Can hormones cause depression? The answer in short is yes. Hormones have an enormous impact on mood, sleep and many other factors that are essential for quality of life. While depression certainly can have a number of emotional and psychological causes, the role of hormones cannot be overlooked.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the past year alone, the number of unemployed men age 20 or older has doubled – increasing from 3.7 million in May 2008 to 7.5 million last month. Although the increase hasn’t been as significant, the number of unemployed women age 20 or older has also increased – 3.6 million in May 2008 up to 5.6 million last month.
Major depressive disorder is a growing problem in the United States. It affects about 20% of Americans at some point in their lives and by 2020 will be the second most important cause of disability in developed countries. Symptoms include sleep abnormalities, interest or pleasure deficit, guilt or feelings of worthlessness, energy deficit, concentration deficit, appetite abnormalities, psychomotor agitation or retardation, and suicidality or thoughts of death. A person is diagnosed with depression if five or more of these symptoms are present for at least two weeks, with at least one symptom being either depression or loss of pleasure.
Major depressive disorder affects half as many men as women. However, one reason for this could be that, according to studies, men typically don’t use the word “depressed.” They will instead blame their problems on work or not feeling physically well. Also, women tend to have more of the symptoms of major depression than men. Despite more women being depressed than men, men are more likely to commit suicide than women. About 7% of depressed men kill themselves in comparison to 1% of depressed women. This could be related to the idea that most men are not used to to searching for help in dealing with their emotions.
Depression is a common symptom of hormone levels being out of balance. If you can answer yes to more than 5 of the questions below, it may be time to get your hormone levels tested.
- Depressed mood (sometimes shows up as irritability)
- Loss of interest or pleasure in life (don’t enjoy things you used to enjoy)
- Significant change in appetite (up or down)
- Abnormal changes in sleep pattern (too much or too little)
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate excessive guilt
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate
- Becoming indecisive or easily overwhelmed
- Thoughts of death and suicide
Depression is not a weakness – although 54% of people believe it is a weakness. In fact, it is a very common emotional experience with a variety of triggers. Pinpointing exactly what triggers an individual’s depression, which includes hormones, provides the physician with the key to successful treatment. Estrogen, progesterone and cortisol hormones are hormones that can affect depression in women. In men, low levels of testosterone and thyroid hormones can lead to depression.
Many women and men have found relief from their depression through a combination of bioidentical hormone therapy and a customized nutrition and fitness program. Is it the answer you’ve been looking for? Depression is not something you have to live with – get informed and get help today.