The jokes about women feeling moody and irritable on their periods have probably been around since there have been women and periods, but the evidence is clear– there is a strong link between hormones and mental health, not just in women, but in men as well. This fact is hardly a surprising one. Human hormones are powerful chemical messengers that can affect everything else in the body, so why wouldn’t they be able to affect the mind? Both hormonal health and mental health are rapidly evolving fields where not everything is well understood, even by scientists. Still, there’s no doubt that they are closely connected, and understanding and taking control of your hormones might be the key to helping boost your mental wellbeing!
This is especially important at this time of year, when many people struggle with their mental health due to stress in their life or seasonal depression. If you’re feeling less than your best these days, addressing your hormone levels might be just what you need!
How are Hormones and Mental Health Connected?
Hormones are the chemicals produced by your body’s endocrine system that control everything from how well you sleep to how you grow and age, not just your reproductive system! They’re very similar to (although not the exact same thing as) neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, chemical messengers produced in your brain that control how you feel.
Each different hormone that your body produces affects multiple different things. Although experts aren’t entirely sure why, mood and mental state are often among the things that can go haywire when your hormones are unbalanced. This is so much the case that signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, like low mood, low energy, nervousness, or restlessness, are often looked for when doctors are determining if someone might have a hormonal imbalance, like thyroid issues. The closer your hormone levels are to balance, or homeostasis, the less likely you are to deal with any unpleasant symptoms, including mental health problems. However, no one’s body is in perfect balance at all times, and your hormone levels might be contributing to you feeling anxious or depressed!
Hormonally-Linked Mental Health Conditions
Additionally, there are some conditions where the body’s hormones and the mind’s health are so closely linked that they’re inseparable from each other. Postpartum depression is one of these, thought to be triggered partially by a new mother’s intense hormonal changes as well as the stress of having a newborn. Some women also experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, which goes past the normal moodiness of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) into major mood swings, serious depression or anger, and other mental symptoms that fluctuate out of control based on the menstrual cycle. Menopause and perimenopause are also closely associated with mood disturbances.
The links between hormonal health and mental health with these conditions doesn’t erase the other potential roots of a mental health problem. You might be anxious and unhappy, for instance, because you’re dealing with a lot of stress at work or because anxiety runs in your family, not just because you’re dealing with menopausal mood swings. However, because hormones do play a role, even just a partial one, in these conditions, addressing your hormone levels can help to get you on the path to feeling better, especially in situations where you can’t easily change your other circumstances!
Hormonal Health for Your Mental Wellbeing
When you want to start regulating your hormone levels for the sake of your mental health, the first thing you need to address is your lifestyle. Making sure that you’re eating right, exercising enough, and getting plenty of sleep certainly won’t magically fix all of your problems, but it will give you the best chance of success and start the process of getting your hormones back in check.
It’s also important to look into treatments that will address your hormone levels more directly. Many women have experienced being put on a birth control pill to manage intense PMS, but this is far from the possibility! Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can be a transformative option in many cases, improving your mood as well as other symptoms of hormonal imbalance. You can learn more about HRT from our expert team here at Renewed Vitality. Contact us today if you’re curious about whether this might be the right treatment for you!
