Advertisements and commercials for pills to take away anxiety and depression are everywhere in our society. Depression and anxiety are a real problem for many people, and seeking proper medical intervention is an important step towards recovering and living a full and happy life.

But sometimes depression and anxiety are caused by other medical conditions, with the moods changes being a result of a physical problem somewhere in the body. If you or someone you know suffers from one of the following medical conditions and is experiencing mood changes, a visit to the doctor is in order to discuss options.

• Thyroid Disease: The thyroid gland is a complicated little piece of machinery; it affects how your body responds to other hormones, and is involved in energy production and protein regulation.  An overactive thyroid can cause anxiety, irritability, and nervousness.  Conversely, with hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland) can cause one to feel tired, fatigued, and depressed.

• Dehydration: Dehydration is a problem for many people…and they don’t even know it.  By the time one actually feels thirsty, they are already dehydrated.  Depression, weight gain, headaches and fatigue can result from chronic dehydration. The great thing about this is that it’s easy to drink more water…the general rule of thumb is divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces per day.

• Vitamin D Deficiency: This is a tricky one, because it’s uncertain as to whether or not Vitamin D deficiency causes depression, or if it is just associated with it.  Regardless, there does seem to be a correlation between a Vitamin D deficiency and a propensity for depression…so get your RDA of Vitamin D, just in case.
  

• Asthma: It’s well known that stress can induce an asthma attack…but less talked about is how an asthma attack, or even fear of one, can itself lead to anxiety or panic disorder.  Asthma and anxiety can be a vicious cycle, and both can lead to shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and tightness in the chest might be anxiety.
  

• Sleep Deprivation: It’s often tough to get adequate shut-eye these days, even though we know it’s best for us.  So we soldier on, coping with being a little tired and trying to conceal those dark circles under our eyes.  However, for some, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to more serious complications, clinical depression being one of them.

• Structural Brain Issues: If the integrity of the brain isn’t intact, mood disorders and a host of other behavioral problems can occur.  This can include tumors and strokes as well as disease processes such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety, seek medical advice.  If you think any of these other conditions might be affecting your mood, make sure to tell your doctor about your suspicions.  You may not need one of those advertised pills after all.

Image from Human Clinic.