Hormones are unique chemicals in our body that regulate our mood, energy, sleep, and even our daily feelings. We do not even know they are there most of the time, but sometimes, when we go through life stages such as puberty, pre-menstrual, pregnancy, or menopause, these hormone levels can shift dramatically.
When our hormones rise and fall, they can change our feelings as well, particularly making us more worried or anxious than usual. Some individuals may feel slightly tense for a brief period, but for other people, these shifts can make them develop intense and persistent worry that can complicate daily life.
What Are Hormones?
Hormones are small messengers produced by special components of your body, such as the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands. They travel through your blood and provide instructions to various organs and body structures, instructing them on how to function. Hormones assist with a whole bunch of significant things, including:
- How you grow and develop
- How you feel and your moods
- Your daily energy levels
- How your body reproduces babies
- How your body metabolises food for energy
- How you sleep
How Do Hormonal Changes Impact Anxiety?
Hormones also have a significant impact on your mood and how you feel emotionally. As hormone levels go up and down, they affect the way your brain functions, particularly in areas that regulate your emotions and stress management. Some individuals might hardly be aware of these changes, while others might feel much more anxious when their hormones change.
Below are some easy points regarding hormone fluctuations and anxiety:
- Rapid plunges or surges in hormones, such as before your period or menopause, can make anxiety rise.,
- Minor fluctuations over a longer period, like a slow change in thyroid or testosterone levels, may result in a persistent feeling of anxiety or irritability.
- Some life phases and transitions, like puberty, pregnancy, after giving birth (postpartum), and menopause, are periods when anxiety due to hormones usually worsens.
Briefly, hormonal ups and downs can contribute to making others feel more anxious, and the impact is in proportion to how sensitive they are to these fluctuations.
Which Hormones Are Involved in Anxiety?
1. Estrogen
Estrogen is a hormone primarily present in women. It assists in boosting serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter in the brain that makes you feel happy and serene. When estrogen decreases abruptly, like before your period, following pregnancy, or at menopause, it leads to a decline in serotonin as well. This decrease can increase your anxiety and lower your mood, and that is why most women get anxious during such periods.
2. Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone primarily in women that allows the body to relax and feel calm. When progesterone drops, such as during the week leading up to your period, it can make sleeping more difficult and cause you to feel irritable or nervous. If progesterone remains low for several years, as during perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause), it can cause anxiety as well.
3. Testosterone
Testosterone is referred to as the primary male hormone, yet both women and men possess it. When testosterone is low in men, it may lead to increased anxiety, moodiness, and even depression. Women with low testosterone may experience anxiety. Men and women both must possess a good amount of testosterone, but not too much or too little, for their emotions to feel stable and even.
4. Cortisol (The “Stress Hormone”)
Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body manage stress. However, if cortisol is elevated continuously due to chronic stress or endocrine disorders, it places your body in continuous alertness. This may make you feel nervous, have difficulty sleeping, and be tense all the time.
5. Thyroid Hormones
Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate how your body handles energy and can also influence your mood. If your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism), it will make you nervous, trembling, and fidgety, as if having a panic attack. If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), it typically results in depression or low mood but occasionally causes anxiety as well.
6. Adrenaline
Adrenaline is a hormone your body releases very rapidly in fear or sudden stress. It can cause your heart to beat faster, make you perspire, and shake. In individuals who have anxiety, adrenaline may be released even without actual danger, so anxiety becomes more difficult to manage.
7. Serotonin
Serotonin is a mood-relevant brain chemical. Hormones such as estrogen and thyroid hormones influence the levels of serotonin. Low serotonin can lead to anxiety and depression, particularly when hormone levels are low.
Why Do Hormonal Changes Occur More in Women Than Men?
Women get anxious more than twice as frequently as men do. Partly, this is because women experience much larger hormone fluctuations at various points in life. For instance, at monthly periods, levels of estrogen and progesterone surge and decline.
Pregnancy and the postpartum weeks also involve large hormone changes. In later life, during menopause transition, hormone levels slowly decrease. Hormonal fluctuations may prompt anxiety to begin or to become more severe, and occasionally, the anxiety becomes extremely intense.
What Does Hormone-Related Anxiety Feel Like?
Hormone anxiety may appear and feel exactly like other anxiety:
- Ongoing worry or thoughts racing through your mind
- Feeling tense or panicky
- Racing heartbeat or palpitations
- Difficulty sleeping
- Irritability or mood swings
- Physical tension, headaches, stomachaches
Why Does This Happen? (The Science, Simplified)
Your brain controls your mood and sense of anxiety by using special chemicals to send signals from one nerve cell to another. Hormones regulate these chemicals, including:
- Serotonin: This chemical makes you feel calm and content.
- Dopamine: This one gets you going and helps you concentrate.
- GABA: They calm your nerves and lower anxiety.
- Adrenaline and Cortisol: They get your body ready to react to stress in a hurry, such as in case of emergencies, but if they remain elevated for an extended period of time, they can leave you tired and worried.
Who Is at Risk?
Certain individuals are more prone to experience anxiety due to hormonal changes. These are women, as their hormones fluctuate more frequently and in greater quantities. It also encompasses anyone with a history of anxiety or depression in their family, or individuals who have themselves experienced anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Individuals who are experiencing excessive stress, insomnia, or chronic health conditions can also be impacted. In addition, individuals with thyroid disorders or other endocrine diseases are more prone to developing this type of anxiety.
Methods to Overcome Hormonal Anxiety
Fortunately, you can control and, in many cases, significantly minimise hormonal anxiety if you know what to do.
Lifestyle and Self-Care
- Move your body regularly by doing things such as dancing, yoga, or walking. This decreases anxiety and maintains your hormones at an equilibrium.
- Consume healthy foods that contain good fat, whole grains, and proteins. This maintains your hormones stable.
- Attempt 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep at night. Utilise deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, or hobbies to handle stress and minimise stress hormones.
- Restrict beverages such as coffee and alcohol since they tend to exacerbate anxiety, particularly when your hormones are fluctuating.
Medical Therapies
- If menopause or the premenopausal period brings on severe symptoms, a physician may recommend hormone replacement therapy as a way of levelling things out.
- Birth control pills have occasionally been utilised to level off hormonal fluctuations that bring on extreme premenstrual symptoms.
- If your thyroid is not functioning properly, thyroid medication can decrease anxiety and mood issues.
- If anxiety is severe or fails to improve with other treatments, physicians may prescribe medicines that regulate anxiety.
Final Thoughts
Changes in hormones are a natural part of life, but they can make you feel more moody or anxious. Women tend to experience this more since their hormones fluctuate frequently. The good news is that little things such as exercise, sleep, and healthy eating can make a difference. There are also medications and treatments available that can have a significant impact. If your anxiety seems to be connected to your hormones, then speaking to a doctor can assist you in identifying the support you need.