Men’s Health Management & Mental Health
Posted: November 8, 2024
Addressing mental health concerns is an important part of men’s health management. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression can affect your quality of life and your overall health. In these challenging times, many are left dealing with negative impacts on their mental health.
An estimated 6 million men per year experience symptoms of depression. Health experts also estimate about 3 million men suffer from anxiety disorders. In some cases, your physical health may worsen mental health symptoms and vice versa.
Low testosterone can directly impact your mental health by contributing to symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Treating low testosterone can often lead to significant improvements in mood, energy levels, and overall emotional well-being.
We can help you address your low testosterone with effective, affordable treatment plans. Schedule a low T appointment at one of our convenient locations now.
Why Addressing Mental Health is Important for Men’s Health Management
Conditions like anxiety, depression, or even high stress levels can create a vicious cycle, making it difficult to seek treatment. However, looking after your physical health can also help create a positive cycle for your total health. A thorough health assessment can also help rule out underlying conditions that may be linked to mental health symptoms. Our team is here to help you find answers and help you make positive changes for your overall well being.
Mental health conditions can often cause many different symptoms. For example, many men notice uncomfortable physical symptoms. Some symptoms of mental health conditions in men include:
- Weight changes
- Racing heart beat
- Headaches
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue
- Changes in work performance
- Mood changes
- Irritability
- Anger
If you notice these signs, talk to your men’s health clinic. You may have an underlying condition such as low testosterone that is contributing to your symptoms. Seeking treatment may help improve both your physical and mental health.
Help Improve Mental Health Symptoms & Risk Factors
Why is talking about men’s mental health so important? First, it affects your quality of life. Talking about mental health symptoms is part of men’s health management. Some health conditions that have been associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress include:
- Testosterone deficiency
- Sleep apnea
- Hypothyroidism
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Often, treating physical symptoms can positively impact your mental health. Your physical health and mental health are interrelated in many ways. When you’re not physically healthy, your mental health may suffer.
Depression, Anxiety, and Low Testosterone
Don’t let your mental health take a backseat — address underlying physical issues like low T through men’s health management.
Low testosterone is a common condition. It can also lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and high stress levels. There are a few different reasons this may be. For example, many of the cells in your brain have testosterone receptors. Some believe this is why low T levels can cause fatigue, mood changes, and depression symptoms.
Testosterone deficiency can also cause other symptoms that can have life-changing effects. Low testosterone can lead to weight gain, as testosterone plays a role in fat distribution in your body. It can also decrease your energy levels, making it difficult to exercise. This can worsen weight troubles, negative feelings, and body image issues. It can also lead to further fatigue, irritability, and other mental health symptoms.
Low libido is another common symptom of low testosterone. This can also affect your mental health. You may feel anxious about your low sex drive. You might notice changes in your romantic relationships, which can leave you feeling isolated. Once again, this can snowball quickly and lead to many of the same symptoms of anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions.
However, many people find that low testosterone treatment can help ease both the physical and mental health symptoms. Lifestyle changes and testosterone replacement therapy can help bring your testosterone levels back into healthy ranges. This can help improve energy, mood, fat distribution, and libido. Therefore, if you think your mood changes are due to low testosterone, a men’s health assessment may uncover underlying conditions that can cause or worsen your symptoms.
Low Thyroid Hormone & Depression
Hypothyroidism is a condition where your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Low thyroid can also cause similar symptoms to depression like fatigue, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and low libido. Many people notice improvements in mood, memory, and cognition after starting hypothyroid treatment.
Fatigue and difficulty concentrating are some of the most common symptoms people see with hypothyroidism. This may lead to difficulties with work performance, relationships, and in social interactions. When these issue happen, many people feel anxious, alone, and depressed.
Other symptoms can also lead to changes in your life. For instance, weight gain, muscle weakness, and joint pain can all make everyday activities difficult. They may also affect your self-image. Low sex drive due to hypothyroidism can also impact your relationships and lead to depression and anxiety symptoms.
Detecting hypothyroidism usually takes a simple blood test from our men’s health management provider. We generally recommend medication to help manage thyroid levels and symptoms of hypothyroidism.
High Stress and Anxiety Can Increase Cholesterol
Stress and anxiety can also increase your cholesterol levels. There are a few different theories on why. For example, stress and anxiety can increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol can cause changes in your body, causing your testosterone to drop and making it difficult to follow a healthy lifestyle. For example, it may be hard to find motivation to exercise. You may crave comfort foods that can raise cholesterol levels. Many also self-medicate with tobacco and alcohol when feeling depressed or anxious. All these factors can increase cholesterol levels.
However, high cholesterol treatment often involves positive lifestyle changes that may also help your mental health. Exercise is a great lifestyle change for both high cholesterol and stress or anxiety. Regular exercise can also help boost your mood. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can also help you feel better and may help you feel more energetic. We may also recommend relaxation methods to help reduce stress levels to help you with cholesterol management.
If you deal with chronic stress or anxiety, you may also be at risk for high cholesterol levels. Comprehensive men’s health management can help you find lifestyle changes and other treatments for high cholesterol. These may even help you reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms.
Hypertension, Depression, and Anxiety
Men with depression or anxiety may also have a higher risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure. Some studies estimate those with severe depression or anxiety may be two to three times more likely to develop high blood pressure. Low testosterone has also been linked to heart health concerns in men.
While hypertension often shows no symptoms, some men do experience erectile dysfunction. This is because hypertension can limit the blood flow to your penis. This may impact your sex life and romantic relationships, which can also affect your mental health.
Treatment for hypertension often includes healthy lifestyle changes as part of a men’s health management program. These changes may improve your mental health and mood. For example, getting plenty of exercise is often recommended for high blood pressure. This can help reduce stress and also improve your mood and energy levels. Eating a healthy diet can also have positive effects on your mental health. A balanced diet can help you fight fatigue and other symptoms of depression. Limiting alcohol and nicotine for hypertension may also help improve your total health, including mood. Taking small steps like these may help put you on a positive path toward better overall health.
Diabetes & Your Mental Health
Diabetes is another condition associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Changes in blood sugar levels can affect your mood. For example, low blood sugar levels can cause aggression, irritability, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and changes in behavior or personality. High blood sugar may lead to fatigue, mental fog, and nervousness. Many mistake these changes related to blood sugar as mental health symptoms. However, regulating your blood sugar levels can help reduce these mood changes. Treating your low testosterone can also support healthy blood sugar level response.
Many men with diabetes also experience a condition called diabetes distress. This is a common condition that has traits of stress, anxiety, and depression. After diagnosis, many worry about managing blood sugar or how diabetes will affect their job. Others struggle with helping those closest to them understand. Therefore, many people experience mental health symptoms after diabetes diagnosis.
Unfortunately, high stress levels may even increase blood sugar levels, creating a cycle that may seem difficult to break. However, your men’s health management professionals can help you create a custom diabetes management plan. This can help you improve your blood sugar levels and may also help you have a more positive outlook on life.
Low T Center – Your Men’s Health Management Team
Low testosterone and other common health conditions in men can cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Treatment for these conditions and addressing your physical health can also help improve your mood and mental health. At Low T Center, we offer quality health care for men. Our teams are here to help you find underlying causes of your symptoms. Get started by checking your hormone balance through our convenient in-house bloodwork—schedule your low T assessment today. We are here to help you.
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Disclaimer: This article is made available for general, entertainment and educational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Low T Center. You should always seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.