Ever find yourself feeling on-edge more than usual lately? Does the smallest mistake or flaw make you feel nervous and anxious even when it shouldn’t? Do you worry about every little thing in your life even when you should not?
Anxiety and being scared of every little thing that you go through in your life is nothing to take lightly, nor is it something to simply brush aside as some minor disorder. Anxiety can and will wreak havoc to a person’s life, and getting to the root of such a problem is crucial to your wellbeing. You may not be aware of it, but hormonal imbalance can actually trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
Why Hormonal Imbalance Can Cause Anxiety
Our hormones dictate some of our moods and emotions, so it is but natural that when hormones go haywire, certain feelings and fears will emerge. In women, anxiety and other similar emotions can emerge after a hormonally changing event in their lives – women who just gave birth (post-partum syndrome), women who are about to have their period (PMS), and those entering menopause are examples of such correlations. Even those who have undergone a hysterectomy will experience negative feelings and anxiety because of the drop in hormones.
Stress can also cause hormonal imbalance, and as such, can also cause anxiety and panic attacks. When hormones are not at their proper levels, problems like low thyroid function and serotonin deficiency can lead to altered moods and anxiety. When your adrenal glands are also over-stressed, a chain reaction occurs, which can also lead to hormonal turmoil and ailments that bring about anxiety.
What to Do When Anxiety is Brought About by Hormonal Issues
When you realize that your anxiety is due to hormonal problems, the first thing to do is to get your hormones back in balance. The hormone that is credited for neutralizing feelings of anxiousness is progesterone therefore it is but natural that restoring balance to your progesterone levels will help alleviate any feelings you have of anxiousness. Treatments that are prescribed for this include GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which when used with progesterone produces an enhanced calming effect.
Of course, before you ask your doctor for this treatment, you have to undergo testing to confirm that you are indeed suffering from anxiety attacks due to low progesterone levels. Those who are perimenopausal and menopausal often find that they are indeed suffering from these unwanted emotions due to the lowering of progesterone levels. If you are neither of the two, testing and diagnosis is what you need before any treatments can actually be given to you.
