Mental Health Is A Pertinent Part Of Our Wellbeing: Wellness Does Not Only Encompass Physical Health But Also Our Mental And Emotional Health Mental Health Can Affect All Aspects Of Our Lives And Can Often Have Hidden
In this article weâll be answering questions like:
- How do my hormones impact my mental health?
- How does my PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid disorder, or other hormonal imbalance make me more likely to suffer from poor mental health?
- What emotional symptoms should I look out for?
- Could my psychiatric medication be affecting my hormonal health or catalyzing a hormone imbalance?
- How can I take charge of my mental and hormonal health?
Estrogen And Premenstrual Syndrome
As many as 90% of women experience unpleasant symptoms before their periods. If symptoms are reliably severe enough to interfere with quality of life, it’s defined as premenstrual syndrome . Generally speaking, PMS is present when:
- Physical and emotional symptoms occur reliably a few days before multiple consecutive menses .
- The symptoms go away after completing a period and don’t occur at other times.
- The symptoms cause significant personal problems .
- No medicines, drugs, alcohol, or other health condition might be to blame.
Bloating, swelling of arms or legs, and breast tenderness are the usual physical symptoms. Feeling overly emotional, experiencing depression, anger and irritability, or having anxiety and social withdrawal may be present. As many as 20% to 40% of women may have PMS at some point in life.
Our Approach At The Offices Of Leigh Ann Scott Md In Las Colinas
Dr. Leigh Ann Scott and Nurse Practitioner Elise Lewis are both hormone experts. Treatment begins with comprehensive lab testing to include hormones, as well as a myriad of other health markers to give us a clear picture of any underlying issues that may be the cause of your depression.
Additionally, we recognize that many factors can contribute to hormone imbalances and symptoms. We discuss ways to improve diet and nutrition, stress management, and ways to get better sleep. Read more about our Hormone Balancing here.
Our philosophy is that everyone is unique and individual we realize that normal varies from person to person. Our mission is to help you obtain optimal health and feel great again.
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Create A Symptom Diary Or Jot Down Some Information To Pass To Your Healthcare Providers
Some notes to make may include:
- When any mental health issues began occurring
- What those mental health issues are
- Any external or life triggers, such as a new job, a loss of job, or a move
- If the mental health issues occurred after diagnosis for an endocrine disorder
- If you are taking any new medication and how long youve been taking it
- Any sort of physical symptoms you might have, such as fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, or hair thinning
- Any history of endocrine issues in your family
Hormonal Imbalance In Teenagers
Teenage years are a stressful time as your body goes through a number of changes. The hormones your body begins to produce allow you to procreate, but they also change your appearance and behavior. Hormonal imbalance occurs when hormonal secretions in your body are disrupted, which often leads to depression, anxiety, headaches and other problems. It can be extremely frustrating for parents of teenagers. If your child displays symptoms of hormonal imbalance, consult a doctor.
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Androgens Dhea And Dhea
Dehydroepiandrosterone and itâs sulfated form DHEA-S is the most highly concentrated hormone naturally occurring in our body. As a precursor to other hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, DHEA is essential for healthy functioning.
Low levels of DHEA and DHEA-S is associated with depression some studies have even found positive results when treating older depressed patients with DHEA supplements. Although DHEA supplementation tends to quickly raise natural testosterone levels, and therefore comes with a long list of side effects including hirsutism, insulin resistance, insomnia, and abnormal menses.
Further research is needed to understand the physiological effects of DHEA efficacy of DHEA supplementation is low and the risk of drug interactions or strong side-effects are high.
Can Hormonal Imbalance Cause Anxiety
Hormones are your bodys chemical messengers that send signals to various parts of your body. They regulate many processes, including growth and development, reproduction, sexual function, and mood.
Not only are balanced hormones vital for a healthy body but also a healthy brain.
Hormonal imbalances can cause a lot of problems in your bodys normal functions, including mood fluctuations, anxiety, and depression.
Women often experience complex hormone fluctuations. It is important to understand how hormones and mental health are interconnected. Keep reading to learn more.
