Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are the Main Hormones?The Impact of Hormonal Changes on Mental HealthHormonal Imbalances and Mental HealthManaging Hormonal Changes to Improve Mental Well-Being

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Are the Main Hormones?

The Impact of Hormonal Changes on Mental Health

Hormonal Imbalances and Mental Health

Managing Hormonal Changes to Improve Mental Well-Being

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Almost all of your hormones affect your mood, emotions, and mental health in one way or another.

Let’s take a closer look at how hormones influence our mental health, including which particular hormones are at play, what happens when hormones fluctuate or become imbalanced, and how to manage any hormone changes you may be experiencing.

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Almost all of your hormones affect your mood, emotions, and mental health in one way or another. Here’s what to know about some of the hormones that have the most impact on your mental health.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your mood and behavior. It’s also responsible for memory functioning. Imbalances of serotonin are thought to play a role in certain psychiatric conditions, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Dopamine

The neurotransmitter dopamine, as well as dopamine receptors throughout the body, play an important role in our moods and emotions. Additionally, dopamine is involved in the rewards system in our brains.

Cortisol

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that controls stress in the body. Specifically, it’s involved in the body’s stress response, which gets activated when we are faced with stressful and scary situations.

Cortisol puts our “fight or flight” system into gear, including the bodily reactions (increased heart rate, rapid breathing) that occur when it’s triggered.

Thyroid Hormone

Too little or too much thyroid hormone can cause symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Sex Hormones

The main sex hormones for women are estrogen and progesterone, which fluctuate and change throughout the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and later in life, whenmenopauseoccurs.

These hormones greatly affect mood, emotions, and sexuality.Testosteroneis the main male hormone and also affects moods, behavior, and sexual feelings.

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Your hormones are constantly changing throughout your day and throughout your life. Hormones guide your growth and development in childhood and adolescence. In women, they influencemenstruation, and reproduction.Stress in your life impacts levels of hormones like cortisol.

Nina Vasan, MD, psychiatristHormones can have a big impact on your mental health.

Nina Vasan, MD, psychiatrist

Hormones can have a big impact on your mental health.

Many of the hormonal changes you experience in life affect your emotions and overall mental well-being. “Hormones can have a big impact on your mental health,” says Nina Vasan, MD, psychiatrist and chief medical officer atReal. Monthly hormonal changes around the menstrual cycle can lead to mood and irritability issues, Dr. Vasan says.During menopause, estrogen, and progesterone levels decrease, which can lead to anxiety and depression, she adds.

Additionally, thyroid hormone changes can have strong mental health effects, according to Dr. Vasan.  “Too much or too little thyroid hormone can cause anxiety,” she describes.“Hormones have a direct connection to how we feel mentally and physically.”

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“The ultimate goal of the endocrine glands is to maintain a balanced state of ‘homeostasis,’” explains Aron Tendler, MD,BrainsWaychief medical officer. “When this is lost, the endocrine glands will drive to restore it.”

HomeostasisHomeostasis is a state of balance needed throughout the body’s systems in order for it to survive and function properly.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is a state of balance needed throughout the body’s systems in order for it to survive and function properly.

During times of hormonal imbalance, you may experience various bodily changes,including mental health symptoms, says Dr. Tendler. “This is why patients with endocrinological disorders have mental health symptoms,” he says.

Examples of hormonal imbalances that affect mental health include:

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If you suspect your hormones are impacting your mental health, it’s best to visit a healthcare provider to get a diagnosis and discuss treatment options. This may be your primary care provider, your OB-GYN, or a psychiatrist. Dr. Tendler says that often, a type of doctor called an endocrinologist is the recommended physician to see when you are dealing with a potential hormone issue.

When treating hormones changes and mental health, it’s usually best to take a holistic approach, addressing lifestyle changes, prescribing medication, and employing different therapy modalities to manage your symptoms.

Here’s what to know.

Lifestyle Changes

“Life changes can go a long way to improve hormone issues and, in turn, improve wellness,” explains Dr. Vasan. She recommends a few main areas to focus on in order to bring your hormones into homeostasis:

Medications

“Medications can help alleviate the effects of hormone imbalance,” says Dr. Vason. For example, she says, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a helpful way to address some of the mood changes that occur during menopause and perimenopause.

In addition to HRT, other medications used to address hormonal imbalances include:

Therapy Options

As with medications, therapy options for hormonal imbalances will depend on the symptoms you’re experiencing.

