Depression Basics: Thyroid Imbalance Can Cause Depression

First a note: depression is not a disease with just one or a few factors that cause it. Many things can be the cause of it and to say that depression is caused ONLY by a hormone imbalance or ONLY by negative thinking or ONLY because depression runs in your family is false information. However, a hormone imbalance can be one of many potential causes of depression. This article outlines some of the more common hormone imbalances that may be contributing to an individual's depression.

Also, before doing anything, if you experience any of these symptoms, go to a doctor and get your hormones tested to see if a hormone imbalance could be the issue.

Underactive Thyroid

If your thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormones, you may feel depressed. Women over the age of 35 have a higher risk of their thyroid under or over producing, so this may be something to talk to your doctor about.

Some of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid are:

• Gaining weight for no obvious reason (with normal diet and exercise)
• Can’t lose weight even if you diet and/or exercise more
• Constipation (frequent/severe)
• Low body temperature (often below 98 degrees), sensitive to cold
• Cold hands and feet (poor circulation)
• Fatigue/exhaustion (even with ‘enough’ sleep)
• Feeling “sluggish” or lethargic
• Slow hair growth/coarse, dry or tangled hair/hair breakage
• Dry or scaly skin
• Sore throat/hoarse or gravelly voice
• ‘Puffy’ face/eyes or general edema and/or inflammation
• Aches and pains in joints, hands and feet
• New (or increasing) carpal tunnel syndrome
• Irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent)
• Impaired conception or history of miscarriage
• Depression/feeling ‘worthless’ or sad
• Restlessness/difficulty concentrating
• Moody/frequent mood swings
• Losing interest in regular activities
• Forgetfulness/feeling ’spacey’

More about an underactive thyroid can be found at A HypoThyroid Story, an informative web site about one woman's personal experience with an underactive thyroid.

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