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How Can Hormonal Imbalance And Anxiety Be Treated
There are different options women can turn to in order to tackle their anxiety due to a hormonal imbalance:
- Discuss with a close friend or family member what causes your anxiety episodes.
- Avoid taking on stressful assignments
- Spread out responsibilities among family members and friends in order to avoid anxiety episodes.
- Visit a counselor to talk about anxiety due to a hormonal imbalance and discuss how these problems can be overcome.
Thus, women should ensure that they are receiving the correct emotional support for their menopause symptoms. However, there are also lifestyle changes that can help women to prevent a hormonal imbalance and anxiety episodes.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet that is filled with fruits and vegetables
- Exercise regularly, it is recommended for half an hour a day, five times a week
- Sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
- Avoid alcohol
These are some tips that can help women to overcome their anxiety due to a hormonal imbalance. Nevertheless, there are other treatments that women can turn to in order to beat their hormonal imbalance. For example, there are many natural supplements available that help to boost estrogen and progesterone hormone levels, and combat anxiety.
What Is Hormone Imbalance
Hormones are part of the endocrine system, which regulates chemical messages throughout the body. The endocrine system regulates hormones that control your metabolism, reproduction and growth. Today, mens and womens hormone levels are more imbalanced than in the past. Compared to two decades ago, the average testosterone levels of men have decreased at least 15%. For women, about 10% live with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, caused by reproductive hormone imbalance. This change has many causes, but some can be attributed to the use of tap water, certain personal hygiene products, chronic stress and sleep deprivation.
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Estrogen And Postmenopausal Depression
At menopause, estrogen levels fall to very low levels. Interestingly, taking oral estrogen does not improve depression in women after menopause. In large trials evaluating hormone replacement therapy, women taking estrogen reported the same mental health as women taking placebo. After menopause, women’s rates of depression fall, becoming similar to men of the same age.
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Estrogen And Perimenopausal Depression
In the months or years before menopause , estrogen levels are erratic and unpredictable. During perimenopause, up to 10% of women experience depression that may be caused by unstable estrogen levels. Some studies suggest that using a transdermal estrogen patch by itself can improve depression during perimenopause — but this is not a standard practice of care. Antidepressants were not given to women in these studies.
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Is It Okay To Have An Irregular Period
It is normal to have irregular periods for the first few years of menstruating and sometimes even longer. But the only way to know if everythings OK is to visit your doctor or nurse practitioner . The length of a menstrual cycle can vary from girl to girl, but on average theyre usually between 21 and 35 days.
How Your Hormones Can Impact Your Mental Health
More research is needed around how hormones and mental health are connected, but experts say there is definitely an interaction between hormones and well-being. Heres what we know: Your endocrine system works in tandem with your nervous system known as the hypothalamic-pituitary system to maintain a sense of homeostasis, or physiological equilibrium. This equilibrium is what the body wants, but when its not achieved, a lot can go wrong.
When something is out of balance with your hormones it has an effect on the whole system, which means youre going to feel it manifest both in your body and your mind.
Ready for a deeper dive? According to Dr. Cory Rice, internist and certified BioTE practitioner, The major endocrine glands in humans are the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands. If this chemical messaging system or the hormone feedback loops are negatively compromised in any way, this can have profound effects on someones health, particularly as it relates to their mental health.
For example, he says, the thyroid gland is the master gland of our endocrine system. Its responsible for producing the hormones T3 and T4, and its T3 that has a major role in ones mental health. Many of the T3 receptors in our body are concentrated in our brain. So if we have a thyroid gland that is underperforming , there is not enough thyroid hormone getting to the brain. This can, and oftentimes will, lead to increased rates of depression or anxiety or other mental health issues.
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Why Choose Amen Clinics For Treating Hormonal Imbalances
At Amen Clinics we are experts in the brain-body connection. We have functional medicine physicians and nutritionists on staff who specialize in hormones and the regulation of body and brain function. Some hormonal imbalances, such as abnormal cortisol levels, can alter brain function and can impair memory and cause brain fog. Other hormonal imbalances can negatively affect mood and energy levels. Our specialists are trained in optimizing hormone levels to get you back to feeling like yourself again.
