Table of Contents
Can low testosterone cause anxiety and other mental health disorders? What happens if you can’t maintain normal testosterone levels? Is there a link between low testosterone and depression?
Yes, doctors will tell you that having low testosterone levels can lead to a major depressive disorder.
But there’s more to it than that.
Today, you’ll learn how having unchecked testosterone levels can lead to mental and physical symptoms. See tips on how to keep your testosterone in a normal range. And find out the different testosterone treatment options available for people with severe testosterone levels.
The Link Between Depression and Low Testosterone
It’s only natural for men to get lower testosterone levels as they grow older. But certain conditions lead to abnormally low testosterone. These include erectile dysfunction and weight gain.
The problem is that testosterone is a type of steroid that affects some functions of your central nervous system. And it’s also responsible for boosting the production of serotonin, a hormone that stabilizes the mood of a person.
If you don’t have enough testosterone in your body, you won’t be able to produce the hormones it needs to stay happy.
That’s the reason why low testosterone can lead to severe depression and other mental health issues. If you begin showing depressive symptoms, you should talk with a medical professional right away.
Low testosterone is sometimes referred to as low T. 2% of people who are assigned male at birth could have low testosterone. 50% of men over 80 years old could have low T.
Signs That You Have Low Testosterone
If you’re not sure that you have low testosterone, then you need to start looking for emotional symptoms. Here are just a few signs (other than depression) that you need to elevate your testosterone levels.
- Fatigue: Do you always feel tired even though you’ve had a lot of time to rest? Fatigue could be a sign that there’s something wrong with your testosterone.
- Irritability: How often do you get annoyed? If you get irritated more easily than you used to, make a mental note of it. It could be a sign that you’re not producing enough testosterone.
- Low Sex Drive: Men with low testosterone will have low libido. That means you don’t have sexual desire. Get yourself checked as soon as possible.
- Decreased Muscle Mass: Testosterone will affect muscle mass. If your muscles are growing smaller, there’s something wrong with your hormone levels.
- Forgetfulness: Some men with testosterone deficiency will exhibit problems with their memory. They’ll start becoming more forgetful.
- Stress: Your daily stress levels can also indicate whether you have depressive disorders caused by declining testosterone levels.
- Mood Swings: Men who change their mood from one minute to the next could be suffering from low T. They might need testosterone replacement therapy (more on that later) to correct their mood changes.
- Fewer Social Interactions: If you find yourself withdrawing from social events and interacting less with friends and family, you could have low T.
- Restlessness: Can’t sleep at night? That’s another sign of low T, especially for middle-aged men.
- Diminished Motivation: You can’t get yourself to care about things. And you don’t have the same drive as you used to.
- Weight Gain: Weight gain can be a sign that you’re not producing enough testosterone. You want to keep your weight within normal levels to maintain healthy testosterone levels.
- Low Self-Confidence: If you’re not feeling as confident as you used to, you have to be open to the possibility that it’s because of low T.
Do keep in mind that low testosterone shares the same symptoms with other anxiety disorders. You’ll need a professional to let you know if your symptoms are caused by anxiety and depression or if low testosterone is to blame for all of it.
Low testosterone and depression will often go hand-in-hand. So you want to keep an eye out for these symptoms. If you’re feeling any or all of them, you’ll have to talk to a doctor and ask about testosterone supplementation. That can fix serious to mild depression.
Low Testosterone and Sexual Dysfunction
Low T does not only affect your emotional health. It can also do damage to your sexual performance as well.
For instance, there is a correlation between low T and erectile dysfunction. So not only do you need to find ways to raise your testosterone levels but also deal with the effects of sexual dysfunction at the same time.
How to Raise Your Testosterone
If you’re only suffering from mild symptoms, there are ways to raise your testosterone without resorting to medical treatments.
Here’s what you need to do.
- Review Your Routine: What kind of life are you living? If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you should consider being more active. Playing sports or exercising would be a good start. And start eating healthy while you’re at it. A diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fish was linked to 35% lower rates of depression. Changing your lifestyle can return your testosterone level back to normal. It also makes it so that you get less severe depression.
- Talk to Your Partner: The reason why some men get depressed is that they don’t think they’re able to fulfill their roles as sexual partners. That’s why it’s important to talk to your significant other about your low T and what you’re going through emotionally and physically. This will remove some of the burdens off your shoulders.
- Sleep More: Sleep is good for maintaining testosterone levels. If you want to get your testosterone back up, then make sure that you get enough rest every night.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Those experiencing low T and depressive symptoms should consider testosterone therapy.
Testosterone treatment is one way of bringing low T back to normal range. Once it’s back to normal levels, expect those mental illnesses and other symptoms to go away. That low energy you’ve experienced will be gone. And it can get rid of your depression and mood swings as well.
For context about the significant increase in popularity of TRT, testosterone prescription sales increased from $100 million in 2000 to $2.7 billion in 2013.
But it’s important to talk to specialists first. Only a medical professional can tell you if you’re a suitable candidate for testosterone treatment. If not, a local low T specialist can recommend other ways to manage anxiety and depression.
Combat Sexual Dysfunction with Medical Guidance from St. Louis’ Top Men’s Clinic
You can overcome sexual health conditions with various other methods and men’s sexual health treatmentsrecommended by health practitioners at St. Louis’ Paramount Men’s Medical Center. This includes ED therapy, premature ejaculation therapy, RestoreWave therapy, testosterone treatment, and adrenal fatigue treatment.
Don’t miss out on any opportunities you can find to get the proper treatment and achieve a happy and fulfilling sex life. Give our team a call today to schedule your appointment.
