Understanding the Connection Between Hormonal Imbalance and Mental Health
Have you ever felt like you are doing "all the right things" for your mental health—attending therapy, trying to meditate, maybe taking medication—but you still feel stuck on an emotional rollercoaster?
You aren’t imagining it. And you certainly aren’t failing.
For decades, medicine has treated the brain and the body separately. You went to a psychiatrist for your mood and an endocrinologist for your hormones. But modern science tells us this distinction is artificial. Your brain and body are in constant communication. One of the key avenues for this is the Hormone system.
At Neurobehavioral Center for Growth, we believe in treating the whole person. To fully understand your mental well-being, we must understand the chemical messengers—your hormones—that influence how your brain feels, thinks, and reacts.
If you are asking yourself, "Is it depression or my hormones?" This guide is for you.
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The Missing Piece of the Mental Health Puzzle
Think of your brain’s neurotransmitters (like serotonin or dopamine) as music playing in your mind. Hormones act like the volume knobs and other controls on the stereo system.
If your hormones are balanced, the music is clear. If your hormones fluctuate wildly or run too low, they can turn the volume up to screeching levels (such as anxiety) or mute the sound entirely (such as depression).
When patients come to us describing symptoms Have you ever felt like you are doing "all the right things" for your mental health—attending therapy, trying to meditate, maybe taking medication—but you still feel stuck on an emotional rollercoaster?
You aren’t imagining it. And you certainly aren’t failing.
For decades, medicine has treated the brain and the body separately. You went to a psychiatrist for your mood and an endocrinologist for your hormones. But modern science tells us this distinction is artificial. Your brain and body are in constant communication. One of the key avenues for this is the Hormone system.
At Neurobehavioral Center for Growth, we believe in treating the whole person. To fully understand your mental well-being, we must understand the chemical messengers—your hormones—that influence how your brain feels, thinks, and reacts.
If you are asking yourself, "Is it depression or my hormones?" This guide is for you.
____________________________________________________________________________________
The Missing Piece of the Mental Health Puzzle
Think of your brain’s neurotransmitters (like serotonin or dopamine) as music playing in your mind. Hormones act like the volume knobs and other controls on the stereo system.
If your hormones are balanced, the music is clear. If your hormones fluctuate wildly or run too low, they can turn the volume up to screeching levels (such as anxiety) or mute the sound entirely (such as depression).
When patients come to us describing symptoms like brain fog and fatigue, unexplained crying spells, or sudden panic, we know we need to look beyond just psychological stressors. We need to look at endocrine health and mood.
Here are four major hormonal players that might be hijacking your mental health.
1. The Stress Loop: Cortisol and Anxiety
Do you often feel "tired but wired"? You’re exhausted all day, but the second your head hits the pillow, your mind starts racing.
This is often the hallmark of high cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone, managed by the HPA Axis (your brain’s threat-detection center). When you are chronically stressed, cortisol remains elevated, keeping your body in a state of "fight or flight."
How it affects mental health: High cortisol physically inflames the brain and shrinks the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory and emotional regulation. The physical sensation of high cortisol is almost identical to Generalized Anxiety Disorder—racing heart, inability to relax, and constant worry.
2. The Reproductive Connection: More Than Just "PMS"
Gonadocorticoids like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are powerful neuroprotective chemicals that help maintain the structure of your brain cells.
The Estrogen-Serotonin Link: Estrogen helps boost serotonin (the "happy chemical"). When estrogen drops—before your period, postpartum, or during perimenopause—serotonin drops right along with it. This crash is often the trigger for severe irritability, weepiness, and hormonal depression.
Progesterone as Nature’s Valium: Progesterone is a calming hormone. When it drops quickly before menstruation, you lose that natural buffer, leading to the intense anxiety seen in conditions like PMDD.
Testosterone and Motivation: Testosterone isn't just for men; women need it too. Low testosterone is frequently misdiagnosed as depression because it causes a lack of motivation, low confidence, and a flat mood.
