Thyroid and Mental Health; the connection your doctor probably never told you about

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Written By Ayla Reed

Many individuals struggling with their mental health actually have subclinical hypothyroidism.

What does subclinical mean?

When we use the term subclinical in medicine, we are referring to conditions that fly under the radar, they typically are overlooked and ignored because the are hiding, subtly in the background. Subclinical issues STILL create patterns of dysfunction in the body and should be acknowledged much better in the medical community.

Thyroid dysfunction can cause many mental health issues and it also exacerbates many mental health predispositions. A thyroid that is not functioning properly can also mimic many mental health disorders.

Testing the thyroid should be a part of your annual wellness routine, I advise my clients to do bloodwork once a year and more often if they are in periods of chronic health distress. This standard absolutely applies to the Thyroid.

One of the biggest issues that I see clients make on a regular basis is to engage in ‘functional tests’ instead of bloodwork to investigate root cause patterns in their health. Functional tests have their place but they do not substitute the importance of clinically established functional bio markers on a blood test. It is critical to asses the Thyroid with your yearly bloodwork and sadly it is extremely rare for your PCP to test anything beyond TSH and T4, this is a problem because these two bio markers are not enough to understand Thyroid function. It is like trying to put together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with no reference photo and half of the pieces missing.

What is TSH?

TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary to control the thyroid gland's production of T4, to store T4, and to release it into the bloodstream. It is NOT a thyroid hormone but rather a thyroid STIMULATING hormone. It is basically a signaling system. TSH does not give us much insight into the amount of hormone that is freely available for the cells to use for metabolism.

What is T4 (THYROXINE)?

T4 is the inactive form of thyroid hormone and is formed when four iodine atoms combine with tyrosine. It must be converted to T3 before the body is able to use it.

Full markers that are vital to understand Thyroid function

Free & Total T3, T3 Uptake, Reverse T3, Free & Total T4, TSH, TPO, Thyroglobulin Antibody & Free Thyroxine Index

The Thyroid regulates many physiological functions that directly corelate to our Mental and Metabolic Health including:

  • Metabolic Rate- and activity

  • Heart rate

  • Body temperature and regulation

  • Cognition

  • Muscle strength

  • Menstrual cycles

  • Cholesterol levels

  • Bone health and density

  • Skin health

  • Hormones

  • Gut Health

When The thyroid drops in function by 10% all other functions in the body drop by 10%

Symptoms of Hypothyroid

  • Fatigue

  • Cold extremities

  • Weight Gain

  • Low Blood Pressure

  • Depression and Apathy

  • Anxiety and Panic

  • Brain Fog

  • Hair loss and brittle hair or nails

  • Low libido

  • Constipation

  • Musculoskeletal Pain

  • Poor circulation

  • Irregular Menses

  • Sexual dysfunction

  • High Cholesterol

  • Enlarged Thyroid

Symptoms of Hyperthyroid

  • Anxiety and panic

  • Heart Palpitations

  • Irritability

  • Shortness of breath

  • Diarrhea

  • Increased sweating

  • Hair loss

  • Fatigue

  • Weight loss

  • Enlarged thyroid

  • Increased temperature

Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Thyroid Function

  • Regular exercise (5 days a week)

  • Organic whole food diet

  • Effective hydration

  • STRESS REDUCTION and MANAGEMENT

  • Sleep

  • Recovery practices

  • Strategic and bio individualized supplementation

  • Gut support

  • Decrease toxin exposure

  • Eliminate trigger foods

    • Dairy

    • Gluten - Especially for autoimmune Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s)

    • Soy

Why Stress plays a role in the Thyroid

Chronic stress promotes the release of inflammatory cytokines, which reduce the function of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland and inhibits the conversion of thyroid hormones, which in turn causes thyroid hormone resistance.

Cortisol decreases TSH which lowers Thyroid hormone production, cortisol also directly inhibits the conversion of T4 to active T3. If there is TOO MUCH cortisol in the body, it will actually block TSH production. Adrenals also play a role in the Thyroid’s function indirectly through the effects that cortisol has on blood sugar.

Effective stress management is vital for the body to function and to heal. Bodies only heal in parasympathetic states.

What tools do you have in your toolbox to manage your stress?

Need an idea? Start with breathwork! Enjoy this ‘Freebie’ video from the Self Care Ceremony Course with Desi Valentine.

Loved the video? Check out the whole course!

As always, Be well and Live in Good Medicine

-A

Ayla Reed
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