSMU, PhD in Psychology им. Гераци, к.п.н.

Khachatur Gasparyan

The monograph “Male’s Health in the Objective of Stressology – beyond the usual” is devoted to the study of male health from the point of view of medicine, psychology and psychiatry. A detailed and in-depth analysis of all those stressogenic impacts, factors and peculiarities of male socialization that affect health and longevity of male life has been done. Male’s health is seen as the result of the effect of multi-aspect factors including somatic problems, stressful life situations and psychological traumas. The authors demonstrate system and interdisciplinary approach to the problem of male health in which the entire structure of the personality and not just of a man as a carrier of a particular disease, is considered which corresponds to the modern approaches in medicine and medical psychology.

For a long time female gender role and the limitations associated with it have been in the focus of researchers’ attention. However, it should be noted that the traditional male role also has a number of stereotypes and limitations that overlap their carriers and men also suffer from gender prejudices and stereotypes. In this regard, the authors consider the historical development of concepts about male sexuality, male gender role and those difficulties that affect the psychological and physical health of men.

The authors pay great attention to phylogenetic and ontogenetic development of the concept of male sexuality. The phenomenon of body, phallic symbolism and phenomenon of libido energy are analyzed at different stages of the historical development of mankind, as well as within the life cycle of each male. The authors analyze the views of different scientists on the problems of consciousness, spirituality, relationship of ideal and material principles and conduct deep psychological and culturological analyses of the development of male identity. As part of the analysis of life stages of the development of libido energy and sublimation of this energy, the psychological aspects of erectile dysfunction along with the enormous influence that the psychological reasons have on the development of this problem are considered. The system approach to this problem of male health opens new opportunities for doctors, psychologists and patients since only with an interdisciplinary approach and taking into account the whole range of psychosomatic relationships it is possible to effectively treat not only the symptoms but also the disease itself.

Considering the above, it should be noted that this monograph is undoubtedly a valuable contribution to the scientific literature in the fields of psychology, medicine and stressology.

INTRODUCTION

The wisdom of my grandfathers

stuck in my head:

we were born to enjoy work, fight, love,

we were born for this and for nothing else.

    Isaak Babel

The Armenian painter Aram Vramshapu Vanetsian in early 1939 began writing I. Babel’s portrait which turned out to be the last lifetime portrait of the writer (repressed and shot at the age of 46, January 1940).

Isaak Babel

A serious scientific question can be put to Babel’s words. If he is right, then the male mortality at a relatively young age is the result of the biological characteristics of the male body and its functioning.

Further presentation of the material is a search for the answer.

We searched for the answer proceeding from the following provisions: