Mood ups and downs giving you WHIPLASH? Try this ‘hormone hack’
Today, you might be feeling ENERGIZED…
Or even OPTIMISTIC…
But tomorrow, that all goes down the toilet.
Oh, nothing BAD may have happened…
But your mood seems to PLUMMET without warning.
And then it could BOUNCE BACK unexpectedly.
Your loved ones may try to PREDICT how short your temper is going to be…
But even YOU might not know!
In older gals, rapid mood changes – a.k.a. “mood swings” – get blamed on hormonal changes, like those that come with menopause.
But the REAL answer might be more complex than that…
Especially since mood issues… like feeling depressed or anxious without a likely cause… could STRIKE both women and men.
The mainstream way of thinking about depression, anxiety, and other mood disturbances is that there’s something wrong with your brain chemistry…
And that they can FIX it by giving you a pill.
Those “mood meds” usually influence your levels of neurotransmitters, which are hormones that regulate the signaling of messages in your brain.
But there could be NOTHING wrong with your levels of serotonin… or dopamine…
And your mood could still be SOUR!
That could be why Rx antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds haven’t worked for you…
Because they don’t do A THING to address a HIDDEN culprit of mood swings and mood that takes a NOSEDIVE.
What could be LURKING “behind the scenes”?
A thyroid problem!
That’s right – we’ve known for over 200 years that thyroid function is linked to both energy levels AND mood.
When it’s going overboard… you could feel nervous, restless, irritable, or anxious.
When it’s on the sluggish side… you could feel like you’ve got the blues.
Some folks with hypothyroidism (low thyroid) might be undergoing thyroid hormone replacement therapy that’s TOO STRONG… and it could send them swinging from one extreme to the other.
And other folks might be receiving treatment for their hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) that’s working TOO WELL at blocking their body’s natural thyroid hormone production… and bringing their thyroid function BELOW an optimal range.
In both cases, you’re looking for the “Goldilocks” solution – one that’s JUST RIGHT.
The good news is that BALANCING your thyroid function… and getting it back on track… could help address those mood fluctuations.
That means finding a routine that WORKS… and STICKING TO IT.
Some natural options for a sluggish thyroid (even “subclinical” hypothyroidism) include… ashwagandha, which helps LEVEL OUT mood and LIFT thyroid function
selenium, a deficiency of which has been linked to depression, and
zinc, which is sometimes used to treat depression and may help mood meds work better.
That last one is important – because low thyroid could SAP your body of its zinc reserves.
The problem with taking zinc on its own is that your body can only absorb it if it’s got enough thyroid hormones…
Which is why thyroid medication and zinc are often taken together.
Likewise, if your doc recommends boosting your intake of iodine… you should know that this trace element needs an amino acid called L-tyrosine in order to work.
Your best bet is to find a natural or holistic endocrinologist… who’ll know all the ins and outs of managing thyroid health with the PERFECT balance.
If you can’t find a naturally-focused specialist… try any doc who practices integrative medicine, as he won’t be as likely to jump right into prescribing drugs as a conventional hormone doc would be.
And while you’re waiting for those physical strategies to work… don’t hesitate to find someone to talk to and air your grievances with.
Just make sure it’s somebody within the “NO JUDGMENT ZONE”!
