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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2018)
22 Wednesday, May 2, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Your Story MATTERS Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist Thyroid dysfunction and your mood In my office at She Soars Psychiatry, I practice func- tional medicine. Functional medicine aims to identify root causes of health con- cerns and in doing so, sup- ports treatment solutions that are long-lasting and sustain- able. Given my specialty in mental health, the intersec- tion between your hormones and emotions is a “root” that cannot be dismissed. Your hormones are intimately connected with your mood in a bidirectional, dynamic relationship and one of the major players in this rela- tionship is your thyroid. Your thyroid is a butter- fly shaped gland that sits in the lower part of your neck. It has many important roles including growth & devel- opment, metabolism, tem- perature regulation, and neurotransmitter production among others. Thyroid dysfunction is on the rise these days. This may be due to the thyroid being particularly susceptible to potentially damaging effects of synthetic, hormone-dis- rupting chemicals that have increased exponentially the past 40-50 years find- ing their way into the air, water, and food supply. It is estimated that worldwide up to 25 percent of the popula- tion has some degree of thy- roid dysfunction. Therefore, when I evaluate someone for depression, anxiety, poor motivation, and poor focus among other symptoms, it is imperative that thyroid func- tion be assessed. Thyroid imbalances can trend in two directions. Most commonly, thyroid func- tion and hormones associ- ated with the thyroid create a state of hypothyroidism. H O LI STI C MENTAL HEALT H SO LU T IONS FOR T HE WHOLE FAMILY • Functional medicine approach • Focus on root causes to emotional wellness • Low-cost monthly memberships Audry • Counseling & medication Van Houweling management PMHNP-BC Call to set up an appointment, 541-595-8337 www.shesoarspsych.com 102 E. Main Ave., Ste. 300A, Sisters Symptoms associated with hypothyroidism may include fatigue, depression, brain fog, memory loss, cold intolerance, weight gain, muscle pain, and dry skin. A l t e r n a t i v e l y, hyperthyroidism can be associated with restlessness, anxiety, weight loss, insomnia, rapid heart rate, irritability, and heat intolerance. Thyroid dys- function may be the conse- quence of an autoimmune disorder. Hashimoto’s dis- ease is the autoimmune state more commonly associated with hypothyroidism, while Grave’s disease is more commonly associated with hyperthyroidism. Women have seen the highest increases in thyroid dysfunction especially dur- ing pregnancy, postpartum, and postmenopausal states. In fact, it is estimated that up to 80 percent of post- partum depression may be associated with thyroid dysfunction. It is important to recog- nize that somebody with undiagnosed thyroid dys- function may present to a mental-health clinician and meet criteria for a number of psychiatric diagnoses such as major depression, generalized anxiety, panic, or attention deficit disorder. Therefore, while your symptoms may qualify you for a psychiatric diagnosis, the foundation of these symptoms may be hormonal, which often demands treat- ment approaches beyond psychotropic medications. In my opinion, truly assessing thyroid function necessitates looking at mul- tiple pieces of the puzzle. Too often many of these pieces are neglected, leav- ing an incomplete picture of what your thyroid is doing or not doing. At a minimum I recommend the following lab tests to assess thyroid function: TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, regu- lates secretion of T3 & T4) Free T3 (active form of thyroid hormone) Free T4 (inactive thyroid hormone, requires conver- sion to T3) Thyroid Antibody Test Thyroid dysfunction is on the rise these days. (this is important to rule out an autoimmune disease) Liver Function Test (your liver is very important for activating thyroid hormone) Ferritin (required for T3, your active thyroid hormone to work cellularly) Stress, diet, nutrient deficiency, lack of physical activity, oral contraceptives, heavy metals, pesticide exposure, chronic illness, and compromised liver or kidney function can all be contributors to thyroid dys- function. Thus, treating thy- roid dysfunction demands a personalized approach that considers these mul- tiple factors. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The good news that with a combination of hormonal support, lifestyle changes, and close monitoring, sig- nificant improvement is possible. Ultimately, it is important that mental-health symp- toms are not seen in a box and that we take a broad approach in investigating what their origins may be. Acknowledging the power of your thyroid and other possible root causes is para- mount to finding sustainable solutions. She Soars Psychiatry She Soars Psychiatry, LLC was born out of the belief that mental-health diagnoses are not always permanent conditions and that non-invasive meth- ods such as nutrition, fitness, supplementation, spirituality, social connections, and stress man- agement, may have as much — if not far more — impact than pharmaceuticals. Audry Van Houweling is focused on a func- tional, compassionate, personal approach that gets at root causes, not just symptoms. Functional med- icine appreciates inter-connections and strives to tell the whole story of what a client is experiencing. Audry utilizes the functional medicine framework to address the foundations of emotional wellness with competence and precision. S h e S o a r s Ps y c h i a t r y o f f e r s a n affordable concierge program to put her services well within reach of Sisters families who need them. Membership options include three months or six session; six months or 12 sessions; 12 months or 24 sessions. Sessions are transferrable to other family members. And unused sessions per month roll over and can be used later. Hospice of Redmond Hospice of Redmond, a small, indepen- dent nonprofit, has been providing excep- tional care to Central Oregon families since 1981. Their care model is designed to enhance and support all aspects of a patient’s life. Their experi- enced care team honors patients and their families, providing them with education, resources — and heartfelt support. Hospice of Redmond affirms life by focus- ing on its quality. Their commitment, along with the highest quality training of clinical staff and the volunteer group makes Hospice of Redmond the first choice for quality end-of-life care in the area. The Hospice team has made a difference in the lives of patients and families facing a terminal illness by assisting them with their own unique physical, emotional and spiritual needs. The clinical staff uses various methods of symp- tom management and pain control creating a holistic approach, which allows the patient to remain as active and in control of their lives as possible.
