Mel Gibson Blames Temper on Male Menopause: Is He Out of His Mind?

(CBS) Has Mel gone menopausal?

A year before his violent outburst at girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, famously furious Mel Gibson wrote her a rambling letter in which he seemed to blame his violent temper on male menopause.

That's according to TMZ, which obtained a copy of the handwritten letter.

"I don't know why I'm so whacky and depressed but I need to get well and re-enter life," he scrawled. "Maybe it's some kind of male menopause."

Is there really such a thing?

Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a Harvard urologist and the author of "Testosterone for Life," says there is - though he is quick to point out that he doesn't know whether Gibson is experiencing it, adding that it should never be used to explain aggressive behavior.

"As men get into their forties and fifties and beyond, we have a decline in testosterone," he told CBS News. "For some men, lower levels of tesetosterone cause not only sexual symptoms but also irritability and depressed mood."

Morgentaler says a simple blood test can reveal whether a man's testosterone level is low. If it is, he said, testosterone supplements can help.

"Some of the guys we treat say that they have more reserves," said Morgentaler. "It's almost like they have more fuel in the tank to cope with stress."

Time for the Road Warrior to top off?

MORE HEALTH CONTENT FROM CBS NEWS