3. The Energy Regulator: Your Thyroid
Your thyroid acts as the throttle for your body's metabolism, dictating the energy levels of every cell, including brain cells.
If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), your brain literally lacks the energy to process thoughts quickly. The primary symptom of this is often thyroid brain fog, severe lethargy, and low mood that mimics major depression. Conversely, an overactive thyroid can rev the system too high, mimicking panic attacks or mania.
4. The Sugar Crash: Insulin and "Metabolic Psychiatry"
Have you ever gotten "hangry" (hungry and angry) and felt shaky or irritable if you missed a meal? That is a minor example of the powerful link between blood sugar and your brain.
If you have insulin resistance or eat a high-sugar diet, your blood glucose spikes and crashes dramatically. The "crash" triggers your body to release adrenaline in panic to bring your sugar back up. This physical rush feels exactly like a psychological panic attack. Stabilizing blood sugar is often a crucial first step in treating mood swings.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Reclaiming Your Balance: What You Can Do
If these symptoms sound familiar, know that you are not powerless. Healing the connection between hormonal imbalance and mental health requires a whole-person approach.
1. Lifestyle as Medicine
Small changes can have a massive impact on your hormonal regulation:
Support Your Circadian Rhythm: Getting sunlight in your eyes early in the morning helps regulate cortisol and melatonin for better sleep.
Nourish the Gut-Brain Axis: Your gut bacteria play a huge role in managing hormones and creating neurotransmitters. Focus on whole foods and reduce inflammation.
Move Smart: Gentle movement reduces stress, while extreme over-training can actually spike cortisol further. Find the balance that feels restorative.
2. Consider Hormone Testing
In an ideal world, hormonal levels would be ruled out before other treatment. But because hormones are notoriously difficult to interpret, routine testing can have a low return on investment. When standard of care isn’t panning out, NBCG partners with you to sort out the variables and read what your body is trying to tell your brain.
You Deserve to Feel Whole
Mental health is complex. Sometimes the root cause is emotional trauma, sometimes it's a chemical imbalance, and sometimes it’s a hormonal shift. Often, it is a mix of all three.
If you are tired of feeling unheard or if you suspect your mental health struggles have a physical root, we are here to help you connect the dots.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Are you ready to take a whole-person approach to your mental well-being?
Our team at NBCG specializes in integrative mental health treatment, helping you navigate the complex relationship between your brain and body.
Call us to schedule a consultation: (801) 760-4581
Visit our website to learn more about our services: www.neurobcg.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more mental health insights and treatments.
References:
Echeverri, Monica. "The Link Between Female Hormones and Anxiety." UCLA G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, n.d., https://uclacns.org/the-link-between-female-hormones-and-anxiety/.
Kundakovic, Marija, and Devin Rocks. “Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: From clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms.” Frontiers in neuroendocrinology vol. 66 (2022): 101010. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101010.
Lekurwale, Vedant et al. “Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Thyroid Diseases.” Cureus vol. 15,1 e33987. 20 Jan. 2023, doi:10.7759/cureus.33987.
McNiff, Serena. "Cortisol: What It Does and Why It Matters for Mental Health." Health Central, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.healthcentral.com/mental-health/cortisol.
Rath, Linda. "The Link Between Low Blood Sugar and Anxiety." WebMD, 14 June 2024, https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/low-blood-sugar-anxiety-link.
1. The Stress Loop: Cortisol and Anxiety
Do you often feel "tired but wired"? You’re exhausted all day, but the second your head hits the pillow, your mind starts racing.
This is often the hallmark of high cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone, managed by the HPA Axis (your brain’s threat-detection center). When you are chronically stressed, cortisol remains elevated, keeping your body in a state of "fight or flight."
How it affects mental health: High cortisol physically inflames the brain and shrinks the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory and emotional regulation. The physical sensation of high cortisol is almost identical to Generalized Anxiety Disorder—racing heart, inability to relax, and constant worry.
2. The Reproductive Connection: More Than Just "PMS"
Gonadocorticoids like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are powerful neuroprotective chemicals that help maintain the structure of your brain cells.
