Hormones Balance & Optimal Mental Health
Psychotherapy and psychiatric drugs can help restore balance to the mind in men and women suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD and a wide range of other psychiatric illnesses. But, increasingly, medical professionals are recognizing that there are additional treatment options that can help balance the mind and the body – to support psychiatric treatments and contribute to improved mental health.
Recently, researchers have discovered that certain hormone balancing treatments can offer a natural approach to mental health. By regulating, and bringing into balance certain hormones that affect the brain, hormone therapy can assist in restoring the mind to optimal functioning.
Hormone Therapy for Cognitive Decline
Endocrinologists are doctors and scientists who study hormones and how they affect the body. And, psychiatrists and neurologists are medical professionals who study and treat the brain. When these disciplines are combined into the study of how hormones play a role in mental health it is called “psychoneuroendocrinology.”
Uriel Halbreich, MD, is professor of psychiatry, obstetrics, and gynecology, and director of biobehavioral research at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is also the president of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE). Recently he was quoted on MedicineNet.com stating that hormone therapy is “very good for prevention of cognitive decline and in the enhancement of certain [mental functions].”
That article went on the note that replacing estrogen at menopause may also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by five to seven years.
Hormone Therapy for Depression
The original, and most common, use of hormone therapy to improve mental health was in menopausal women. For decades hormones have been prescribed to replace declining hormones in perimenopausal and menopausal women to treat hot flashes and low libido, as well as depression and so called “mood swings”.
But it’s not just a loss or decline in natural hormones that can create mental problems. When the levels of specific hormones are simply out of balance, helping to restore their balance can also improve mental health.
For example, depression or anxiety can be one of the first signs that the thyroid is not properly producing hormones. An overactive thyroid that produces too many hormones can lead to anxiety and panic attacks. Conversely, an underactive thyroid that produces too few hormones can contribute to feelings of depression. In fact, even very small deficiencies in thyroid hormones – that don’t have any noticeable physical health effects – may be sufficient to cause depression.
But, hormone therapy that properly regulates and restores thyroid hormone levels can often remedy this problem.
Hormone Therapy for Postpartum Depression
Hormones also often temporarily fall out of balance right after pregnancy – leading to postpartum depression and other mental health issues.
Traditionally, physicians have simply prescribed antidepressant medications to treat the so called “baby blues” of postpartum depression. But more recent clinical studies have shown that hormone therapy can target the problem more directly – and more naturally – without the dangerous side effects of pharmaceutical antidepressants.
In other words, treating the underlying cause of postpartum depression (hormone imbalance), may be both more effective and safer than pumping patients full of mood altering drugs.
The Future of Hormone Therapy for Mental Health
The potential role of hormone therapy in treating mental conditions is still being explored, with an outlook that appears very promising on many different fronts.
For example, some scientists are researching the possibility of blocking pleasure hormones in order to make it easier for patients to control their addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, or even food.
At an International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology conference, Michael Kellner, MD, presented the results of other research investigating the use of a hormone called ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) to treat panic attacks. ANP actually blocks the release of stress hormones, telling the body to shut off the anxiety attack. So, a form of ANP therapy – or some similar hormone – may be an excellent treatment in the future for panic disorders and other anxiety-related mental health issues.
The body’s so-called ‘stress hormones’ are also being studied to help in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder).
Hormones Therapy for Mental Health – Phoenix, AZ
Hormones affect every function of the human body – including the functioning of the brain. By restoring balance to the body, hormone therapy may prove to be more effective with fewer side effects than harsh medications that have dangerous or unpleasant contraindications.
The SottoPelle® hormone replacement method can help restore your body to optimal balance. And pellet therapy offers several advantages, including NO daily pills, NO painful weekly shots, and NO messy creams. Additionally, the SottoPelle® pellet method utilizes bioidentical hormones that are safer, more effective, and more natural than lab-created synthetics. Because bioidentical hormones are identical to the body’s own hormones, they offer more effective results, with fewer side-effects and risks.
Talk to your physician about the SottoPelle® replacement method today. Or schedule an appointment with the providers at SottoPelle in the Phoenix, AZ area today. If you live outside of the greater Phoenix area, you can also find a physician in your area who is highly trained in hormone replacement using our Physician Finder HERE.
Hormone Therapy | Phoenix Area: (323) 986-5100
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as general information only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. While the benefits of hormone replacement are well documented through clinical research, we are not representing that hormone therapy is a “cure” for any disease. Only your treating physician can determine if hormone replacement may be a beneficial part of your healthcare regimen, based on your age, overall health, risk factors, and lifestyle.