Adopt Holistic Healthy Lifestyle Habits That Can Help Support Mental Health
In addition to speaking with your healthcare providers about your physical and mental health and any medications youll need to take or adjust youll want to invest in healthy lifestyle habits that can help support your mental health.
For example, if youre tired all the time and cant work out or engage in the activities you love, your mood will take a hit, leading to depression, which leads to more fatigue. This cycle can be broken by embracing daily stress-management techniques that tell your nervous system to put the break on that all-consuming fight-or-flight mode.
Dr. Rice emphasizes a few key things that, over time, may contribute to better mental and cognitive health. These include good sleeping habits, smart lifestyle choices , and increasing exercise. This can have a profound effect on mental health and, in many cases, can correct depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, he says.
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What Are The Psychological Effects Of Hormonal Imbalance
There are many different psychological symptoms of hormonal imbalance that women may be faced with. They are all uncomfortable, and many of them are perpetuated by the physiological symptoms of hormonal imbalance, for example:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic disorders
Although these are all distressing, this article is going to focus upon hormonal imbalance and anxiety.
Anxiety Depression And Hormones
Take a look at Lucy. Shes had depression most of her life. There have always been good days and bad days, but recently, Lucy found an unexpected link: her menstrual cycle. Her moods, it turned out, were much lower during certain parts of her cycle, and much higher during others.
With hormone treatment, however, Lucy found that she could have more good days than bad days. Even better, those treatments banished some of her depressive symptoms once and for all.
Hormonal imbalances often cause or contribute to womens anxiety and depression systems. Across the United States, as many as 18% of the adult population suffers from an anxiety-related disorder. Another 7% deals with a major depressive disorder on a regular basis.
That number goes up significantly for women, who are more than twice as likely to face mood disorders. Its not just a US problem, either. Around the world, women have a higher likelihood than men of suffering from anxiety or depression. Thats a huge difference! The difference suggests that sex hormones may have a huge impact on anxiety and depression.
Are you still on the fence about whether hormones could be to blame for your anxiety or depression?
Are you reluctant to assign the blame to hormones?
Consider this: studies show that women have more problems with a variety of issues during times when hormones swing more widely. These include:
- Puberty
- Perimenstrual periods
- Postpartum periods
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Hormones And The Brain
That’s not to say estrogen isn’t a major player in regulating moods. Estrogen acts everywhere in the body, including the parts of the brain that control emotion.
Some of estrogen’s effects include:
- Increasing serotonin, and the number of serotonin receptors in the brain.
- Modifying the production and the effects of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain.
- Protecting nerves from damage, and possibly stimulating nerve growth.
What these effects mean in an individual woman is impossible to predict. Estrogen’s actions are too complex for researchers to understand fully. As an example, despite estrogen’s apparently positive effects on the brain, many women’s moods improve after menopause, when estrogen levels are very low.
Some experts believe that some women are more vulnerable to the menstrual cycle’s normal changes in estrogen. They suggest it’s the roller coaster of hormones during the reproductive years that create mood disturbances.
Surprising Signs And Symptoms Of Hormone Imbalance
Did you know the human body contains almost 50 different hormones? Some hormones that may be familiar include estrogen, insulin and cortisol. However, there are lesser-known hormones such as prostaglandins, which aids tissue repair. All these hormones together regulate many parts of the body, including reproduction, growth and mood. While some symptoms of a hormone imbalance are well-known, there are some signs that may surprise you. Keep reading to learn more about some surprising hormonal symptoms.
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What Are The Common Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalance occurs when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Such imbalances, even when very slight, affect major bodily processes in a significant manner. The causes of hormonal imbalance vary from person to person, but the common contributors include:
- Genetics
- Poor nutrition and an unhealthy lifestyle
- Chronic stress
- Medical conditions such as diabetes and pituitary tumors
- Environmental factors