Women and men who suffer the side effects of menopause and andropause (the male menopause) often complain of stress, fatigue, depressed sex drive, weight gain, and anxiety.
Mild depressed mood is often the first sign of hormonal imbalance, including adrenal exhaustion. When some one experiences a significant change in mood for an extended period of time associated with loss of interest in usual activities, has sleeping and eating disorders, and withdraws from family and friends, she or he may have depression.
Depression can happen to anyone of any age. It afflicts about twenty million Americans each year. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression.
Deficiencies in thyroid, testosterone, progesterone and estrogen can affect mood and lower serotonin levels. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter for mood and energy. Therefore, depression and anxiety appears when your serotonin drops due to an estrogen level declination. Testosterone deficiency has also been implicated in depression.
Anxiety refers to a complex combination of negative emotions that includes extreme fear, apprehension, extreme worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. Also, anxiety disturbs mood, thoughts, behavior and physiological activity.
The main cause of anxiety is hormone imbalance. Estrogen in women, and testosterone in men, have a definite effect on your mental state since they regulate the levels of cortisol, which is the hormone that produces stress. If your estrogen happens to drop, cortisol will not be controlled, producing more stress. Therefore, anxiety appears when your cortisol isn’t appropriately controlled due to an estrogen level declination.
This hormonal imbalance can also cause mood changes, including, mild depression, extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory changes and inability to concentrate.
Balancing hormones with BHRT, stress reduction, exercise and good nutrition can treat depression and anxiety.