What are hormones?
Hormones are chemical signals that are produced by specialised cells in various places in the body. They are released into the blood or into the fluid between the cells and distributed throughout the body. When they reach their target organ, they can trigger very specific effects there. These effects can be very different: for example, hormones can signal that blood pressure and pulse are rising, that you are getting tired or hungry, or that female ovulation is about to take place.
The term hormone comes from ancient Greek and means something like "drive" or "excite". And that is exactly what hormones do in our body - they stimulate certain processes in our body. Hormones are like our body's postmen. They transmit messages between different organs and ensure that all functions in the body run correctly and in a well-coordinated manner.
Today, around 100 hormones are known to control us. And it is assumed that we do not know all of them yet and that there are other hormones in our body that are just waiting to be discovered.
Where do our hormones come from?
Our hormones are produced in glands. There are several of them in very different places in the body. We distinguish between two types of glands: The so-called "exocrine" glands do not produce hormones, but rather our saliva or sweat, for example. The "endocrine" glands, however, have hormone-producing cells from which very specific hormones are released into the body. Let's take a look at a few important ones:
Pituitary gland (hypophysis):
Our pituitary gland is located in the middle of the head, roughly at the level of the nose. The pituitary gland is the central control of hormone metabolism - the mail center, so to speak. A whole range of control hormones are produced here, which are then sent to other hormone glands via the bloodstream. Once there, they increase or inhibit the production of numerous other hormones in the body.
Hypothalamus:
The hypothalamus is a part of the brain. It produces two hormones that are then stored in the pituitary gland and distributed throughout the body in due course. Namely, the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin - commonly known as the cuddle hormone.
Pineal gland (epiphysis):
The pineal gland is also located in the middle of the brain. This is where melatonin is produced – the most important hormone for our sleep-wake rhythm.
Thyroid:
The thyroid gland is butterfly-shaped and is located on the front of the neck, just below the larynx. The thyroid hormones produced there (including thyroxine) influence almost all bodily functions. Thyroid disorders can therefore lead to very different symptoms: an underactive thyroid gland is more likely to lead to exhaustion, listlessness, obesity, hair loss, muscle weakness, a weak immune system, forgetfulness or infertility. On the other hand, an overactive thyroid gland can cause heart palpitations, nervousness, headaches, high blood pressure, anxiety and bone loss.
Pancreas:
The pancreas is located behind or below the stomach in the upper abdomen. It produces, among other things, glucagon and insulin - two hormones that control our blood sugar levels.
Stomach and intestines:
Various digestive hormones are produced throughout our intestinal tract, which determine which nutrients are absorbed and which are not. The stomach also produces ghrelin - a hormone that regulates our feeling of hunger.
Kidneys and adrenal glands:
The kidneys are located on the side of the spine below the diaphragm. A smaller adrenal gland sits on top of each one like a cap. The adrenal glands are one of our most important hormone glands and influence the entire body. The well-known stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline are produced here. The adrenal glands also produce aldosterone and the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.
Gonads: The gonads refer to the ovaries in biologically female bodies and the testicles in biologically male bodies. Various sex hormones are also produced in the gonads. The best known are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
By the way: All three hormones are produced in the adrenal glands in all bodies - regardless of whether they are biologically male or female. However, they are produced in different quantities and they sometimes fulfil different functions.
Our examples are just a selection of the most important endocrine glands and hormones in the body. There are many other places that produce hormones and - if you've counted - even more hormones to get to the approximate number of 100. For example, the liver is involved in the production of hormones that regulate the body's water balance. And the parathyroid glands produce hormones that influence the health of our bones. Hormones are also produced in the skin and in fat cells.
Excursus: Neurotransmitters – hormones that are not hormones
Serotonin is also generally known for its psychological effect as a happiness hormone - although serotonin is not a hormone in the classic sense. It is one of the so-called neurotransmitters. Hormones and neurotransmitters fulfil very similar tasks - both are messenger substances in the body. While neurotransmitters transmit their messages directly between nerve cells and at lightning speed (in milliseconds), hormones take longer to travel via the bloodstream, but they also have an effect over hours, days or even weeks. For example, slower processes such as the menstrual cycle, digestion or growth are controlled by hormones, while fast processes such as sensory perception, attention or emotions (such as joy, fear, anger) are triggered by neurotransmitters.
In addition to serotonin, neurotransmitters also include dopamine, noradrenaline and endorphin. Some substances, such as adrenaline, act as both neurotransmitters and hormones.
