Everyone has felt it at one time or the other. It just comes as a surprise and you sometimes don’t even notice. Yes, the indicators pronounce it for you. Anxiety is the name. Many of us worry that hormone imbalances are the cause of many of our health problems. Let alone the effect of hormones on our physical health, but mental health is sure to get affected.
Our mood disorders, depression, stress, anxiety, and other mental ailments are strongly related to the play of hormones in our body. Let’s try to understand how Anxiety comes into the picture when our hormones are at play, because, learning the occurrence of effects can help us balance them.
Our mental health is directed by our brain, which is driven by chemicals called neurotransmitters. When hormone levels in our body are too high or too low, neurotransmitters get affected, resulting in increased anxiety. Anxiety is a disorder that is more persistent with worry, fear, and stress.
The Key Hormones
The neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, Norepinephrine, and gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA) are specifically believed to be linked to mood and anxiety disorders. Serotonin is associated with mood, sleep, appetite, and other regulatory functions in the body. Dopamine influences a person’s energy levels, attention, rewards, and movements. But if the dopamine is imbalanced, that leads to anxiety.
Norepinephrine is related to flight-or-fight response and hence affects anxiety. GABA helps in balancing agitation and excitement giving the feelings of calmness and relaxation. The fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone in your body can cause feelings of anxiety or depression. In women, while estrogen increases serotonin keeping you happy, progesterone gets released slightly after ovulation which causes an anxious mood. The progesterone hormone stimulates the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fight-or-flight responses, making the person feel stressed and dull.
The hormones that may increase anxiety are mostly Stress hormones, Sex hormones, and, Thyroid hormones. Understanding their effect on our mind and body can help us manage the impact of those hormones on us.
Affect of Stress, Sex and Thyroid Hormones
Stress hormones are released when we are overwhelmed like during fight-or-flight response or out-of-control situations that make us anxious. Adrenaline and cortisol hormones are released to help us cope with such stressful situations and to act accordingly. But when there’s no physical threat, excess release of these hormones can make anyone feel anxious.
When this state is continuous, the person may feel very anxious leading to panic attacks or feeling an urgency to escape from the place. This condition triggers more release of stress hormones and this, in turn, increases anxiety, while that increased anxiety further increases the hormone release, making it a vicious cycle.
When anxiety triggers, people tend to adopt coping mechanisms. Self-medication or coping mechanisms like smoking, drinking, sugar, or caffeine in-take might provide a surge of relief for a certain period, but they don’t serve the purpose of solving the long-term problem. In addition to that, they might lead to other health problems. The Sex hormones named estrogen and testosterone also have their effect on increased anxiety levels. The hormonal changes are high during puberty.
Very low levels of testosterone result in increased levels of anxiety and when the testosterone levels are high, the anxiety gets reduced. In women, the estrogen hormone contributes to anxiety. It is due to this during puberty and menopause, the anxiety levels are high.
The combined effect of sex hormones and stress hormones can also cause anxiety. For instance, when a person is stressed, the cortisol hormone gets released. But that release of cortisol lowers the ability of testosterone production. This combined effect of increased cortisol and decreased testosterone, in turn, increases anxiety. To make it worse, the partial control that testosterone has on cortisol also increases cortisol production leading to a further increase in anxiety.
This is why we find increasing anxiety sometimes for a simple reason. The symptoms get reduced only when this cycle is interrupted. Thyroid hormones are also the culprits in increasing anxiety. An overactive thyroid hormone can create anxiety through its symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating, and shakiness in the body.
Anxiety in Men and Women
Just as little testosterone would increase anxiety higher levels of it would also reduce it. The science behind the truth is that men are reported to have half the anxiety disorders that women have, which may be the higher levels of testosterone. The two brain chemicals named gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin are boosted by high testosterone levels which help in reducing social anxiety.
Also, the part of the brain named the amygdala, which senses the fear and initiates the fight-to-flight response, becomes less active down due to the high levels of testosterone. The fluctuation in Estrogen levels affects anxiety in women. During the menstrual cycle, when the estrogen levels are low, their anxiety increases. Likewise, when the estrogen hormone increases, a sense of calmness is observed.
Hormones that help reduce Anxiety
Apart from anxiety-elevating hormones, some hormones alleviate anxiety. The most popular among such hormones are Oxytocin and Vasopressin. Oxytocin, the love hormone helps in reducing anxiety. Oxytocin promotes trust, relaxation, and stability which help in managing our anxiety. Vasopressin is a hormone that regulates fluid balance in the brain. It regulates anxiety, stress coping, and social behavior in a person.
