Thyroid and Mental Health

When Feeling “Off” Isn’t Just in Your Head

Another referral to another doctor. Many people recognize this pattern all too well. Vague symptoms–fatigue, insomnia, low mood, weight changes, and brain fog–point to something amiss but don’t provide easy clarity.

Before going down the rabbit hole of appointments and specialists, there could be a rather simple biological fix: your thyroid. Many people don’t know the role this small glad in your neck plays beyond regulating hormones, but it is crucial to mental health and brain function.

The American Thyroid Association reports that an estimated 20 million Americans have some sort of thyroid issue, yet up to 60% are unaware or undiagnosed. Moreover, women are five to 8 times more likely to have a thyroid disease compared to men.

Despite how common thyroid disease is to the general population, without routine blood tests, abnormalities go unreported.

Hypothyroidism vs Hyperthyroidism

Hypothyroidism occurs when your body makes less than normal amounts of thyroid hormones. This can manifest physically as feeling cold, constant fatigue, constipation, hair thinning, and lowered metabolism. Common causes include Hashimoto’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, iodine deficiency, or surgical removal of the thyroid gland. Conversely, hyperthyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland is overactive. Grave’s disease or taking too much thyroid medication can precipitate this. People may feel anxious, report a rapid heartbeat, have difficulty sleeping, or experience unexpected weight loss.

How can Thyroid problems affect mental health?

An under or over-active thyroid can cause mental symptoms including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, or mimic the mood and cognitive symptoms of depression. In both cases, thyroid issues are linked with mania and can cause people to just feel “off.”

What tests should I ask for?

The good news is these conditions are treatable. If you are experiencing several of the symptoms listed and they are not explained better by a preexisting health condition, it may be a good idea to get your hormones checked.

Key Hormone players include:

• TSH: Thyroid stimulating hormone activates the thyroid to tell it the quantity of thyroid hormones that should be produced.
• T4 (Thyroxine): One of the main hormones produced by the thyroid, low levels of T4 seen in blood tests may indicate hypothyroidism.
• T3 (Triiodothyronine): T3 is directly responsible for regulating heart rate, energy levels, and metabolism. Low or high levels of this hormone may indicate a thyroid issue and manifest as different mood and cognitive symptoms including anxiety, mania, brain fog, and depression-like symptoms.

If you are feeling unlike yourself, checking your thyroid isn’t an overreaction– it’s a great first step to rule out a biological explanation which is both easily identifiable and treatable.