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.'
(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)
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(Agencies)
男性荷爾蒙睪丸素竟成了華爾街交易者為趕超職場競爭對手而選用的藥物。
紐約多家診所報告說，近來治療「睪丸素缺乏症」的病人增多了，該病症有時也稱作「男性更年期」。
據診所稱，許多在男性為主的行業中就職的人希望能通過提升睪丸素水平使自己在工作中表現得更好，投入更長時間工作。
紐約上西區一位專攻「綜合藥學」的整骨醫生萊昂內爾•畢松說，他是在金融危機來襲時首次注意到人們對睪丸素補充療法的需求的。
他告訴《金融時報》說：「自從經濟開始蕭條，更多的男人想成為行業中的佼佼者。」
他透露說，他有90%的病人都在金融行業身居要職，而且一般是三十多歲或四十多歲。
他說：「這些男性全都生活在巨大的壓力之中，而壓力會降低他們的睪丸素水平。」
「一位病人曾告訴我說：『我下面有一大班年輕才俊都對我的職位虎視眈眈。』」
一位自稱名為約翰的病人是一名40歲的風險投資人，他告訴《金融時報》說，他缺乏動力、精神萎靡，一開始被診斷為抑鬱症。但是，經畢松醫生診斷發現，他的問題其實是睪丸素缺乏症。
約翰說：「華爾街是一個拼命工作、盡情享樂的環境。我現在也有點變成阿爾法人格了，睡眠更少也可以應付工作。」
「這是侵略性的積極一面。你改變自己的心態，開始積極地看待未來。」
畢松醫生補充說：「如果你要在華爾街做交易或經手一大筆錢，你最好保持自信。一個優柔寡斷的人是不會成功的。」
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（中國日報網英語點津 陳丹妮 編輯：Julie）