Depression due to Hormonal Imbalance

DEPRESSION DUE TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE

Hormonal imbalance occurs when hormone secretion in your body is disrupted which causes depression, anxiety, headaches, and other problems.

WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN HORMONES AND DEPRESSION?

Hormone level fluctuates throughout your life, particularly during the stages like puberty or menopause. Endocrine glands are responsible for creating, storing, and releasing hormones throughout the body to ensure everything stays balanced. So these glands also work to maintain the body’s hormone level if something happens to alter or affect your endocrine gland there will be a sudden non-sync in the hormone level.

ADRENAL HORMONES

Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands and secreted in response to stress. This is why it’s called the stress hormone. Elevated levels of cortisol can lead to clinical depression.

THYROID HORMONES

The thyroid gland produces many hormones in the body including neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These neurotransmitters are involved with mood regulation an imbalance in any one of them can lead to hormonal depression or a change in mood.
People with thyroid disorders are much more likely to develop depressive symptoms.

ESTROGEN

It helps in producing the mood-regulating neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Excessive estrogen levels boost your mood whereas low levels might cause hormonal depression, especially in women. Deficient estrogen levels are also associated with other symptoms including foggy thinking, hot flashes, poor memory, vaginal dryness, headaches, and so on.

TESTOSTERONE

It is largely been associated with men but both biological sexes require testosterone for proper functioning. Low levels of these hormones can cause various symptoms including,
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Poor memory
• Increased belly fat
• Decreased body mass

PROGESTERONE
Promotes calm and relaxation, but causes depression, anxiety, and irritability when not at the right levels.

DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the brain, sex glands, and adrenal glands. It’s entitled ‘The Mother of Hormones’. Its primary purpose is to lower the level of cortisol in the body so if you are experiencing depression along with elevated stress this hormone is vital.

PMDD

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but it is more severe.
Symptoms of PMDD include:

• Severe depression or anxiety
• Severe irritability or anger
• Tension
• Mood changes
• Panic attacks
• Fatigues and so on

MENOPAUSE

Perimenopause, the transition into menopause, can cause mood changes and may increase feelings of sadness and anxiety. During premenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels fall, which can trigger mood changes and may cause depression. Other symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flashes, may also cause sleep problems.

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Allopregnanolone is a neurosteroid, the brain produces, which naturally occurs from the breakdown of progesterone. During pregnancy, levels of allopregnanolone steadily increase up to the third trimester. After childbirth, allopregnanolone levels rapidly fall. This swift change in allopregnanolone plays a major role in postpartum depression.

REFERENCES

1. Can hormone imbalance cause Depression?
   https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hormonal-depression
2. Hormone Imbalance and Depression Is there a Link
   https://psychcentral.com/depression/hormonal-depression
3. Hormones and Depression: The Correlation
   https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/articles/hormonal-depression/