A balance between oxytocin and vasopressin helps in optimal social functioning. Vasopressin hormone is particularly related to social behavior, sexual motivation, pair-bonding and maternal responses to stress. To reduce the anxiety levels, one can follow certain habits like, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, minimizing stress and having enough sleep which can boost the testosterone levels in the body.
Cuddling a loved one, petting a dog or cat, serving food and giving gifts, being generous and expressing
gratitude, being kind to others and listening to them etc., improve the oxytocin levels in our body. Doing all these things, lowers our stress levels and improves calmness in us, thus lowering the anxiety.
Are you looking a way to deal with your anxiety? Our experienced psychologists are ready to help you, either online or offline. Book an appointment, today.
Kila mtu amehisi hivyo wakati mmoja au mwingine. Ni kuja tu kama mshangao na wakati mwingine hata si taarifa. Ndiyo, viashiria husema hivyo kwa ajili yako. Wasiwasi ni jina. Wengi wetu huhofu kwamba kutofautiana kwa homoni ni kisababishi cha matatizo mengi ya afya. Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya athari za homoni kwenye afya yetu ya kimwili, afya ya akili inaweza kuathiriwa. Matatizo ya hisia, kushuka moyo, mkazo, wasiwasi, na magonjwa mengine ya akili yanahusiana sana na utendaji wa homoni katika mwili wetu. Hebu jaribu kuelewa jinsi wasiwasi huingia katika picha wakati homoni zetu zinacheza, kwa sababu, kujifunza kutokea kwa athari inaweza kutusaidia kusawazisha. Afya ya akili huongozwa na ubongo wetu, ambao huongozwa na kemikali zinazoitwa neurotransmitters. Wakati viwango vya homoni katika mwili wetu ni vya juu sana au vya chini sana, neurotransmitters huathiriwa, na kusababisha wasiwasi ulioongezeka. Wasiwasi ni ugonjwa unaosababishwa na wasiwasi, hofu, na mkazo. Kwa mfano, serotonini, dopamine, norepinephrine, na gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ni muhimu kwa afya ya binadamu. Serotonini huhusianishwa na hali ya moyo, usingizi, hamu ya kula, na utendaji mwingine wa mwili. Dopamine huathiri viwango vya nishati ya mtu, umakini, tuzo, na harakati. Lakini ikiwa dopamine haipatikani, hiyo husababisha wasiwasi. Norepinephrine inahusiana na majibu ya kukimbia au kupigana na kwa hiyo huathiri wasiwasi. GABA husaidia kusawazisha msisimko na msisimko na kutoa hisia za utulivu na kupumzika. Mabadiliko ya estrogen na progesterone katika mwili wako yanaweza kusababisha hisia za wasiwasi au unyogovu. Kwa wanawake, wakati estrogen huongeza serotonini, progesterone hutolewa kidogo baada ya ovulation, na kusababisha hali ya wasiwasi. "Hormoni ya ""progesterone"" huchochea amygdala, sehemu ya ubongo inayohusika katika majibu ya ""upigana au kukimbia,"" na hivyo kumfanya mtu ahisi mkazo na kuchoshwa." Homoni zinazoweza kuongeza wasiwasi ni hasa homoni za Mfadhaiko, homoni za Jinsia, na homoni za Tiroidi. Kuelewa athari za homoni kwenye mwili na akili inaweza kutusaidia kuepuka athari za homoni. Hormoni za shinikizo hutolewa wakati tunaposhindwa, kama wakati wa majibu ya kupigana au kukimbia au hali zisizo na udhibiti ambazo zinatufanya tuwe na wasiwasi. Adrenaline na cortisol hutolewa ili kutusaidia kukabiliana na hali hizo zenye mkazo na kutenda kulingana na hali hiyo. Lakini wakati hakuna tisho la kimwili, kutolewa kupita kiasi kwa homoni hizi kunaweza kumfanya mtu yeyote ahisi wasiwasi. Hali hii inapokuwa ya kuendelea, mtu anaweza kuhisi wasiwasi sana na kusababisha mashambulizi ya hofu au kuhisi dharura ya kutoroka mahali hapo. Hali hii huchochea kutolewa zaidi kwa homoni za mkazo na hii, kwa upande wake, huongeza wasiwasi, wakati wasiwasi huo ulioongezeka huongeza zaidi kutolewa kwa homoni, na kuifanya kuwa mzunguko mbaya. Wakati wasiwasi unapotokea, watu huwa na mwelekeo wa kutumia mbinu