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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.