Adrenaline occurs as a neurotransmitter in nerve cells and is responsible for increased alertness, the fear response and excitement in a dangerous situation. In addition, adrenaline is also released into the blood as a hormone in such a dangerous situation and leads to an increase in pulse, blood pressure and breathing rate. Both mechanisms put the mind and body into fight-or-flight mode.
Chaos in the head – how hormones influence the psyche
Hormones not only influence physical processes, but also play an important role in our mental health. Various mental illnesses or symptoms can also be influenced by hormonal disorders. It is of course important to note here that mental illnesses are always an interplay of many different influencing factors and hormones only represent one aspect. But let's look at some examples of how hormones influence our psyche.
Stress and burnout
The hormone cortisol plays a very important role in relation to stress . It is not for nothing that it is already generally known as the "stress hormone". Together with adrenaline, it activates the body when we are under stress: the heart beats faster, breathing accelerates, blood pressure rises, we are highly concentrated and efficient. There is a feedback mechanism to regulate the cortisol level. This means that production decreases when there is already a lot of cortisol in the body. In addition, most cortisol is naturally produced in the morning, and production then decreases over the course of the day.
People who suffer from burnout or depressive moods often have particularly high cortisol levels. Chronic stress, which leads to permanently elevated cortisol secretions, can disrupt the natural internal cortisol clock and feedback mechanism and be one of the risk factors for burnout or depression.
In the free online therapy course Empowerment Avenue Stress and Burnout you can learn important strategies to better deal with stress and pressures in your life in the future. The course can also help reduce depressive symptoms.
Mood swings and depression
In addition to increased cortisol, researchers suspect that a lack of testosterone or estrogen, among other things, can play an important role in depression. However, the exact mechanisms are still unclear.
Estrogen is one of the most important hormones in the female cycle. Many women experience mood swings, especially in the second half of the cycle when estrogen is low. Women also experience mood swings and other symptoms when menopause begins, when less estrogen is produced. It is therefore reasonable to assume that an estrogen deficiency may also play a role in the depressed mood during depression.
Testosterone also seems to have an influence. There are studies that have shown that participants who took testosterone had a reduction in depressive symptoms. In addition to the hormones already mentioned, a thyroid disorder that is associated with a lack of thyroid hormones can also have an influence on drive and mood. The hormone melatonin is also said to play an important role in the development of winter depression.
Sleep problems
Melatonin is produced in greater quantities as soon as it gets dark. At dawn and with increased light, production decreases and is therefore the exact opposite of cortisol production. Artificial light in the evening inhibits melatonin production, which can disrupt the natural internal clock. Those affected whose internal clock is out of sync can suffer from persistent fatigue and sleep disorders, among other things. In Canada, the drug melatonin is used much less frequently to help people fall asleep than in other countries. In the USA, for example, there are a number of drugs containing melatonin that are supposed to help with jet lag, winter depression, nocturnal high blood pressure and memory problems - but clear evidence is often lacking.
Did you know? Instead of simply taking melatonin tablets for sleep disorders, leading experts in sleep research recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. The online therapy course Empowerment Avenue Sleep can teach you the most important techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and improve your sleep rhythm sustainably and effectively.
Hormone therapy and psychology
It is not just fluctuations in our own hormone production that can have an impact on our psyche. Hormones administered from outside - for example in the form of hormone therapy - can also affect our mental health. One example of such hormone therapy is that which around a third of women in Canada undergo: contraception with the contraceptive pill. There has been debate for many years about whether taking these hormones can lead to depression in some women. There is still no consensus on this - some studies suspect a connection, others have not been able to prove it.
Ultimately, if you are worried that hormones could have a negative impact on your psyche, you
should speak to your gynecologist. You can then discuss together whether a different
contraceptive method or hormone-free alternatives might be an option.
Who can I contact if I have hormone problems?
Our psyche and our hormones are in constant interaction. It is not only the hormones that influence the psyche, but also the other way around. It is important that if you have problems or a suspected hormonal disorder, you consult a medical professional who can carry out examinations and give an assessment. So-called endocrinologists are responsible for hormonal disorders. Your family doctor can also be a good first point of contact.
It is often not easy to diagnose a hormonal disorder in the body. However, once it has been found, it is usually easy to treat.
At the beginning of psychotherapy, a medical assessment of the symptoms is usually carried out to check whether a hormonal disorder may be present. And even if a hormonal disorder is confirmed, it can be useful and helpful to undergo additional psychotherapy to deal with the symptoms.