Depression is a serious illness that can affect your mind, body, mood and behavior. Depression can last a short while or a very long time. It is an illness that may have the same symptoms, but it is never the same experience for two people. There is evidence that connects high and low levels of the male hormone testosterone to depression in women.
Physical Signs of High Levels of Testosterone in Women
Women with high levels of the male hormone testosterone often have excess hair on their faces and bodies, acne and a lot of fat in their bellies. They might experience thinning hair on their heads and cysts on their ovaries.
Symptoms of Depression
The symptoms of depression can include a persistent sad or empty feeling, a loss of interest in activities that previously gave you pleasure, crying, sleeping too much or too little, weight loss or weight gain, thoughts of death or suicide, and headaches.
Reasons
Testosterone, the male hormone known as an androgen, is always present in females, but sometimes due to various factors including menstrual cycles and pregnancy, the hormone levels can change. The body is not used to this new level of testosterone and can find itself becoming depressed.
Treatment
There are antidepressants available and other medications that will treat your depression, but they must be prescribed by a licensed doctor. To change your level of testosterone naturally, you can make some lifestyle changes including incorporating foods that are estrogenically rich into your diet. These include potatoes, rice, wheat and cherries. Psychologists and psychiatrists will also offer invaluable help with this disease.
Results of Treatment
According to the APHA (American Public Health Association), 80% of people treated for depression feel better.
Fact
At the beginning of 2009, over 18 million Americans suffered from some sort of depression, and over half of them were women. This made depression the most common form of mental illness in the country.
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