The Endocrine System And Mood

An informative article on: The Endocrine System And Mood.

According to renowned doctors at the Mayo Clinic, hormones of the endocrine system can be the direct cause of mood swings. In particular, it is known that severe thyroid disease can promote extreme changes in moods. Also, estrogen is directly related to mood swings which is why menopausal women are often referred to as ‘hormonal’ due to the drastic imbalance of hormones in the body at that time of life. In fact, there are a number of hormones that can cause mild to moderate depression and/or periods of euphoric bliss for no apparent external reasons.

Estrogen and Mood

There appears to be a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of whether or not estrogen directly affects mood. While there is substantial amount of research that finds estrogen to cause a fluctuation in moods, especially in women going through menopause or during their time of menstruation, there is a significant amount of research to the contrary as well. Most medical scientists believe that there needs to be ongoing studies before recommending estrogen replacement therapy for mood swings during menopause. The primary reason for their reluctance to prescribe replacement therapy is the risk for serious side effects as a result of the hormone.

Thyroid Hormones and Mood

When an individual has an overactive thyroid, he/she may experience periods of unaccountable nervousness, anxiety, irritability and even sleeplessness. Conversely, someone suffering from an underactive thyroid might feel lethargic much of the time and, for no apparent reason, suddenly start gaining weight. Depression can be directly attributed to an imbalance of hormones secreted by the thyroid, among those secreted by other glands in the endocrine system. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is highly unlikely that thyroid disease would instantly be associated with depression unless other symptoms were also present. Appropriate treatments would include medicines that can block the production of new thyroid hormones or those that could replace inadequate amounts of them.

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Melatonin

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is actually a disturbance in mood that commonly occurs during the cold, dreary winter months. The onset usually comes about as the days begin to get shorter, and darkness sets in earlier. It eases up when spring sets in and the days begin to get longer and brighter. The symptoms include depression, lethargy and irritability. Melatonin is directly linked to this disorder in that it regulates circadian rhythm. During daylight hours, little is produced, but during the hours of darkness, a great deal is secreted. Melatonin promotes drowsiness and lethargy. If an overabundance is produced over a long enough period of time, depression sets in. Many scientists believe this is why there are statistically high numbers of suicides in cities like Seattle that stay dark, dreary and rainy much of the year.

Many psychological disorders are directly related to certain chemical imbalances. These chemicals are hormones, and a good percentage of those disorders that affect mood are treated with replacement therapy. Unfortunately, much is left to be discovered in terms of hormones as they relate to moods and mood swings, but research is ongoing. As technology improves, so too does our understanding of the human body and the hormones that signal it to react in specific ways to triggers. The only thing that can be said with some amount of certainty at this point in time is that hormones do affect moods, but to what degree is anyone’s guess.