Did you know, your anxiety and depression may be caused due to low testosterone levels? Researchers found that testosterone levels affect men’s mental health more than you think. Learn how low testosterone affects mental health and solutions to manage these problems in this article. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.
The link between low testosterone and mental health
Low testosterone not only affects your physical health but also your psychological health. Testosterone especially, in males plays a particularly important role in regulating many functions like muscle mass distribution, red blood cell production, bone density, sex drive, and mood as well.
Many researchers believe that testosterone is a neuroactive steroid which means if any fluctuations happen in the levels, it can affect the central nervous system, which is why it can affect your mood. Low testosterone levels are also linked with depression and disorders in men, and it’s been found that men suffering from depression tend to have low levels of testosterone in their bodies.
Low testosterone also causes irritable male syndrome (IMS) which is a behavioral state of nervousness, irritability, lethargy, and depression that occurs in adult male mammals due to the withdrawal of testosterone. Although there is no straightforward reason behind this, experts believe a recognizable pattern between low testosterone and mood shifts.
Here are the several possible reasons for this connection, including:
- Fatigue: one of the most common symptoms of low testosterone is fatigue which impacts overall mood and creates anxiety. It often increases the craving for unhealthy foods because it offers short-term energy hits.
- Weight fluctuation: Another common symptom of low testosterone is weight gain which may cause low mood or depression or vice versa. While this effect is not fully understood, however, many studies show that they are linked in a way both influence one another.
- Low sex drive: With age, you naturally can notice a decline in sex drive as testosterone levels slowly start declining. However, it also is a source of anxiety in many men which leads to low mood or depression.
- Serotonin production: Testosterone is also linked with promoting higher levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain associated with good mood and happiness. If you’re experiencing low testosterone levels, a lack of serotonin may cause low mood or anxiety.
Low testosterone issues and mental health disorders often cause similar symptoms, which is why low testosterone levels go unnoticed. That’s why you should talk with an expert to learn more about the underlying cause of your symptoms and feelings.
While the majority of males start noticing a decline in testosterone levels from the age of 30 to 40, however, unlike menopause in women, this decline is slow and gradual.
If you have low testosterone, you can manage your low testosterone with hormone replacement therapy and lifestyle changes to manage your symptoms and improve your life quality.
Exploring the solutions
To manage your low testosterone, the doctor first diagnoses your testosterone levels to find its underlying cause, whether it is related to chronic health conditions or connected to lifestyle factors that can be adjusted.
Men who have low testosterone levels in the blood and several symptoms of low testosterone require testosterone therapy (TT). However, it is also possible that your symptoms may not be caused by low testosterone, especially fatigue and sexual dysfunction, but other reasons for that case TT is not used.
Testosterone therapy is recommended only when your doctor finds low levels of testosterone hormone which can’t be fixed by lifestyle changes. Testosterone therapy can be given in many different forms, including:
- Skin patch: A patch is applied once every 24 hours, in the evening, and releases tiny amounts of the hormone into your skin.
- Gels: topical gels can be applied daily on the skin of your upper arms, shoulders, or thighs. Remember, wash your hands after applying and cover the treated area with any cloth to prevent exposing others to testosterone.
- Oral therapy: Capsules or tablets are given to you twice a day. Testosterone will get absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Pellets: These are implanted under the skin, especially around the hips or buttocks, and slowly release testosterone. It is replaced every 3 to 6 months.
- Injections: Various formulating injections are given every 7 to 14 days (about 2 weeks). Testosterone levels can be noticed to rise for a few days after the injection and then start coming down slowly, which causes a roller-coaster effect, where mood and energy levels rise before trailing off.
Most men notice improvement in symptoms within 4 to 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months) of taking this therapy, although changes like increased muscle mass may take 3 to 6 months to notice.
Besides TRT, lifestyle changes like eating protein-rich foods, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep can also improve testosterone levels naturally. If you’re not able to manage your mental health problems, you can also get help from a mental health professional to address the source of your problems to improve your symptoms.
Testosterone and men’s mental health are connected because testosterone plays an essential role in regulating mood and other body functions that affect your mental health. If you have low testosterone, you are more likely to experience mental health problems like anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and many more. But luckily, it is manageable with testosterone replacement therapy and lifestyle changes. Your treatment plan is created based on your testing and the underlying cause of your symptoms.
If you need help with your mental health issues, visit our mental health clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical treatment. If you need professional help with your trauma, visit our behavioral health clinic in Brooklyn, where friendly doctors listen to your concerns and treat you like a friend. All your concerns will be addressed here. For further inquiries, call us on +1-347-384-5690 to get a consultation. We have some of the finest psychiatrist doctors who listen to your concerns, examine your symptoms, and create a treatment plan to improve your condition as soon as possible. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
