Do you spend your days in green pastures of health and well being or a desert of struggle and despair?  There are two very different worlds when it comes to health and well being; you are either feeling good physically and emotionally or you are struggling day in and day out. Your emotional state may affect your health more than your realize. There is a connection between autoimmune disease and mood disorders like anxiety, panic attacks and depression? According to Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health “an autoimmune disease increases the risk of mood disorder by 45%.” Researchers continue to find connections between

immune system disorders and brain function. Evidence also suggests that women suffering from autoimmunity have an increased risk of having children with autism or learning and behavior disorders. “Autoimmune disease in women during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of learning disabilities in their sons;” according to the Journal of the American Medical Association; Pediatrics. It is becoming quite clear that immune system disorders seen with autoimmunity are not confined to this system alone. There is considerable overlap between the immune system and the nervous system (brain) and this can lead to mood, emotional and learning disorders.

Chicken or the Egg?

A great deal of research has demonstrated that people with autoimmune disease also suffer from mood disorders; but could the autoimmune disease have been triggered by a mood disorder? The medical journal, Autoimmunity Review states; “…psychological stress has been implicated in the development of autoimmune disease.”  When someone is suffering from psychological stress, anxiety or depression, there is an imbalance of the chemicals produced by the brain. Collectively, these chemicals are called neurotransmitters. Examples of neurotransmitters include serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Most antidepressant medications used today influence serotonin and/or norepinephrine levels in the brain.

Anxiety / Depression Causing Autoimmunity?

Is there a connection between neurotransmitter imbalance and autoimmune disease? Harvard Health reported that 23% of women in their 40s and 50s take antidepressants and women are 2.5 times more likely to be taking antidepressants than men.

The Connection:

Now we will look at 3 ways neurotransmitter imbalances can cause an autoimmune disease:

1. Neurotransmitter imbalances lead to psychological stress, anxiety and depression. Over time, this puts stress on the immune system and has been proven to be a potential trigger for autoimmunity.
2. Neurotransmitter imbalances often leads to hormonal imbalances. See our blog Natural Hormone Balance for more detailed information regarding hormonal balance and neurotransmitters. According to the AARDA (American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association) “of the 50 million Americans living with autoimmune disease, more than 75% of them are women.” With the majority of those suffering with autoimmunity being women, hormone imbalances must be considered as a potential trigger for autoimmune disease. To make matters worse, tens of millions of American women are taking synthetic hormones (birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy). Hormonal imbalance can also be a trigger for autoimmune disease.
3. Neurotransmitter play a role in the immune response. One aspect of the immune system involved in autoimmunity is a class of chemicals called cytokines. These (cytokines) act like messenger chemicals between the cells of your immune system. If cytokines are out of control, the immune system goes out of control; autoimmunity is an immune system that is out of control! Research has shown that inflammatory cytokines are influenced by neurotransmitters and a chemical that competes with neurotransmitters called melanin. This particular concept is a bit complicated, so we will just state that there is a connection between neurotransmitters and how your immune system regulates itself.

As you can see, there are several potential connections between mood disorders and autoimmunity. These disorders are typically driven by neurotransmitter imbalances and these same imbalances can lead hormone dysregulation, immunity disorders and ultimately autoimmune disease. If a neurotransmitter imbalance is causing and perpetuating autoimmune disease, it should be addressed from a functional medicine approach. If you or a loved one suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, hormonal imbalances or immune system problems contact our office for an integrated medicine consultation.

For more information about functional medicine or Dr. Sexton, contact our office or visit our website.

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources.