How to Understand Which Hormone Imbalances Causes Mood Disorders
I understand that mainstream psychology has us believe that mood disorders stem mainly from trauma or limited beliefs (which may be true in the beginning), but when you break it down, all mental illness is physiological in origin. Sure a particular situation may trigger the initial feelings, but its the constant brain chemical imbalances that keeps people experiencing mood disorder symptoms.
Most articles out there in the world wide web never really tell you the FULL spectrum of mood disorders and the hormonal imbalances that may cause them. They may discuss symptoms and medications used to treat certain mood disorders, but they never really discuss the brain chemical imbalances associated with them.
So which hormones become imbalanced when people experience certain mood disorders? Keep reading to find out!
What causes hormone imbalances?
Believe it or not, stress is the main culprit as to why hormonoe imbalances begin and why mood disorders persist. I had the privilege of attending a webinar by Dr. Jesse Armine where he discussed Mood Disorders and Neurotransmitter (NT) Imbalance. In that webinar, he discussed the difference between taking pharmaceutical medication (such as SSRIs) for hormone imbalances in contrast to actually giving your body what it needs. You can check a snippet of that webinar below:
Before I get to deep into the discussion of this topic, you must remember that mood disorders are an expression of the pathophysiology and NOT a reflection of the person. For instance:
Not all depression is the same and you can tell which hormone levels are low depending on your symptoms. A person can suffer from depression and have it be due to a below average serotonin imbalance if a person can easily get out of their low mood with little things like going out to eat or somebody doing something to cheer them up.
On the other hand, a person is dealing with a low dopamine imbalance If their symptoms of depression have them feeling so low that the things that made them happy no longer work.
Neurotransmitters and Mood Disorders
Ok… before I delve into hormones, I feel it necessary to talk about neurotransmitters (NTs) first. What’s the difference between hormones and nerotransmitters you ask? Well, hormones are produced in endocrine glands and are secreted into the blood stream.
NTs on the other hand, are by definition, chemical substances that are released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure. Mood disorders are thought to be directly related to imbalances with neurotransmitters. Some of the more commonly known neurotransmitters that regulate mood are Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine. Serotonin imbalance is one of the most common contributors to mood problems.
The body has two different types of neurotransmitters- excitatory and inhibitory:
Excitatory Neurotransmitters:
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Excitatory neurotransmitters (NTs) “excite” the neuron and cause it to “fire off the message,” meaning, the message continues to be passed along to the next cell. Excitatory NTs include epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and PEA.
Epinephrine Imbalance
Epinephrine acts mainly as a hormone but also doubles as a NT. Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is secreted mainly by the medulla of the adrenal glands and that functions primarily to increase cardiac output and to raise glucose levels in the blood.
Epinephrine imbalances can cause fatigue, inability to focus and weight gain when levels are low. When epinephrine levels are high, this can cause sleep trouble, anxiety, tremors and hypertension or high blood pressure.
Norepinephrine Imbalance
Norepinephrine, which is also called noradrenaline, acts as both a NT and a hormone. It plays an important role in your body’s “fight-or-flight” response. As a medication, norepinephrine is used to increase and maintain blood pressure in limited, short-term serious health situations.
Low norepinephrine hormone levels can cause low energy, poor focus, low motivation and low mood. On the other end of the spectrum however, high levels can cause anxiety, irritability, tremors and feeling like you drank too much caffeine.
Dopamine Imbalance
Dopamine acts as a “reward center” in many body functions, including memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention and more. When dopamine levels are low, people can experience a lack of joy and find themselves constantly searching pleasure and become consumed with self-indulgence.
When dopamine levels are high however, people can experience cravings, developmental delays, poor intestinal function, psychosis, cell death as well as delays in the development of socialization and communication skills which can be diagnosed as a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).
Glutamate Imbalance
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter released by nerve cells in your brain. It plays a major role in learning and memory. For your brain to function properly, glutamate needs to be present in the right concentration in the right places at the right time.”
There aren’t any known symptoms for having low glutamate hormone levels but high levels of glutamate can cause prematurer cell death, brain damage (possibly permanent) as well as seizures. Too much glutamate is also associated with such diseases as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease but I will discuss that later in this blog.
PEA Imbalance
“PEA” stands for phenylethylamine and can improve mood, increase attention and energy, and promote a feeling of well-being. When this hormone’s levels are low, people can experience trouble focusing or paying attention. Low PEA levels are also associated with ADD. On the otherhand, high levls of PEA can cause sleep issues, anxiety and racing thoughts.
