Testosterone and Anxiety: Is Low Testosterone Causing Your Anxiety?

Did you know that low testosterone and anxiety go hand in hand? One of the most tragic and harmful symptoms of low testosterone is anxiety.

After making the decision to dedicate all my energy to optimizing my testosterone levels I observed some interesting things in the process.

One of the most rewarding benefits I observed was that as my testosterone increased I experienced a strong sense of calmness and control in daily life.

This was a surprising side effect because by nature I have always been a reserved quiet person.

This feeling of calmness and confidence is why I know from personal experience that testosterone has a profound influence on the mind.

But is there any research out there to show this connection between testosterone and anxiety?

let’s take a look

Low Testosterone and Anxiety Research

1) A Study was done that involved giving 16 healthy women either a single dose of testosterone or a placebo. The women then undertook a masked emotional stroop task that measured emotional responses to fearful faces. Results showed the habitual vigilant response was considerably reduced after testosterone was given. To see this study click here.

2) In a study, male rats were given injections of testosterone and then submitted to the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety. The rats that received testosterone showed a decrease in anxiety-like behaviors. To see this study click here.

3) A Study was done with 40 male patients to find out the impact of testosterone replacement therapy over a period of time. After six months of therapy, the patients were assessed for anxiety and depression levels. The results showed a marked improvement in the above parameters after testosterone therapy. To see this study click here

How Testosterone Influences the Brain

There is now evidence that supports how testosterone has anxiety-reducing potential. Here are a few examples.

DHT Benefits

In a study done on rats, it was found that DHT in the brain causes a lowering of anxiety. Now it’s interesting to note that DHT is actually converted from male testosterone levels.

This is why boosting testosterone will have the great benefit of lowering anxiety. This study also showed that when the rat’s anxiety was lowered they explored more. You probably have also noticed in your own life that when fear is absent things become more creative and fun.

Reduced Fear

Fear and anxiety are very similar in nature and in general when testosterone is increased fear and anxiety is reduced. In studies where male rats are castrated, they show fear evoking responses as a result.

Decreased Amygdala Activity

The Amygdala is the area of the brain that is involved in fear and the fight or flight response. There have been many studies that show that testosterone lowers the activity of the Amygdala and can be seen as a beneficial support for the brain.

Does Testosterone Always Cure Anxiety and Fear?

Absolutely not, there are many causes and many reasons for anxiety. There can be things like traumatic events experienced in the past, unusually high levels of cortisol hormones, life events such as working in a bad job, relationship problems and many more causes of anxiety.

When it comes to reducing and healing anxiety there might be a need for counseling, a change in diet, supplements that help to ease anxiety and other holistic options that can help.

But one thing is for sure is that boosting testosterone naturally will not do any harm in your quest to lower anxiety and improving your mood.

Having said all that if you are going through a period of high anxiety and stress there are many things that can help.

Here are some natural ways to reduce anxiety

1) Meditation and any type of relaxation exercise will teach you the amazing skill of being able to relax at will. This skill of being able to relax when you need to is going to keep cortisol levels low and improve your testosterone levels. If you are a person who just can’t seem to learn meditation then music can also be a great tool to help with relaxation.

2) Using the herb Ashwagandha is a great way to lower anxiety and help your body to adapt to stress. It also has the ability to promote the balancing of physiological processes in the body. There are many studies showing how ashwagandha can help with stress. To read my article about this amazing herb click here.

3) Vitamin C is a vitamin that has been proven to lower the secretion of cortisol and it also has the added ability to work at diminishing the destructive effects of the stress hormone.

4) Carbohydrates have been shown in studies to have a calming effect when eaten and can also lower cortisol levels. Just remember to not go overboard and make sure you are consuming the good quality carbohydrates that are full of nutrition. You definitely do not want to be on a strict low carbohydrate diet when suffering from anxiety or stress.

5) When it comes to brain health all the experts now agree that the single most important thing that you can do for your brain is to take a top quality fish oil supplement. This will help you to think more clearly and will also help to improve mood. A great way to get these benefits is to take a high-quality supplement blend of High Vitamin Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil this blend is also packed with Vitamin D and Vitamin A which are also testosterone boosters.

Conclusion

I hope this article has opened your eyes to the very real connection between testosterone and anxiety. The evidence is out there that naturally boosting testosterone will have a major impact on the brain but the real proof is in the pudding as they say.

If you can use all the powerful and natural ways at your disposal to get your own testosterone levels to the upper end of the scale then you can judge how this impacts your mood and also your stress levels. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

But also remember that anxiety can have many causes and sometimes a purely physical approach will not be enough depending on the circumstances of each person. So in that case use whatever you can to heal anxiety in a holistic way.

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