Who Is This Person?
At a time of celebration and family gatherings, it seems appropriate to talk of the effect of thyroid disease on one’s personality. Often, we tend to look at the effects of any disease process as purely physical. However, we humans are not physical beings only, but spiritual and emotional. Someone once described hormones to me as the enzymes that run the chemical processes in the body. Did you know that a chemical process in the brain governs even emotion?
In his book, The Thyroid Solution, Dr. Ridha Arem describes T3 as a powerful brain chemical found in the synapses (junctions between nerve cells) that allow these cells to communicate with one another. Thyroid hormone also regulates the levels and actions of other brain chemicals, such as serotonin, noradrenaline and GABA. Studies strongly support the idea that T3 is essential for maintaining normal mood and behavior. So, it’s no wonder that those of us with thyroid conditions may experience personality changes, mood swings, depression or euphoria.
An imbalance can change normal behavior. One can go from a diplomat to a warmonger, from a loving gentle wife to a shrew, from the life of the party to a mole hiding from the world. People with thyroid imbalance may be critical and impatient often snapping at others. They may even tend to pick fights. They may display unreasonable anger at another but cannot take personal criticism.
Thyroid imbalance affects one’s expectations of others. One tends to make unrealistic demands and often tends to tell others exactly how they are doing everything wrong. These unrealistic demands coupled with the criticism and irritability can severely impact relationships.
Those with hypothyroidism tend to seek peace and quiet and may withdraw from family and friends. They may have a low tolerance for sound and activity. They may lose all interest in family activities complaining that they just want to be left alone. They may become clinically depressed.
Sometimes, the opposite occurs and those with the disorder complain that they need more attention and often feel that they are not getting enough. They tend to have mixed feelings about loved ones. If the loved one is not there playing by the right script the person with the imbalance may turn on them becoming irritable and angry. Unfortunately, those with thyroid imbalance don’t always share the script or rules that they expect their loved ones to follow. They may not even be aware of their unrealistic expectations.
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