The Estrogen-Serotonin Link: Estrogen helps boost serotonin (the "happy chemical"). When estrogen drops—before your period, postpartum, or during perimenopause—serotonin drops right along with it. This crash is often the trigger for severe irritability, weepiness, and hormonal depression.
Progesterone as Nature’s Valium: Progesterone is a calming hormone. When it drops quickly before menstruation, you lose that natural buffer, leading to the intense anxiety seen in conditions like PMDD.
Testosterone and Motivation: Testosterone isn't just for men; women need it too. Low testosterone is frequently misdiagnosed as depression because it causes a lack of motivation, low confidence, and a flat mood.
3. The Energy Regulator: Your Thyroid
Your thyroid acts as the throttle for your body's metabolism, dictating the energy levels of every cell, including brain cells.
If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), your brain literally lacks the energy to process thoughts quickly. The primary symptom of this is often thyroid brain fog, severe lethargy, and low mood that mimics major depression. Conversely, an overactive thyroid can rev the system too high, mimicking panic attacks or mania.
4. The Sugar Crash: Insulin and "Metabolic Psychiatry"
Have you ever gotten "hangry" (hungry and angry) and felt shaky or irritable if you missed a meal? That is a minor example of the powerful link between blood sugar and your brain.
If you have insulin resistance or eat a high-sugar diet, your blood glucose spikes and crashes dramatically. The "crash" triggers your body to release adrenaline in panic to bring your sugar back up. This physical rush feels exactly like a psychological panic attack. Stabilizing blood sugar is often a crucial first step in treating mood swings.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Reclaiming Your Balance: What You Can Do
If these symptoms sound familiar, know that you are not powerless. Healing the connection between hormonal imbalance and mental health requires a whole-person approach.
1. Lifestyle as Medicine
Small changes can have a massive impact on your hormonal regulation:
Support Your Circadian Rhythm: Getting sunlight in your eyes early in the morning helps regulate cortisol and melatonin for better sleep.
Nourish the Gut-Brain Axis: Your gut bacteria play a huge role in managing hormones and creating neurotransmitters. Focus on whole foods and reduce inflammation.
Move Smart: Gentle movement reduces stress, while extreme over-training can actually spike cortisol further. Find the balance that feels restorative.
2. Consider Hormone Testing
In an ideal world, hormonal levels would be ruled out before other treatment. But because hormones are notoriously difficult to interpret, routine testing can have a low return on investment. When standard of care isn’t panning out, NBCG partners with you to sort out the variables and read what your body is trying to tell your brain.
You Deserve to Feel Whole
Mental health is complex. Sometimes the root cause is emotional trauma, sometimes it's a chemical imbalance, and sometimes it’s a hormonal shift. Often, it is a mix of all three.
If you are tired of feeling unheard or if you suspect your mental health struggles have a physical root, we are here to help you connect the dots.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Are you ready to take a whole-person approach to your mental well-being?
Our team at NBCG specializes in integrative mental health treatment, helping you navigate the complex relationship between your brain and body.
Call us to schedule a consultation: (801) 760-4581
Visit our website to learn more about our services: www.neurobcg.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more mental health insights and treatments.
References:
Echeverri, Monica. "The Link Between Female Hormones and Anxiety." UCLA G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, n.d., https://uclacns.org/the-link-between-female-hormones-and-anxiety/.
Kundakovic, Marija, and Devin Rocks. “Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: From clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms.” Frontiers in neuroendocrinology vol. 66 (2022): 101010. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101010.
Lekurwale, Vedant et al. “Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Thyroid Diseases.” Cureus vol. 15,1 e33987. 20 Jan. 2023, doi:10.7759/cureus.33987.
McNiff, Serena. "Cortisol: What It Does and Why It Matters for Mental Health." Health Central, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.healthcentral.com/mental-health/cortisol.
Rath, Linda. "The Link Between Low Blood Sugar and Anxiety." WebMD, 14 June 2024, https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/low-blood-sugar-anxiety-link.