za kukabiliana na hali hiyo. "Mafunzo ya kujitunza au ""kupambana"" kama vile kuvuta sigara, kunywa, sukari, au caffeine inaweza kutoa msukumo kwa kipindi fulani, lakini haitumiki kusudi la kutatua tatizo la muda mrefu." Kwa kuongezea, huenda zikawa na matatizo mengine ya afya. Homoni za ngono zinazoitwa estrojeni na testosterone pia zina athari juu ya viwango vya kuongezeka kwa wasiwasi. Mabadiliko ya homoni ni makubwa wakati wa kubalehe. Kiwango cha chini cha testosterone huongeza wasiwasi, na kiwango cha juu cha testosterone hupunguza wasiwasi. Katika wanawake, homoni ya estrojeni huchangia wasiwasi. Kwa sababu hiyo, wakati wa kubalehe na kukoma kwa hedhi, viwango vya wasiwasi ni vya juu. Athari ya pamoja ya homoni za ngono na homoni za mkazo zaweza pia kusababisha wasiwasi. Kwa mfano, mtu anapokuwa na mkazo, homoni ya cortisol hutolewa. Lakini kutolewa kwa cortisol hupunguza uwezo wa uzalishaji wa testosterone. Athari hii ya pamoja ya kuongezeka kwa cortisol na kupungua kwa testosterone, kwa upande wake, huongeza wasiwasi. Kwa kuongezea, kudhibiti kwa sehemu ya testosterone juu ya cortisol pia huongeza uzalishaji wa cortisol na kusababisha ongezeko zaidi la wasiwasi. Hii ndiyo sababu tunapata wasiwasi unaoongezeka wakati mwingine kwa sababu rahisi. Dalili hupungua tu wakati mzunguko huu unapokatizwa. Homoni za tezi-kibofu pia ndizo husababisha wasiwasi. Homoni ya tezi-kibofu yenye utendaji wa kupita kiasi yaweza kusababisha wasiwasi kupitia dalili zake kama vile kuongezeka kwa mpigo wa moyo, kuota jasho, na kutetemeka mwilini. Wasiwasi katika Wanaume na Wanawake: Kama vile testosterone kidogo ingeongeza wasiwasi, viwango vya juu vya testosterone pia vingeipunguza. Kwa mujibu wa utafiti wa kisayansi, wanaume wana nusu ya matatizo ya wasiwasi ya wanawake, ambayo inaweza kuwa viwango vya juu vya testosterone. Kemia mbili za ubongo, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) na serotonin, huongezwa na viwango vya juu vya testosterone, ambayo husaidia kupunguza wasiwasi wa kijamii. Pia, sehemu ya ubongo inayoitwa amygdala, ambayo inahisi hofu na huanzisha majibu ya kupambana-kwa-kukimbia, inakuwa chini ya kazi kwa sababu ya viwango vya juu vya testosterone. Mabadiliko katika viwango vya Estrogen huathiri wasiwasi kwa wanawake. Wakati wa mzunguko wa hedhi, wakati viwango vya estrojeni vinapokuwa chini, wasiwasi wao huongezeka. Vivyo hivyo, homoni ya estrojeni inapozidi kuongezeka, mtu huhisi utulivu. Hormoni zinazopunguza wasiwasi: Mbali na homoni zinazopunguza wasiwasi, homoni nyingine hupunguza wasiwasi. Hormon zinazopendwa sana kati ya homoni hizo ni Oxytocin na Vasopressin. Oxytocin, homoni ya upendo husaidia kupunguza wasiwasi. Oxytocin huendeleza uaminifu, kupumzika, na utulivu ambao husaidia kudhibiti wasiwasi wetu. Vasopressin ni homoni inayodhibiti usawa wa umajimaji katika ubongo. Inadhibiti wasiwasi, kukabiliana na mfadhaiko, na tabia ya kijamii katika mtu. Usawaziko kati ya oxytocin na vasopressin husaidia katika utendaji bora wa kijamii. Homoni ya vasopressin inahusiana hasa na tabia ya kijamii, msukumo wa kingono, vifungo vya jozi na majibu ya mama kwa mkazo. Ili kupunguza viwango vya wasiwasi, mtu anaweza kufuata tabia fulani kama vile, kufanya mazoezi mara kwa mara, kula chakula chenye usawa, kupunguza mkazo na kulala vya kutosha ambayo inaweza kuongeza viwango vya testosterone mwilini. Kupiga makofi, kumkumbatia mtu unayempenda, kumpa chakula, kumpa zawadi, kuwa mkarimu na kumshukuru, kuwa mwema kwa wengine na kuwasikiliza, na kadhalika, huongeza kiwango cha oksitosini mwilini mwetu. Kufanya mambo haya yote, hupunguza viwango vyetu vya mkazo na kuboresha utulivu ndani yetu, hivyo kupunguza wasiwasi. Je, unatafuta njia ya kukabiliana na wasiwasi wako? Wataalamu wetu wa kisaikolojia wa uzoefu wako tayari kukusaidia, iwe mtandaoni au nje ya mtandao. Weka tarehe ya kukutana, leo.