Symptom 6: Mood Swings and Depression
Mood swings aren’t just the occasional ups and downs that everyone experiences. For someone with Cushing’s disease, these fluctuations in mood are far more pronounced, oscillating between euphoria and despair. There’s an emotional roller coaster in play, and it’s often inexplicable to the person experiencing it.
The excessive production of cortisol directly impacts the brain and its neurotransmitters. While cortisol is a stress hormone, meant to prepare the body for fight or flight, its chronic elevation leads to profound emotional and psychological effects. Suddenly, reactions to everyday events become unpredictable and out of proportion.
Depression, a more profound manifestation of these mood disturbances, is not just a mere feeling of sadness. It’s a consuming darkness that can severely hamper daily functioning. Simple tasks may seem insurmountable, and life might appear bleak and devoid of hope. The connection between cortisol and serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked with mood, plays a crucial role in this. (6)
