Published: August 8, 2025

Can Emotional Trauma Cause Thyroid Problems?

Experiencing stress is quite a natural state for a human being. After all, stress is any kind of circumstance that provokes physical or emotional pressure on an individual. Although stress is sometimes considered a must for a body as it activates our inborn mechanism ‘fight-or-flight’, it is often a great transforming factor for the body causing various health issues.

We often encounter situations when people get skin or hair issues because of stress, and it also impacts the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Yet, are you aware of the correlation between trauma and thyroid? We will discuss it in this article.

Connection Between Emotional Trauma and Thyroid Health

First, let’s briefly describe the meaning of the thyroid gland and why its health is important for our well-being. The thyroid gland is a little body part, a butterfly-shaped gland in the lower neck area. It is in charge of the formation of two hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, the principal regulators of metabolism. With their help, we digest carbs, proteins, and fats, keep a healthy weight, and lead an active lifestyle. When these hormones are imbalanced, it can provoke various health issues and appearance changes.

Though it might seem that the thyroid gland has no correlation to stress and the nervous system, it is not true. The thyroid works in tandem with the adrenal glands positioned on the top of each kidney. Their chief function is to generate sex hormones (estrogen and androgens), aldosterone, and cortisol — a stress hormone impeding metabolism. When we are distressed, the body faces a controversy: while the thyroid works on the hormones that boost metabolism, the adrenal gland generates cortisol which slows it down.

Does Stress Affect the Thyroid?

Stress is the aspect that shakes the balance between the living organism and its environment. It impacts the balance of multiple hormones, such as glucocorticoids, prolactin, and human growth hormone that increase the mobilization of energy and turn on adaptive functions as a response to stress [1]. It also is correlated with cortisol.

Cortisol enhances vasoconstriction and output in the cardiovascular system. It triggers the body’s readiness for the “fight or flight” response during acute stress, which is the mechanism of survival refined by evolution [2].

Cortisol instantly impacts the metabolism. Its increased levels lead to disruption in the thyroid gland performance. The levels of two hormones generated by the thyroid dropdown. At once, besides lower production of triiodothyronine and thyroxine. This happens because cortisol impedes the functions of the pituitary gland that develops thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in charge of the release of thyroid hormones.

Consequently, the thyroid gland inhibits the formation of both hormones. Moreover, when cortisol impacts thyroid hormones’ release, the body can’t transform thyroxine into triiodothyronine, causing increased amounts of the reversed thyroxine in the blood. This imbalance of thyroid hormones is also known as hypothyroidism. Paired with stress, it can provoke autoimmune thyroid disease [3].

Can Emotional Trauma Cause Thyroid Disease?

Stress is not only about physical trauma but mostly about emotional one. Although the most widespread stressful sources for thyroid issues are heart attacks, infections, diabetes, and childbirth, dysfunctioning thyroid trauma can also have an emotional origin.

The most conventional cause of thyroid disease among emotional traumas is PTSD. Yet, it relates solely to hypothyroidism, and the link between another thyroid issue and hyperthyroidism is still unclear [4]. Studies prove that constant or chronic stress is affiliated with hypothyroidism and thus, thyroid problems and childhood trauma are correlated too.

The Most Common Thyroid Diseases Caused by Emotional Stress

Can stress cause an underactive thyroid? As for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases, the most typical of them are two autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Grave’s hyperthyroidism onset is caused by emotional trauma [5]. Its principal impact on the body is induced by an enlarged thyroid, which results in heightened anxiety disorders and irritation, limb tremor, weight loss, erectile dysfunctions, menstruation changes, constant fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and specific ophthalmopathy called ‘Thyroid eye disease’. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism spoils the whole life quality and can even lead to disability.
Hashimoto disease is another prevalent outcome of emotions and thyroid correlation. It can rise even in childhood and progress slowly over the years. The consequences encompass constant fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, muscle weakness, hair loss, depression, and concentration issues.

Symptoms of Thyroid Issues After Severe Stress

The main signs that may indicate that your thyroid gland was attacked after severe stress (a so-called thyroid storm) are:

Severe fever;
Increased or erratic heart rate;
Limb tremor;
Seizures;
Diarrhea;
Excessive perspiration.

Please, keep in mind that these symptoms manifest in different ways, and their intensity varies based on the unique features of each organism. Yet, if you experience severe stress and feel certain symptoms, you’d better plan a visit to your primary care provider. Explain your worries pertaining to thyroid and emotions and ask them for endocrine system diagnostics so as not to miss the beginning of thyroid dysfunction.

How to Support Thyroid Health Under Stress

As you can see, the thyroid and trauma are tightly correlated. Alas, no one can avoid all the stresses within their lifetime. The best thing to do after you face a severe stressful situation, especially emotional trauma, is to take care of yourself. In the cases of thyroid storm after stress, your first aid can be enhanced in the succeeding routines you can maintain yourself:

Mindfulness and relaxation are your best friends. Take your time to unwind after stress, practice meditation, and indulge in relaxing hobbies. You can visit yoga classes or do some stretching exercises to move the focus from emotional stress to self-containing during the training. Moreover, such hobbies as knitting, stitching, or crocheting can help you relax and diminish the pressure of stressful factors on your thyroid gland.
A well-balanced diet is a must. Stress boosts cortisol which slows down your metabolism, so weight fluctuations are typical for thyroid issues induced by stress. Hypothyroidism often leads to weight gain as our cells neither effectively consume energy from carbs nor successfully process proteins. Thus, the weight grows due to fat deposits the body makes from the rest of the energy consumed. Ensure that your diet includes more lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, especially not processed, low-fat dairy products, and healthy vegetable fats. Portion control and overeating prevention are also a must.
Stay active. Though stress-related thyroid issues lead to constant fatigue, you can cope with it by walking daily in the fresh air, doing physical exercises, and regularly moving even if you stay at home.
Manage your sleep. Hyperthyroidism may cause you to feel sleepy all day long, and hyperthyroidism, on the contrary, provokes insomnia. Both these conditions require a substantial approach to sleep management. Do not miss your sleep time, air the room before falling asleep, take a warm shower before going to bed, and try some aromatherapy practices and meditation techniques in the evening to schedule your sleep and restore your energy. Be sure, your thyroid gland will significantly benefit from that.
Stress impacts both the body and the soul. If you overcome severe stress, they are still endangered. Don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A reasonable solution is to apply for a mental health provider’s help and an endocrinology specialist to reduce the impact of stressful factors on your psyche and thyroid.

Summaries

While scientists are still on their way to understanding whether “Can trauma cause thyroid problems?” or not, it is quite clear that emotional distress and trauma can cause them. This especially relates to childhood traumas (i.e. repeating child abuse, neglect, physical abuse, or their combo) or emotionally traumatic experiences of a long-lasting origin.

The core principle of affecting the thyroid gland is the increased level of cortisol production. This hormone is essential for our survival mechanism, but it causes thyroid hormone imbalance, typically, hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism, in turn, can cause an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s disease that steadily increases its harmful impact on the body, leading to poor life quality if untreated. That’s why you shouldn’t neglect stress as one of the harmful factors for your thyroid gland. Check on this organ’s health if you experience severe stress.

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