Are your mood changes related to hormones?
Testosterone is responsible for your sex drive and balancing your muscle mass and mood as well. You likely remember the emotional turmoil and physical changes of your teenage years as a result of the hormonal changes in your body.
Unfortunately, these hormonal changes don’t stop as we age. If your hormones are unbalanced for any reason, you could experience challenges in your professional performance, romantic relationships, and overall wellbeing.
Even though you may not realize it, your loved ones and colleagues likely notice your mood swings, weight gain, low energy, and sex drive. It’s important to learn about testosterone and its effect on your body so you can keep your levels in check.
Can low T cause mood swings?
Testosterone can make you feel a different way in one minute and totally change your emotions in the next minute. When testosterone decreases, cortisol levels go up. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” and can cause you to experience emotions you wouldn’t normally feel while decreasing the desire to engage in behaviors that are a normal part of your personality.
Low T affects several emotions including anger and happiness. However, instead of simply suffering from this and other symptoms of low T, men get legal testosterone therapy (TRT) online and have them relieved.
Anger and depression
A drop in testosterone makes it more difficult to manage your frustrations. You may find that you become more irritable and impatient when your hormone levels are out of whack. Since you may not feel like having sex as often as you once did and may not want to attend social events or maintain your motivation at work, you may experience more stress when you can’t get your push yourself to feel “normal.”
This struggle between your emotions can lead to depression in some cases. According to recent studies, men are less likely to experience depression than women, but men with declining testosterone levels are more likely to become depressed than men with balanced testosterone levels. If you’re generally upbeat and positive and start to notice symptoms of depression, low T could be the culprit.
While depression and anger are common symptoms of low T, you may find that your happiness could increase at times. If you were suffering from depression before your testosterone decline, a recent study shows that you may feel happier or more mentally balanced once your testosterone levels decline. However, your euphoric episodes could be followed by panic or anxiety. This is why it’s so important to keep your T levels in check.
Anxiety
Anxiety and depression are often mentioned together when it comes to hormonal imbalance, but anxiety can present separate symptoms from depression. If your testosterone levels are too low, you may have a hard time concentrating or experience an overwhelming sense of uneasiness.
Anxiety can also lead to nausea and trembling, and it is common to experience feelings of doom, even when you’re in peaceful settings. A spike in cortisol contributes to feelings of fear, even when you’re not in danger.
It is important to note that anxiety is not the cause of low testosterone. When struggling with mental health issues, you may find that you’re working overtime to get things done, but you don’t feel fulfilled.
After a burst of energy, you may feel lost or irritable, which is another indicator of anxiety. This symptom may also cause you to eat more in an attempt to calm yourself, which can lead to weight gain.
How to Boost Your Mood
Since your mood and behavior are so closely connected, you may be able to change the way you feel by making some changes to your daily routine. You can decrease the likelihood of mood swings by:
Exercising. Working out is a great way to naturally raise your testosterone levels. When you exercise, you’ll also jumpstart the dopamine in your brain which can help you eliminate feelings associated with anxiety and depression.
New diet plan. Include more protein in your meals and reduce fat and sugar. This will help you balance your moods and get rid of unwanted weight.
Reduce stress. When you have spikes in cortisol levels, your T levels will decrease. Remember that cortisol is the stress hormone, so avoid situations that cause stress or anxiety as much as you can.
In addition to these helpful tips, you can also talk to your healthcare provider about testosterone replacement therapy. This is a customized process since the amount of testosterone necessary for this treatment varies from person to person.
Even if you choose testosterone replacement therapy, watching your diet and exercising more can serve as additional ways to keep your testosterone levels intact.