Greenville SC Thyroid Clinic Answers -Is There A Link Between Low Thyroid And Depression?
Are you familiar with all of the different symptoms of a low thyroid? Even if you’re familiar with the fatigue and weight gain that hypothyroidism is so well known for, there are many more symptoms that are important to know about, including:
– Loss of Energy
– Brittle Hair and Nails
– Itchy Scalp
– Hair Loss
– Joint Pain
– Muscle Pain
– Irregular Periods
– Depression
Depression is one symptom on this list that deserves more attention because it’s so incredibly prevalent among low thyroid patients. However, many patients never link the two issues because they are seemingly unrelated.
How Depression and Low Thyroid Problems are Connected
It’s true that depression and low thyroid are separate health issues, but that doesn’t mean that a low thyroid can’t contribute to depression-related symptoms. After all, when the body does not have enough thyroid hormones, all systems that it’s responsible for are slowed down. One in particular is production of the brain-based chemical called serotonin, which is released in the brain. This is responsible for creating that “feel good” feeling that helps keep you up and smiling.
While lack of serotonin is one reason why low thyroid problems can contribute to depression, it’s not the only one. The fatigue, trouble focusing, headaches, brittle hair, and other problems related to low thyroid can also lead to feeling down and depressed. Unfortunately when both of these are combined, that can leave anyone feeling unlike themselves and experiencing more sad than good days.
How to Break the Cycle
It can be overwhelming thinking about how you can get out of the constant cycle of depression when your low thyroid problem is out of control. However, visiting a functional wellness practitioner can give you the information you need to change things. These health care providers have vast experience working with low thyroid problems and understand what a major role it can play in your overall health. This is why they provide drug-free care looks deeper into what’s really going on inside of your body.
To start, your functional wellness practitioner will give you a full panel of tests along with comprehensive exams. These will provide evidence of the underlying issues that have contributed to your low thyroid problem so they are no longer a mystery. Once they have that, they can finally begin addressing those issues in a much more effective manner. This may mean healing an autoimmune condition, changing your diet, using hormonal therapy, or any other natural solutions that will work to heal your body where it needs it the most.
In time these changes may lead to major improvements in your overall health as well as your low thyroid. In turn this can reduce the intensity and severity of your symptoms, including depression. As a result, this can mean feeling a lot better than you did before, all without the use of dangerous depression or thyroid medications. If you want to explore whether this is something you can benefit from, then meeting with a wellness practitioner is the first step that can open many doors.
