What is true: thyroid hormone imbalances can cause…?

From the book – Chapter 21: Body Chemistry and Mental Health

The right answer

Mood changes, fatigue, anxiety or depression

Thyroid function

Thyroid hormones (T3, T4) regulate metabolism, energy, temperature, and growth. They are produced by the thyroid gland in the neck and controlled by TSH from the pituitary.

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid)

Symptoms: fatigue, depression, weight gain, cold intolerance, brain fog, dry skin, constipation. Mental-health impact: can mimic or worsen depression and cognitive slowing. Testing: TSH, Free T3, Free T4. Treatment: thyroid hormone replacement under a doctor.

Hyperthyroidism (high thyroid)

Symptoms: anxiety, irritability, weight loss, heat intolerance, rapid heartbeat, tremors. Mental-health impact: can mimic anxiety disorders, panic attacks, mania. Treatment: anti-thyroid medicines, radioactive iodine, or surgery as a physician decides.

Important: thyroid testing should be part of mental-health assessment.

Read the full chapter – Chapter 21: Body Chemistry and Mental Health

Stories from real life

Tired, Low and Forgetful at Forty – Sunita Patil, forty-two, a school teacher in Kolhapur, had been feeling flat for most of a year. She was exhausted by lunchtime, felt cold when others…
Kabir’s Skipped Meals – Kabir Sheikh, thirty-five, drove a delivery van in Hyderabad. His days ran on tea and biscuits, with a large meal late at night. Lately he had…
Neha’s Tingling Fingers – Neha Verma, nineteen, was a first-year student living in a hostel in Delhi. She was a strict vegetarian and survived on instant noodles, tea and biscuits.…

Shloks

Bhagavad Gita 17.8 – Foods that increase life, clarity, strength, health, happiness, and love—which are juicy, naturally oily, stable, and agreeable—are dear to the sattvic mind.

More on this topic: The brain, hormones and body chemistry behind your moods