Anxiety doesn’t always seem rational. Sometimes, when I’m very worried, I have to remind myself that it’s probably not that bad. Sure, there are situations where it’s natural to feel edgy, but when fear is excessive and constant, what’s all that about?
Well, sometimes it turns out there is a scientific explanation – it’s just one that you can’t easily see. If your hormones are out of balance, either too high or too low, that can do strange things to your mood. That includes increasing the likelihood that you will experience anxiety. There may not be an outside cause; it may be internal.
Hormones are chemical messengers that tell your body how to react. They serve a variety of roles, and different hormones can impact anxiety in different ways. That includes thyroid hormones, sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and stress hormones like adrenaline/epinephrine and cortisol.
The thyroid is a gland in the neck that releases three different types of hormones: triiodothyronine, thyroxine and calcitonin. When it becomes overactive and starts producing too much of these hormones, it’s called hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include heart palpitations, sleep disruption, sweatiness and shaking hands. All of these things are associated with anxiety.
Anyone who has been through puberty knows that sex hormones are tricky things. When they start to fluctuate, as they do naturally during adolescence or as part of the menstrual cycle, it has a big influence on your mood. That’s why anxiety can seem to increase or decrease suddenly. Testosterone levels also have an impact on cortisol levels, and vice versa, so sex hormones and stress hormones can be related.
Stress hormones are the ones that are released when you perceive a threat. They allow you to enter the “fight or flight” response when things like your heart and breathing change to get ready for potential conflict. When these hormones are released and there isn’t a threat, or if you remain in that heightened state for an extended period of time, you could find yourself trying to manage ongoing anxiety symptoms.
Luckily, hormones can also regulate and lower anxiety. That doesn’t just mean changing your levels of estrogen and testosterone, although that can help. Hormones like vasopressin and oxytocin can help relieve anxiety. You can also influence your hormone levels through diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Therapy may also assist in learning how to manage symptoms.
