Depression, Sex, and Testosterone

At this time of year many of us in the northern hemisphere are subject to fits of depression stemming essentially from SAD: seasonal affect disorder. This is especially true of people north of the Mason-Dixon Line at about Latitude 39 N. Depression based in SAD can be overcome by spending more time outdoors or in the light of a powerful light bulb or a tanning lamp.
There is another significant contributor to depression, though: it is called testosterone--that is, the lack thereof. If you talk to your physician and have your testosterone levels checked, Doc will normally say, "They're fine ... for someone your age." But that's not the full story. When testosterone is high, in your thirties, people are rarely depressed. Thus normal testosterone levels for men are said to be 270-1070 nanograms/deciliter and for women 15-70 nanograms/ deciliter.
As we mature, the body seems to like a slightly higher level of testosterone to maintain its vitality. Right now men's levels as high as 1550 ng/dl and women's as high as 250 ng/dl are considered high-normal. Such a level means that you are more vibrantly alive and enjoying life more. We were interested to learn that before Israeli fighter pilots fly a mission, they get Viagra to improve their reaction times.
We all know now that in males Viagra-type medications overcome the dread erectile-dysfunction bogey. (There seems to be no equivalent supplement available for the female--that is, we have heard of none.)
In working in Tantra, erectile dysfunction has been a problem for older men; and although medication helps, it cannot be used to maintain the serial erections that Tantra calls for. Such maintenance requires a penis pump and constricting rings. There are two main advantages in using a pump: (a) the obvious one: it always works; (b) it is very much less expensive than chemicals. By the way, most medical insurance companies will pay for such equipment. Once the initial investment is made, there is no cost and there are no chemical side effects.
Various authorities claim that high levels of testosterone lead to antisocial behavior--but in fact it turns out that low levels, where men are frustrated and depressed, cause more problems than the higher levels. Nor is it true that supplemental testosterone causes or accelerates cancer or prostate problems. We do not know whether high levels of testosterone produce a different set of pheromones; but it does seem that men with high levels are more attractive to the opposite gender.
Go ye then, and do some research. Share your findings with us if you are willing.