Is Your Anxiety Caused by Hormone Imbalance?

Many of us have experienced anxiety at some point in our lives and certainly more people have been struggling with anxiety in the past several tumultuous years.  There are many causes of anxiety ranging from situational triggers/traumas (such as natural disasters, abuse), physical trauma (accidents, surgery, infection), living life in the fast lane for too long otherwise known as burning the candle on both ends, inadequate sleep, caffeine, and other substance abuse (alcohol, nicotine, drugs), too much work with inadequate rest, etc.  When a patient consults me about their anxiety, the things I tend to rule out are micronutrient deficiencies (vitamins, minerals, omegas), gut issues (the whole gut brain connection comes into play here and I promise to blog about anxiety and gut health next year!), and hormone imbalances; I don’t tend to order all these tests at once, usually the patient’s history will give me clues on where to start.  In this blog, I will focus on which hormones can contribute to anxiety and provide some tools for you to manage your anxiety without medications.

First let’s review the most common anxiety symptoms:

·        Increased heart rate

·        Irritability

·        Restlessness

·        Difficult concentration

·        Excessive worrying

·        Panic attacks

If I suspect that a patient’s anxiety is caused by hormone imbalances, the following list highlights which hormones can cause or worsen anxiety:

·        High OR low estrogen

·        Low progesterone

·        High OR low OR fluctuating cortisol

·        Low testosterone

·        Low DHEA

·        High or low thyroid

·        High insulin

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the best way to test sex and adrenal glands is via saliva or urine and the best way to evaluate thyroid and insulin dysfunction is via blood work.  The only way to definitively identify which hormones might be contributing to your anxiety is by testing.  In an upcoming blog I will post about the Tale of Two Sisters experiencing very similar symptoms with drastically different Dutch urinary hormone results.  If you choose to skip this step to save money and treat via guesswork, in the long run it will ultimately cost you more time and money than if you invest in the testing sooner and get results more quickly OR rule out hormonal imbalance as the causative factor for your mood imbalance! 

Enough on that subject, let’s move on to common micronutrient deficiencies that can contribute to anxiety and foods that can help replenish those micronutrients.

·        Zinc:  oysters, pumpkin seeds, meat, seafood, nuts, seeds, legumes

·        Omega-3s:  sardines, salmon, herring, mackerel, cod, tuna, walnuts, chia, ground flax

·        Vitamin B5:  organ meat, beef, chicken, mushrooms, avocado, nuts, seeds

·        Vitamin A/beta-carotene:  liver, eggs, dark leafy greens, orange & yellow vegetables, tomato, fruit

·        Vitamin C:  citrus, bell pepper, strawberries, tomato, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, sweet potato

·        Vitamin E:  sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, beet greens, collards, spinach, pumpkin, red bell pepper

It is important to eat 2-3 regular meals daily with adequate protein, fiber, and fat to balance your blood sugars as hypoglycemia can also cause anxiety and those with abnormal cortisol levels tend to have more blood sugar dysregulation.  If you know you are insulin resistant or have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, then it is also advisable to implement a low or “good” carb diet and resources for this type of dietary modification abound—a good starter book is It Starts With Food by the Hartwigs.  The goal is a whole foods diet with no sugar, caffeine, processed food, alcohol

Stress response modification solutions:

·        Exercise/Movement:  your body likes to move when experiencing anxiety; using your big muscles can help alleviate anxiety more quickly like jump squats, walking, lunging, kickboxing, etc.  Daily exercise is recommended for all mood disorders.

·        Sleep:  please read my past blog on sleep; a set bedtime and wake-up schedule are imperative.  Shoot for 7-9 hours daily.

·        Fun:  do something you love every day (dancing, music, sex, etc)

·        Vitamin N:  spend time outside every day (this couples well with exercise)

·        Meditation:  I cannot recommend the free app Insight Timer enough and specifically yoga nidra; meditation can be done in any position (walking, sitting, lying, rocking); the goal is 2 twenty-minute sessions daily.

·        Breathing:  focus on your breath, do not try to control it; sometimes when a person is anxious and tries to control their breathing it can make them panic more; instead notice your breathing without judgment when you are feeling agitated.  Sometimes just becoming present with the emotion is all you need to help create calm.

·        Mindfulness

·        Establishing routines (morning, evening, with your partner)

·        Journaling:  according to The Body Keeps the Score free writing is the most effective form of journaling

·        Minimize screen time

The bottom line is that hormone imbalance and anxiety can be linked.  On top of that for many individuals it is more complicated than just “reducing your stress”.  The question is whether you have endocrine dysfunction and if so, what is/are the imbalances and how are you planning to correct it now to prevent future health problems later?  Hormonal anxiety is exhausting and can be debilitating.  Please do reach out and schedule a discovery call if you would like to explore how I might be able to help you with determining the root cause(s) of your anxiety and potentially exploring the hormone connection.  Alternately download my 7 Steps to Hormone Harmony here: 

Wishing you peace, contentment & harmony,

Rachel Oppitz, ND

P.S.  Check out my anxiety protocol here:  https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/inc-dr-oppitz-s-anxiety-protocol

Helping women go from chaotic to calm with compassion, creativity, and clarity.