Some options may include:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety

Summary

Hormones play a powerful role in our overall well-being and mental health. Sometimes changes in our hormones can make life challenging and can have strong impacts on our daily functioning. If you have any questions or concerns about how your hormones are affecting your mental health, it’s important that you reach out to a healthcare provider for a diagnosis and treatment.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy for BPD

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Bamalan OA, Moore MJ, Al Khalili Y.Physiology, Serotonin. StatPearls Publishing.Bhatia A, Lenchner JR, Saadabadi A.Biochemistry, Dopamine Receptors. StatPearls Publishing.Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S.Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls Publishing.Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S.Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls Publishing.Brzezinski-Sinai NA, Brzezinski A.Schizophrenia and Sex Hormones: What Is the Link?Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2020;11:693. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00693Silver NE.Mood Changes During Perimenopause Are Real. Here’s What to Know. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Gudipally PR, Sharma GK.Premenstrual Syndrome. StatPearls Publishing.Kamble MT, Nandedkar PD, Dharme PV, et al.Thyroid function and mental disorders: an insight into the complex interaction. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2013;7(1):11-14. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2012/4861.2656Høgh S, Hegaard HK, Renault KM, et al.Short-term oestrogen as a strategy to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women: protocol for the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled MAMA clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e052922. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052922Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Premenstrual syndrome: Treatment for PMS.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Treatments for depression.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Bamalan OA, Moore MJ, Al Khalili Y.Physiology, Serotonin. StatPearls Publishing.Bhatia A, Lenchner JR, Saadabadi A.Biochemistry, Dopamine Receptors. StatPearls Publishing.Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S.Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls Publishing.Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S.Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls Publishing.Brzezinski-Sinai NA, Brzezinski A.Schizophrenia and Sex Hormones: What Is the Link?Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2020;11:693. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00693Silver NE.Mood Changes During Perimenopause Are Real. Here’s What to Know. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Gudipally PR, Sharma GK.Premenstrual Syndrome. StatPearls Publishing.Kamble MT, Nandedkar PD, Dharme PV, et al.Thyroid function and mental disorders: an insight into the complex interaction. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2013;7(1):11-14. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2012/4861.2656Høgh S, Hegaard HK, Renault KM, et al.Short-term oestrogen as a strategy to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women: protocol for the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled MAMA clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e052922. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052922Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Premenstrual syndrome: Treatment for PMS.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Treatments for depression.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Bamalan OA, Moore MJ, Al Khalili Y.Physiology, Serotonin. StatPearls Publishing.Bhatia A, Lenchner JR, Saadabadi A.Biochemistry, Dopamine Receptors. StatPearls Publishing.Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S.Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls Publishing.Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S.Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls Publishing.Brzezinski-Sinai NA, Brzezinski A.Schizophrenia and Sex Hormones: What Is the Link?Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2020;11:693. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00693Silver NE.Mood Changes During Perimenopause Are Real. Here’s What to Know. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Gudipally PR, Sharma GK.Premenstrual Syndrome. StatPearls Publishing.Kamble MT, Nandedkar PD, Dharme PV, et al.Thyroid function and mental disorders: an insight into the complex interaction. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2013;7(1):11-14. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2012/4861.2656Høgh S, Hegaard HK, Renault KM, et al.Short-term oestrogen as a strategy to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women: protocol for the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled MAMA clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e052922. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052922Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Premenstrual syndrome: Treatment for PMS.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Treatments for depression.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.

National Library of Medicine.Hormones.

Bamalan OA, Moore MJ, Al Khalili Y.Physiology, Serotonin. StatPearls Publishing.

Bhatia A, Lenchner JR, Saadabadi A.Biochemistry, Dopamine Receptors. StatPearls Publishing.

Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S.Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls Publishing.

Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S.Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls Publishing.

Brzezinski-Sinai NA, Brzezinski A.Schizophrenia and Sex Hormones: What Is the Link?Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2020;11:693. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00693

Silver NE.Mood Changes During Perimenopause Are Real. Here’s What to Know. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Gudipally PR, Sharma GK.Premenstrual Syndrome. StatPearls Publishing.

Kamble MT, Nandedkar PD, Dharme PV, et al.Thyroid function and mental disorders: an insight into the complex interaction. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2013;7(1):11-14. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2012/4861.2656

Høgh S, Hegaard HK, Renault KM, et al.Short-term oestrogen as a strategy to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women: protocol for the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled MAMA clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e052922. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052922

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Premenstrual syndrome: Treatment for PMS.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Treatments for depression.

National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.

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