For more information on NTs, click here to watch a more detailed explanation from Dr. Jesse Armine.
Inhibitory Transmitters
When your body needs to regulate, or slow down a particular chemical message, it releases inhibitory NTs to block or prevent the chemical message from being passed along any farther. Inhibitory NTs include Serotonin, 5-HIAA and Taurine.
Serotonin Imbalance
Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that can also act as a hormone. Its biological function is both complex and multifaceted with mulptiple body functions which include: modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, as well as numerous physiological processes such as vomiting and vasoconstriction.
Low serontonin levels can contribute to anxiety, insomnia, depression, uncontrolled appetite, sugar/carbohydrate cravings, headaches as well as unexplained gut problems. When serontonin levels are high, people can experience road rage, hot flashes and irratibility. Sometimes medication can cause serotonin syndrome which is a serious drug reaction and is caused by medications that build up high levels of serotonin in the body. The drugs and supplements that could potentially cause serotonin syndrome include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva, Brisdelle) and sertraline (Zoloft).
5-HIAA Imbalance
5-HIAA is short for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and is a by-product of serontonin and is used as a biomarker to test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease . It is used by the nervous system, more specifically the brain, and is also used by special cells in the lung and gastrointestinal tract.
Since 5-HIAA is a by-product of serotonin, low levels of 5-HIAA can cause the same symptoms that low levels of serotonin causes as well as implusive urges that cause you to do things that you may later regret. High levels of 5-HIAA can cause intestinal issues.
Taurine Imbalance
Taurine may be the last inhibitory NT discussed but it play many central roles in the body including:
- Keeping the structural integrity of cell membranes
- Maintaining homeostasis in the sodium-calcium chain by regulating calcium
- Maintains proper heart function
- Promotes healthy sleep function
- And increases calmness
When taurine hormones become imbalanced and levels drop low, people tend to experience heart arrhythmias, panic attacks, cynicism and pessimism. When levels ae high, people can suffer from insomnia and hyperactivity.
Mood Disorders & Brain Chemical Imbalances
Neurotransmitters have specific functions according to assigned different parts of the brain. In this section, I will discuss which parts of the brain are home to which mood disorders and the hormone imbalances that contribute to them.
Mood Disorders associated with the Cerebral Cortex
The Prefrontal Cortex is the part of the brain that controls congnitive thinking skills such as reasoning, problem solving, comprehension, impulse-control, creativity and perseverance. It creates those “Aha” moments. The NTs mainly used by this part of the brain include dopamine, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine.
When people have hormone imbalances in this part of the brain, they tend to be easily distracted, have impulse issues, experience poor judgement, have an inability to think ahead, and they may also experience laziness, procrastination and writer’s block. People who suffer from attention deficit disorer, or ADD, have hormone imbalances in this part of the brain.
Mood Disorders associated with the Anterior Cingulate Cortex
The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) regulates both cognition and emotion and can be divided anatomically based on cognitive (the upper portion), and emotional (the underside) components. When it comes to brain chemical imbalances, serotonin is the primary NT that runs this area.
When the ACC is functioning properly, people have no problems shifting gears, being adaptable, having cognitive flexibility, going with the flow and being coopoerative. When we experience dysfunctions in this area, people tend to be stubborn, hold grudges, have addictions, road rage, PMS and are argumentative.
The ACC also plays a part in regulating blood pressure, heart rate and more functions of the autonomic nervous system as it relates to behaviourial stressors. When it comes to mood disorders, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) & Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) lives here.
Mood Disorders Associated with the Basal Ganglia
The Basal Ganglia isn’t really a physical part of the brain but they are actually a group of nuclei found at the base of each side of the forebrain. Its responsible primarily for motor control, as well as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions. When its functioning properly, we have the ability to stay in the moment and our brain can idle. When its in dysfuntion, anxiety lives here along with panic attacks, pessimism, conflict avoidance, muscle tension and tremors.
Since anxiety is multifaceted, left brain basal ganglia dysfunction results in issues with speech, feeling anxiety while speaking and homicidal thoughts. When you exerperience dysfunction with the right brain’s basal ganglia, your anxiety tends to be more internal and you experience suicidal thoughts or urges to self mutilate.
When it comes to neurotransmitters, GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) runs this show in your Basal Ganglia.
Mood Disorders Associated with the Limbic Thalamus
The Limbic Thalamus, or Thalamic/ Limbic system, is a set of structures that deal with emotions and memory and also is involved in reinforcing behavior. When it is functioning properly, we have an emotional filter, a healthy libido, proper sleep cycles, a healthy appetite and the ability to enjoy experiences.
