Mood swings and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression have long been associated with hormones. Most commonly we think about the sex hormone fluctuations that occur in relation to menstruation, pregnancy, and the years before, during, and after menopause. While fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can affect emotional well-being, other hormones play a role as well.
What are hormones?
Hormones serve as chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and affect nearly every process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, reproduction, mood and more. They are produced in the endocrine glands (pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal and pancreas), as well as the male testes and female ovaries.
Hormones are so critical to how our bodies operate that even a minor deficiency in hormone levels can have a big impact on physical and mental health. In addition, hormones often work in tandem with or are responsible for producing other hormones, so optimizing hormonal health can be a complex undertaking.
What hormones affect mood and mental health?
If you’re experiencing mood swings, anxiety or depression, there’s a good chance a hormone imbalance may be to blame. Key hormones that play a role in mental health include:
- Thyroid
- Testosterone
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
- Adrenaline
- Serotonin
- Dopamine
- Endorphin
- Oxytocin and more
As alluded to above, the many powerful and diverse hormones our bodies produce are part of a complex, interconnected system. To achieve optimal hormonal health, it’s best to seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner who specializes in hormone balance.
How and when hormone imbalance affects mood
Thyroid
If your thyroid—a small butterfly shaped gland in the front of your neck—produces too little (hypothyroidism) or too much (hyperthyroidism) thyroid hormone, your mood can be affected. That’s because the thyroid gland is responsible for the production of many neurotransmitters that run the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline.
As Dr. Terri DeNeui, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC explains in her book Hormone Havoc, “Thyroid hormones protect against memory loss and mood disorders like anxiety and depression … Low thyroid levels often overlap with low testosterone levels and can include depression, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, weight gain and more. Depression has long been associated with low thyroid, and psychiatrists have treated depression with thyroid hormones for decades.”
When the body produces too much thyroid (hyperthyroidism), mental health symptoms can also result. According to the National Library of Medicine, symptoms of overactive thyroid may include nervousness, irritability and mood swings.
Testosterone
Low testosterone levels have been linked to mood disorders in both men and women (along with estrogen, women naturally produce and need testosterone). According to the Endocrine Society, low testosterone levels in males can cause increased irritability, the inability to concentrate and depressed mood.
Research in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience suggests that “Androgen levels may also play some role in menopause-related depression.” Another hormone produced in the adrenal gland plays a role here, DHEA, which helps produce both testosterone and estrogen.
One set of researchers found a significant relation between decreased DHEA sulfate levels and depressed mood. Another set of researchers found a weak inverse relation between depressive symptoms and DHEA levels in women aged 42–52 years. “Even after controlling for factors such as waist circumference, ethnicity and age, levels of testosterone and free androgen index levels remained inversely associated with depressed mood,” the journal reports.
Says Dr. DeNeui, testosterone is another “powerful hormone the female ovaries make that plays a vital role in depression and mood, libido and overall sense of well-being. Testosterone was studied in women who had their ovaries removed, and the results were astounding when they combined it with estrogen.”
Estrogen
Women often suffer from fluctuating estrogen levels from their youth through the reproductive years. As women age, they experience the natural decline of estrogen levels as they approach menopause, when estrogen production stops.
According to research in the Journal of Affective Disorders, “Females present with depression much more than males. The higher incidence and in some cases, severity of depression is associated with the presence or absence of ovarian hormones. In fact, female depression often occurs during periods of hormonal perturbation such as prior to menses, immediately after pregnancy, as well as during and shortly after menopause.”
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy with estrogen has been shown to support mental health, among other benefits. According to Dr. DeNeui, “Estrogen has been shown to decrease cognitive decline, increase mental clarity and memory and plays a very important role in moods and depression.”
Progesterone
Known as the “calming hormone,” progesterone is produced by the adrenal glands, as well as the ovaries and testes. Women can experience fluctuations in progesterone throughout their lives. According to Dr. DeNeui, young women who suffer from irritability and mood swings associated with PMS often have low levels of progesterone, while women who experience post- partum depression frequently have low levels of both testosterone and progesterone.
“Progesterone has a calming effect on the central nervous system. It can help improve mood, reduce anxiety and promote a sense of relaxation and wellbeing,” Dr. DeNeui says. Patients who suffer from low progesterone may benefit from natural, bio-identical or micronized progesterone therapy, as opposed to synthetic progestins, which have been shown to have significant side effects, including depression.
“Feel-Good Hormones.”
According to Harvard Medical School, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin have been nicknamed the “feel-good hormones because of the happy and, sometimes, euphoric feelings they produce.” The good news is that it’s easy to boost your feel-good hormones naturally, with simple lifestyle changes, “like diet, exercise and meditation, and possibly improve your mood in the process.
According to Dr. DeNeui, “Estrogen and testosterone also play a role in serotonin levels, and when these hormones are deficient, serotonin levels become altered and exacerbate the depressive symptoms of low testosterone. The good news is, in both women and men, testosterone replacement therapy can completely reverse the symptoms of depression associated with hormone decline.”
Suffering from mood swings? We can help
As you can see, it’s important to monitor hormone levels when you have ongoing mood swings, depression, anxiety and/or irritability. The best way to determine the root cause of your mood disorder is to schedule an appointment with a functional, integrated, healthcare practitioner who understand the complexities of hormone health.
Our EvexiPEL® Certified Providers can perform laboratory tests to evaluate hormone levels and recommend therapies and nutraceuticals to support you during your journey to hormone health. Contact a provider today to get started.
