Understanding the Relationship Between Hormones and Mental Health
When you read about, hear about, or talk about anxiety and depression, it’s common to hear about external contributors, like stress, trauma, poverty, and social pressures. You also sometimes hear about internal contributors, like dietary choices, not sleeping enough, and being too sedentary. But there is an additional internal part of mental health that is key to understanding the mind-body connection: hormones!
Before you begin, remember that our professionals are always here to help
What is a hormone, anyway? The mind-body connection
A hormone is a chemical that is sent out into your body after being created by your endocrine system. They’re made in organs such as your pituitary, your thyroid, your adrenal glands, your pancreas, ovaries, and more. Hormones are some of the messengers that guide growth, metabolism, and function of your organs, and they do so throughout your life. Hormones can be made or stored in surprising parts of the body; for example, serotonin is produced in both your belly and your brain!
Hormones are directly linked to mental health. When hormones shift, be it from diet, age, external stress, injury, genetics, medication, etc. it can result in shifts in mental health. Low levels of certain hormones can lead to depression, excessive levels of others can lead to anxiety and panic. Balancing out hormones based on where you are in life, and what your needs are, can mean a significant improvement in your mental health.
Hormones that impact mental health include:
The “stress hormone”, created by our adrenal glands (the same glands that produce adrenaline), keeps us in a state of alertness and vigilance that can, when cortisol is chronically elevated, cause declines in our mental health. Anxiety issues can stem directly from cortisol elevation, as well as depression; cortisol is particularly linked to depression through causing chronic inflammation.
Serotonin is a mental health heavy-hitter. Low serotonin ties into depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD, low levels of serotonin can cause a host of symptoms like irritability, overwhelming sadness, panic attacks, and more.
Consider these the “regulators”. All of these hormones impact the levels of each other in your body, competing with each other. Estrogen in particular can drive shifts in other neurotransmitters/hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine, etc. Too much OR too little estrogen can cause depression and anxiety symptoms.
Imbalances in any of these can lead to symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Along with that, it is very, very common for levels of these hormones to change throughout your life, as they are implicated heavily in major growth and change events like puberty, pregnancy, ovulation, and menopause.
Elevated thyroid hormones in hyperthyroidism can cause impacts that are similar to cortisol, causing inflammation and an on-edge feeling that directly contribute to anxiety issues and/or depression.
Lowered thyroid hormones in hypothyroidism can slow down enough bodily systems to trigger depression.
Feeling Out of Sync? How to Manage Mental Health and Hormones
A Two-Pronged Approach; Medical and Mind-Body
There are medical options for hormone balancing and mental health. Working with a medical practitioner to do hormone testing and look at medication options can be a highly effective starting point for tackling negative impacts hormones may have on your mental health. That said, medicine is a tool in a toolbox; you need many tools to build a sound home, and seeking out other options are well worth your time.
Sleep, Exercise, and Stress Relief; Your Mental Health Matters
Tapping into your mind-body connection can help you balance mental health changes from hormone shifts. Reducing stress, upping exercise, and creating as high-quality a sleep environment are effective ways to help yourself. Easier said than done, though, right? Sometimes a reframe can help; these goals aren’t just hobbies, or fluff, they are healthcare.
Exercise to Combat Insomnia and Stress
For issues like insomnia, anxiety, and depression, exercise can be a good start toward encouraging your body to rest when it’s time to rest. If you want to do full workouts, go for it, but even just getting in a few extra steps here and there in your day can help regulate your circadian cycle.
Yoga is another phenomenal way to connect your breathing to your motions, and connect your thoughts to the present, which can help unravel some of the negative impacts hormones can have on your mental health. Finding you can’t get out of bed? There are yoga programs you can do IN bed. Can’t get yourself to keep a consistent schedule? See if a friend will help keep you accountable; text them when you accomplish an exercise goal, and let them cheer you on, regularly. Adaptability is key!
Tapping into your community, and moving your body, both help with improving sleep and reducing stress. These tie directly into hormone balance, and can help you with anxiety and depression symptoms brought on by hormone shifts.
Therapy To Support You Through Change
Connection is key to mental health, and focused connection with a therapist can add utility to the normal human need for connection. Therapy brings a relationship with understanding and compassion into your life, and when dealing with hormone changes, this can be crucial. There are even options for menopause and perimenopause specific counseling. Counseling can help you effectively tap in to what’s going on in your mind and body, and plan ways to combat the negative symptoms of anxiety or depression that you’re experiencing.
Luna Joy is Here To Remind You; Your Mental Health Matters
Luna Joy offers a multitude of services, including those specific to helping with hormone imbalances and mental health. We want to walk with you as you look at why you feel how you feel, and explore how hormones may play a part. Contact us to book an appointment, to see how we can best support you as you delve into your mental health.
