The connection between Thyroid diseases and Anxiety

The connection between Thyroid diseases and Anxiety

Anxiety, this word is not as much as complicated that we think.
Simply, Anxiety is a normal emotion. It’s our brain’s way of reacting to stress and alerting us of potential danger ahead. Everyone feels anxious now and then. Occasional anxiety is OK. But anxiety disorders are different. They’re a group of mental illnesses that cause constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear.

The connection between Thyroid diseases and Anxiety

Anxiety can occur due to many reasons, but the thing is that- Can thyroid disease be at the root of the issue?
Yes, thyroid diseases and anxiety are strongly connected to each other. When our thyroid gland does not function the way it should, our mental health can suffer.

I’ve heard about many cases in which a patient who is mentally ill directly prefer to visit a psychologist. And the prescription of anti-anxiety medications before getting to the root of what’s going on did make the patient’s condition more worst. So, it is really important to understand the root cause of complications before the treatment process.

The connection between Thyroid diseases and Anxiety

Both the condition, like having excess thyroid hormone such as in the case of Graves’ disease or having low thyroid hormone such as in the case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can cause anxiety.

When dealing with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, our immune system is attacking the thyroid gland. When our thyroid gland is under attack, thyroid hormones can spill over into the bloodstream triggering anxiety and even heart palpitations.

And when the thyroid gland is overactive (hyperthyroidism/Grave’s disease) the body’s processes speed up and we may experience nervousness and anxiety. A review of the literature estimates that up to 60 percent of people who have hyperthyroidism also have clinical anxiety.

As I am also the patient of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, luckily, I’ve never suffered from any anxiety because of my healthy food habit, regular yoga, sleep maintenance, and meditation.

It’s also important to understand that every single cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormones, and without proper thyroid function many systems in our body may suffer. Not only that, but thyroid hormones act directly on the brain among many other body systems which make sense as to how it can affect anxiety levels.

Thyroid disease may be the cause of anxiety but proper diagnosis and treatment can lead us to the anxiety-free world. So, one of the first tests should be T4 & TSH level test when someone is dealing with chronic anxiety.

Be self-aware and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Thyroid disorder prevention,
Healthy lifestyle invention”

Thank you!

-Elisha Deuba