Those diagnosed with thyroid disorders experience a number of overwhelming symptoms. As discussed in our previous blog post, there are different types of thyroid disorders that have many different symptoms. However, when talking about thyroid disorders and their symptoms, this is what we need to keep in mind: symptoms are not always physiological and sometimes affect the mental health of the patient.
When diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (a condition wherein the thyroid gland produces hormones in excessive quantities), an individual, more often than not, is overactive. As part of this, the individual is likely to experience bouts of anxiety.
Anxiety is described as feelings of tension, worry, and/or fear. Some signs of anxiety include increased heart rate, sweating, nervousness, and trembling. In most cases, anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
However, it is also likely that anxiety is an indirect effect of all thyroid disorders – an individual can feel anxious because of the strange and uncommon symptoms that they experience as a result of their diagnosis. This is why tracking your thyroid symptoms is crucial for maintaining a healthy mental health.
For those diagnosed with hypothyroidism, underactivity is a common symptom. They tend to lose interest in activities they previously enjoyed, withdraw themselves from social interaction, and are unable to feel pleasure – a condition known as anhedonia.
Anhedonia is an evident sign of depression. Individuals with hypothyroidism are predisposed to depression. As you might remember in our previous blog post, we mentioned that one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism is feeling low.
This symptom in combination with anhedonia may cause an individual to feel depressed. Furthermore, just like anxiety, the severity of other symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, and weight gain, caused by hypothyroidism can lead to depression.
It is imperative to seek treatment to reduce anxiety/depression if one’s symptoms are becoming increasingly overwhelming and begin to interfere in their day-to-day functioning and productivity. Professional treatment can help regain optimal mental health!