When the limbic thalamus is in dysfunction, depression can set in along with increased negative thinking, a tendency to isolate, as well as low libido, poor appetite and sleep problems. If you suffer from any dysfunctions within the limbic thalamus, then serotonin would be the culprit for the symptoms you experience.
Mood Disorders Associated with the Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe is one of four major lobes of the cerebral cortex. It is the lower lobe and, sits close to ear level within the skull. It is considered the “Floor of the Brain” and performs different tasks according to the different sides of the brain. The left side deals with logical processes and the right side is the artistic side.
The temporal lobe is largely responsible for creating and preserving both conscious and long-term memory. It plays a role in visual and sound processing and is crucial for both object recognition and language recognition.
When the left temporal lobe is functioning properly, we are able to process language,we have no problem with auditory learning and our short and long term memory works well. When our left temporal lobe is in dysfunction, we can have difficulty finding words, auditory processing problems, as well as feelings of aggression, prone to fighting and being easily offended.
Now when the right temporal lobe is functioning properly, we have no problems with facial recognition, decoding vocal inflections or catching the beat to a tune. When there is a brain chemical imbalance with one or more of the hormones/NTs, then you will have issues in those areas as well as trouble with social skills.
Multiple NTs work together to keep the temporal lobe functioning properly, including Dopamine and GABA. Memory issues, Bipolar disorder and Psychosis are the main issues associated with this region.
How do you fix hormone imbalances?
The first step to fix a hormone imbalance is by managing your stress. As I mentioned earlier in this blog, stress is the main culprit that throws your hormones off balance. Stress increases the demand of neurotransmitters which will deplete the vesicle stores. Once you are able to manage your stress, then your next focus should be balancing your diet and exercise habits. Your body can’t properly heal if you don’t feed it what it needs.
Physical activity also keeps your hormones and neurotransmitters in balance because it increases hormone receptor sensitivity, by enhancing the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals.
You don’t have to struggle with mood disorders like anxiety or depression all your life. It is also possible to find relief from diseases like Alzheimers, Dementia or Multiple Sclerosis. If you do the work to get to the root cause and focus on attacking the disorder from a mental, physical and spiritual approach, then you will be more likely to find success.
Mood disorders are an expression of the pathophysiology and not a reflection of the person.
The foods we eat, environment we live in, thoughts we have and experiences we have lived can all negatively effect our mood if we aren’t careful. It’s never, “it is what it is.” You can always do something about it. Dr. Terry Wahls was a successful physician thriving in her practice until she became wheelchair bound after becoming diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After going to multiple doctors and not getting the answers that she hoped for, she finally did her own research and realized what her body was missing on a molecular level and then changed her diet and lifestyle until she healed herself. She now bikes to work and her MS is in full remission. If she can do this for her condition, then you can find relief as well.
How to get tested for hormonal imbalances
Most doctors don’t jump through hoops to determine which hormones are out of balance. If you have a mental health issue, they will probably just give you a prescription and advise you to talk to a therapist or counselor.
When you take a functional medicine approach with your health and work with a CTNC Mental Health Specialist such as myself, then you are able to take the proper health assessments in order to do the right testing so you can get to the root cause of your hormone imbalance.
If you need help getting to the root cause of your health issues so you can reclaim your life like Dr. Terry Wahls, then let me know. The STEW Project offers all inclusive services to help you find the relief you need without all the stress or frustration. If you’re interested in working together to manage or overcome your mood disorder, then click here to schedule a call to work with me. I hope this helps.
In Good Health,
Amber Stewart BS,
Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Master Life Coach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist,
CTNC Mental Health Specialist
TBMM Corrective Exercise Specialist
Hi! My name is Amber and I’m a Body Goals Builder, Master Life Coach, Certified Health Coach, CTNC Mental Health Specialist, Stress Alchemist & Fear Conqueror
I used to be a people pleasing, work-a-holic who stressed herself out to climb the wellness industry’s corporate ladder, while obsessing over her self image. I soon realized that none of it mattered if I wasn’t happy with myself, inside and out, and surrounded around people who loved and respected me.
I now help individuals who are stressed out, out of shape and struggling to find balance in their lives learn how to ease their worries, improve their health, create 10x more joy in their lives and manifest the life of their dreams. At the STEW Project, we are maximizing our living potential by Simply Taking an Emphasis on Wellness.
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