Hormones play a large role in determining the mood state of individuals. A surge of reproductive hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen, can cause massive swings in mood. A lack of the normal amounts of testosterone can cause depression, while an increase can cause excitement and aggression. When considering if you or a loved one may have bipolar disorder, it is important to get your hormone levels checked out by a physician.
Hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, androgens, and progesterone help control brain development and function. Having an excess amount of these hormones such as a bodybuilder taking synthetic testosterone, can cause a number of negative side effects, including increased risk of illness, aggression, and the shrinking of the testes. Hormone replacement therapy was once thought safe in the eighties and nineties for women entering menopause, but it was shown that an increased level of these hormones led to breast cancer.
There are a number of other hormonal fluctuations that can mimic bipolar disorder or even trigger the onset of the illness. Insulin is a hormone which can cause lethargy if one’s body does not produce an adequate supply, and a high if the body is producing too much.
The thyroid can put out either too much or too little hormone, causing mania and depression. Cortisol, a stress hormone secreted by the adrenal gland, regulates how the body handles stress. Being an adrenaline charged state is a matter of flight or flight, and the body is highly susceptible to burnout or injury if left in this state for this. To act as a counterweight to adrenaline, cortical is created by the body, which can cause one to be depressed.
Before a doctor tries to diagnose you with bipolar disorder, it is important to be able to rule out all of these hormonal factors, only seeking mental health attention when the physical options are exhausted.