Hormone Balance and Anxiety or OCD
Our hormone (endocrine) system plays a tremendous role in maintaining balance in all of our body systems. If that balance is disrupted it can cause a large range of downstream symptoms. Anxiety and worsened OCD is a common issue when the endocrine system is out of harmony.
Which came first, hormone imbalance or anxiety/OCD?
This can be the 'chicken or the egg' question, where it may not be discernible which occurred first as both can absolutely lead to the other.
Someone dealing with anxiety and constantly in a panic or stress response will have added pressure on their endocrine system, notably cortisol and adrenaline. As those systems fatigue from the constant demands they can start to impact other related hormones as the body adjusts to try and balance the demand. Over time this can lead to a system that is not only out of balance but fatigued and unable to maintain the ongoing pressures.
Conversely if someone has a hormone issue to start, that lack of balance can not only put pressure on other hormones and systems but also cause symptoms related to the hormones out of balance. Estrogen or testosterone are great examples of hormones that when out of a functional level can worse or cause tremendous anxiety.
Treatment:
Identifying and addressing the imbalance is key. Treatment options can include:
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- Lifestyle and nutrition modification
- Supplement or botanical treatments to both support and balance.
- Hormone replacement therapies.
- Genetic testing to better individualize treatment.
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Hormones commonly associated with anxiety and OCD:
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- Cortisol
- Thyroid
- Testosterone
- Estrogen
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