The endocrine system of humans includes anatomically unrelated glands of internal secretion, such as the epiphysis, the parathyroid glands, the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, the thymus gland, the pancreas, the adrenal glands, and others. Most diseases of the endocrine system cause vital dysfunctions, involving neurological disorders and psychological abnormalities. Thus, given the wide range of hormonal diseases and constant interactions between humans’ nervous and endocrine systems, accurate diagnostics and screening of patients should precede psychological therapy and counseling.
Psychological problems and disturbances caused by the endocrine gland pathology are polymorphic. Endocrine diseases and hormone imbalance are associated with a wide spectrum of cognitive and emotional problems, including distress, anxiety, depression, restlessness, insomnia, decreased concentration, emotional liability, and so forth (Fisher et al. 766; Kravets 365; Pruneti et al. 250). As an endocrine disease progresses, the acerbation of psychological abnormalities is observed. The aforementioned neuropsychological dysfunctions are specific to patients with diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and other endocrine disorders.
Depression and emotional distress are the major psychological problems and neurological dysfunctions in patients with diabetes (Fisher et al. 765). These aberrancies are caused by diabetes-related vascular, neuroendocrine, and metabolic factors. This endocrine disease is associated with the deficiency of insulin or its low biological activity and is accompanied by hyperglycemia, worsened metabolic processes, tissue hypoxia, and damaged large and small blood vessels. Diabetes-caused depression and distress are characterized by patients’ withdrawal, increased fatigue, hypersensitivity to emotional irritants, multiple cognitive impairments, failure to comply with treatment and dietary restrictions required for this pathology, and so forth. Serious mental dysfunctions are more prevalent in individuals with severe physical complications, such as vision loss, kidney failure, and vascular diseases. The combination of psychotherapy and effective medications is recommended for patients with high levels of diabetes-caused emotional distress (Fisher et al. 770).
In patients with Cushing’s syndrome, the most important clinical abnormalities include major depression with alterations in mood, mania, anxiety, and various neurocognitive impairments (Pivonello et al. 2). This endocrine disease develops due to the overproduction of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the adrenal gland. Individuals with Cushing’s syndrome are atonic, inactive, and indifferent to events. They experience difficulties in concentrating on cognitive tasks, processing new information, and performing the slightest physical exertion (Pivonello et al. 3). Patients’ conditions are characterized by a heightened mood or even euphoria combined with a lack of initiative and inactivity. Depending on the disease severity, this endocrine dysfunction can be associated with panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts (Pivonello et al. 4). It is evident that the disease requires relevant interventions in addition to psychological counseling.
Neuropsychological abnormalities are specific to the pathology of the thyroid gland. Both decreased and increased production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland are related to cognitive impairments, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and psychological disturbances (Kravets 365; Pruneti et al. 249). Hypothyroidism is a reduced volume of thyroid hormones in tissues; “hyperthyroidism is an excessive concentration of thyroid hormones” (Kravets 363). Patients with hypothyroidism are characterized by sluggishness, drowsiness, fast fatigue, and deceleration of associative processes. According to Pruneti et al., neurocognitive deficits induced by hypothyroidism involve insufficient perceptual functions, disorientation in space and time, emotional depersonalization, defective language, memory loss, and so forth (250). Symptoms similar to neurosis and psychosis are also frequently observed in individuals with hyperthyroidism, encompassing irritability, depressed mood, vulnerability, thymopathy, insomnia, agitation, and anxiety (Kravets 365).
Summing up, endocrine diseases are accompanied by a wide spectrum of psychopathological symptoms and abnormalities. Moreover, the scope of endocrine diseases and psychological dysfunctions caused by them is far beyond the aforementioned disorders. Thus, before making a psychological diagnosis and selecting psychotherapies, patients should be comprehensively screened and examined in order to estimate their level of hormones.
Works Cited
Fisher, Lawrence, et al. “The Confusing Tale of Depression and Distress in Patients with Diabetes: A Call for Greater Clarity and Precision.” Diabetic Medicine, vol. 31, no. 7, 2014, pp. 764-779.
Kravets, Igor. “Hyperthyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment.” American Family Physician, vol. 93, no. 5, 2016, pp. 363-70.
Pivonello, Rosario, et al. “Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Cushing’s Syndrome.” Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 9, 2015, pp. 1-6.
Pruneti, Carlo, et al. “Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Behavioral and Psychophysiological Characteristics. A Pilot Study.” International Journal of Advanced Research, vol. 4, no. 1, 2016, pp. 249-255.