Hormones and Anxiety: The Link and How to Fix It

When your hormones are imbalanced, you can feel everything from digestive discomfort and reproductive issues to mental health problems like anxiety.

Yep, hormones and anxiety are connected — and not always in a good way.

Hormones such as thyroid hormones, sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), and stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) can all cause feelings of anxiety when they’re out of balance.

Below, we’ll explore how hormones affect anxiety levels and — most importantly — how you can balance your hormones and get your anxiety under control.

Put simply, yes. Hormones serve as the body’s chemical messengers, transporting “instructions” to tissues and organs.

You might typically associate hormones with things like physical changes during puberty or sexual function as an adult, but hormones are also deeply involved in regulating mood.

When they’re out of balance, you may experience increased anxiety, as well as other mood changes like irritability or mood swings.

So, what hormone causes anxiety? There’s actually more than one.

Hormones that can cause anxiety include:

• Thyroid hormones

• Sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone

• Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline

For example, women are more likely to experience anxiety with big hormonal shifts, such as during puberty, after giving birth, and while going through menopause or perimenopause, when sex hormones fluctuate drastically. And your anxiety may spike during times of high stress or if you have thyroid issues.

As mentioned above, a few different hormones can cause feelings of anxiety if their levels get out of balance. Let’s dive into them in more detail.

Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), are created by the thyroid gland — a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck.

Your body depends on thyroid hormones to control your metabolism. Thyroid hormones also help regulate your energy levels, body temperature, weight, and the growth of your hair, nails, and skin.

When the body produces too much thyroid hormone, it’s called hyperthyroidism.

High levels of thyroid hormone caused by an overactive thyroid gland can result in:

• Anxiety

• Restlessness

• Emotional instability

• Insomnia

• Depression

Hyperthyroidism is also linked to physical symptoms of anxiety, such as:

• A rapid heart rate

• Heart palpitations

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

On the flip side, hypothyroidism — when the thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones — may also cause anxiousness. One study found that most people with hypothyroidism experienced symptoms of anxiety.

Sex Hormones

Levels of sex hormones — such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle during ovulation and the luteal phase. And these fluctuations may lead to feelings of anxiety.

In a review published in the journal Current Psychiatry Reports, researchers noted that changes in hormone levels during your menstrual cycle can make the symptoms of many anxiety and mood disorders worse.

For instance:

• Women with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) reported more anxiety symptoms in the week before their periods compared to the week after.

• The same goes for women with social anxiety disorder — social anxiety was worse in the run-up to the women’s periods.

Even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, you may still feel more anxious at certain times in your cycle, such as before menstruation.

Fluctuations in hormone levels throughout your menstrual cycle are thought to contribute to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a more severe form of PMS. This condition can cause anxiety, severe irritability, and depression in the week or two before your period.

Even good ol’ PMS — also thought to be caused by hormone fluctuations — can cause:

• Anxiety

• Crying spells

• Feelings of sadness

• Irritability

• Mood swings

On a related note, the link between birth control and anxiety comes from the fact that medications that influence hormones may impact anxiety levels as well.

Can too much estrogen cause anxiety — or too little? What about progesterone and testosterone? Here’s what the research says about the different sex hormones and anxiety:

• Estrogen and anxiety. Can low estrogen cause anxiety? It may. Symptoms of low estrogen include mood swings and trouble sleeping. Research suggests the drop in estrogen levels that happens during the menstrual cycle, postpartum, and menopause can increase the risk of anxiety. High levels of estrogen can lead to feeling anxious too.

• Progesterone and anxiety. One study found that women with higher levels of progesterone had more anxiety than women with lower progesterone levels. And as women’s progesterone levels increased across their cycles, they felt more attachment anxiety.

• Testosterone and anxiety. Testosterone may have anti-anxiety effects. Plus, research shows that women with anxiety disorders have lower levels of testosterone than women without these mental health conditions.

Being aware of these hormonal changes can help you identify when you’re feeling hormonal anxiety and when you might be feeling anxiety triggered by a specific situation.

Stress Hormones

Stress hormones produced by your body in challenging, threatening situations can also contribute to feelings of anxiety.

Stress hormones include:

• Cortisol

• Adrenaline

These hormones produce changes in your body to help you react to dangerous situations. But sometimes, the “dangerous” situation is simply a stressful work call or a text from an ex. Our stress hormones work best when they are activated only occasionally during moments of serious threat. However, in the modern world, we’re exposed to so many of these little daily stressors, we may end up with chronically elevated levels of stress hormones.

If your body is in fight-or-flight mode on a constant basis, your stress hormones may lead to high anxiety levels.

High cortisol levels are linked to changes in mood, including:

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Mood swings

• Depression

And high levels of adrenaline can make you feel:

• Nervous

• Jittery

• Restless

• Irritable

Just like hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, knowing how to recognize when stress levels make you feel worried or anxious is vital.

Many of the treatments for hormone-related anxiety are the same remedies used for regular anxiety — with the added advice of getting your hormones in line, if possible.

Here’s what to consider:

• Hormone testing. If you think hormones could be to blame for your anxiety, you can get your levels tested to check for hypothyroidism or other potential causes. Depending on your results, a healthcare provider might recommend medication (like hormone-replacement therapy) to treat the problem.

• Exercise. Exercise produces endorphins — brain chemicals that act as natural painkillers — and working out can improve anxiety, stress, mood, and sleep. It doesn’t take long, either. The anti-anxiety effects of physical activity can kick in after just five minutes of aerobic exercise.

• Stress management. Getting on top of chronic stress can help keep cortisol and adrenaline under control. Try stress-management techniques like meditation, mindfulness, journaling, and regular exercise.

• Therapy. Anxiety disorders often improve with psychotherapy, or talk therapy. Common forms of therapy for anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which involves learning new methods of thinking and reacting to anxiety-producing situations, and exposure therapy, which involves exposing yourself (not like that) to a phobia you may have.

• Anxiety medication. Several medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and beta-blockers. Our guide to anxiety medications explains how prescription drugs work, as well as the pros and cons of each type of medication.

Check out our guide to calming down anxiety for more good habits and lifestyle changes you can make to keep anxiety at bay.

So, can hormones cause anxiety? It turns out, they can.

Anxiety hormones include thyroid, sex, and stress hormones. Changes in these hormones can affect your anxiety, overall mood, and well-being, and they can even worsen anxiety disorder symptoms.

Here’s the TL;DR on hormones and anxiety:

• Hormones can have a significant effect on thoughts and behaviors. In some cases, natural fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle or due to stress may cause you to feel overly anxious, worried, or concerned about the future.

• Certain health issues can disrupt hormonal balance, which could make you feel anxious or just “off.” Low levels of serotonin activity (a neurotransmitter known as the “happy chemical”) could also contribute to anxiousness. Rapid weight gain or weight loss can affect your hormones too.

• If you think you might have a hormonal imbalance that’s causing anxiety, it’s best to talk to a healthcare provider. They can check your hormone levels for anything concerning, suggest hormone therapy, or refer you to a mental health professional if you need help with an anxiety disorder.

Though anxiety can feel overwhelming at times, it’s important to remember it’s a treatable condition. If you feel anxious, reaching out for help can allow you to improve your quality of life and put your worries in the rearview mirror.

If you’re interested in medication for anxiety or depression, explore your options on our mental health platform. Or you can start the process of getting a prescription with our quick online assessment.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.