For those of you who are in eunuch hormone levels, do you get depressed? I do all the time, no interest in life, I feel like I want to die.

Depression, Anger, mood swings, I get the works. Completely not fun. It gets better for me though. I go through ups and downs, because my T levels are not constant.

The worst for me are the transition periods where my T levels start to bottom out. Before I got my Hypogonadism diagnosis, I honestly thought I was crazy. I know now that anger and rage, are not necessarily connected to high levels of testosterone. My depressions would trigger me to be overly sensitive, and lash out in very unhealthy ways. Over the years it has become less of an issue, but the depression still hits me. Now that I can recognize what is happening to me, it has become much easier to control.

During prolonged periods of low T, I find the depression becomes less and less. I can become more centered and more myself... that is, once I get past the transition phase. I think of it like coming out of a drug dependency. The problem for me, is that the drug (testosterone) comes back on its own whether I want it to or not.

I can now recognize when testosterone is starting to flood back into my system. I start getting morning erections again, and I often feel like a caged animal who's hungry for something but I can't tell what. As testosterone floods back, I may have a manic state for a short while. I become more physically motivated rather than mentally motivated (meaning I find I need to do more with my body. Build something, do some physical activity). I usually end up injured during these periods. My sleep cycle becomes shorter, and more restless. What little libido I have, returns.

I don't feel very much like myself during these high Testosterone days.

A lot of eunuchs find they need testosterone to feel like themselves. To help avoid the depression and lethargy. Some, once they adapt to no testosterone, feel more centered and calm. Everybody takes to it differently.

Depression is not something to take lightly or ignore. If your depression is the lasting kind, you need to do something for yourself. You may need to go back on T. Talk to your doctor about your options. Being a survivor of depression I can tell you, you can't always handle it on your own. Seek help if you need it.

All I can tell you about for sure are my own experiences. For me, the longer I am deprived of testosterone, the better I feel, but I have to go through a period of depression to get there.

You may be going through an adaptation phase where your body is getting used to not having testosterone, or you could have a more serious problem. My advice is not to chance it, but to contact your doctor, or health service provider. Figure out why you are getting depressed. Is it chemical or emotional? Your doctor can help you figure out what it is.

If all that was too long to read, then here is the short answer;

YES. Lack of testosterone can cause depression.

mantonis (imported) wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:46 am For those of you who are in eunuch hormone levels, do you get depressed? I do all the time, no interest in life, I feel like I want to die.

Yes, this is a frequent occurance. The best advice anyone can give is see a psychiatrist or prescribing psychologist, and get an order for an anti-depressant, then use it. There is no reason to suffer needlessly, nor risk the desire to die.

I think Kristoff is correct. Although my therapist is rubbish for anything about getting help with a perscription (hormones) he is usefull for someone to talk to. It is a bit odd and I hate myself for having to have a therapist but the fact of just talking to someone does help alot. I go up and down through the day. I have times when I'm singinging happly to myself around the house and then later on that same day I feel like c**p and realy depressed... Its not fun to feel up then realy down. I would advise talking to someone who can help and listen.

I've suffered from severe clinical depression since my early teens, and being castrated had no impact either way. I've been prescribed both Prozac and Cymbalta for a number of years, but still had minor episodes in spite of the medications. A few months ago I added Abilify (aripiprazole) to the Cymbalta, and I've experienced only one very mild depressive episode, which lasted less than twelve hours. Abilify is classified as an "atypical anti-psychotic", but at 2mg and 5mg, the doses are much, MUCH weaker than those used for treating psychosis. In my case, it has curbed the extremes of my emotions while still allowing a very satisfactory range of emotions in between. Abilify is not necessarily this effective for everyone, and is best prescribed by a psychiatrist, rather than a GP. As with everything else in life, YMMV (your mileage may vary.)

Perhaps it is worth to try progesterone?

For the short time (four months) that I was on depo provera, I had no depression at all, quite the opposite for me. Everyone here will be quick to point out "your mileage may vary," castration affects every person in a different way, so my experience with it, while uniquely my own experience, is not any more unique than anyone else's entirely unique experience. "We are all just as unique as everyone else." With that said... Do you think that maybe your depression could be NOT cause by castration, but rather by the same causes for depression that affect non-castrated males and females?

Mantonis, I read some of your previous posts here, and it seems to me that you have had more that your share of OTHER problems, that you seem to think all of these problems are stemming only from your castration issues, but that you are not giving full consideration to the problems ASIDE from and apart from the castration issue.

Firstly, you have a boyfriend who uses a CPAP aparatus that interferes with your own good night's sleep. The IMPORTANCE of a good night's sleep is so often overlooked. Please, give that some though, castrated or not, you need some "R.E.M. sleep" (sleep with dreams in it) every night.

Secondly, over that past few years of posting here, I read that you have tried different drugs, and had unpleasant side effects with each one, and it seems a total lack of effectiveness with some of the drugs in that they did not bring you T levels down at all. I am pretty certain that some of the drugs you have been getting are NOT pure and have be illegally diluted by dishonest suppliers.

Also, reading your posts, it seems to me that you have a real idiot for a doctor, MOST medical professionals are in my opinion arrogant and presumptuious IDIOTS. They all presume to "know what's best for you" and completely ignore your own thoughts and desires.

It sounds to me like your depression might be slightly worse because of the castration, but actually the REAL and major cause of your depression are the same causes that affect all persons, castrated or not. It sounds to me like you are just not with the right people in you daily life. "When you can't change the people in your life, it is time to CHANGE the people in your life."

A few years ago I would have said no but I had been thinking about my past as a teenager. I do know that whereas I may have started out with some testosterone by sometime when I was in my twenties I probably had none and didn't care. At sixteen a nurse had recommended T-shots for me which I did not want. So as I remember later at nineteen years old for about half a year I went through a very curious time. I had a dozen of each: embarasssing hot flashes, troublesome nightsweats, splitting headaches in which any noise or light would explode my brain with pain, and more importantly very intense cry sessions that would last for many days sometimes. It could get so intense that I'd be completely without tears, my heart would be imploding and I'd be walking "lost" out in the sagebrush in the cold night air. Animals would just give me these incredibly curious looks and I wouldn't care since I was so far inside of myself. There'd be a build up toward my cry's that would last sometimes hours and other times for weeks and then I'd cry sometimes like there was no tomorrow. It actually didn't matter how long the build-up lasted in proportion to either the amount or the intensity of my crying. I gave no thought to all the intense cry's that I had back then but I sure did have them and I remember feeling in some incredible pain about all kinds of things that didn't seem to be going right. I had also went drinking whiskey with some "friends" during the middle of that period of time and spent a week red as a beet and unable to stomach any real food too and having to clean up after myself. I may be very lucky to have survived nineteen with the intensity of my depression at the time. After I got rid of those two little worthless marbles, I had no hot flashes which I would have about once a year except when I was nineteen. My long crying sessions may have very well have been linked to that time when my hormone levels probably had had suddenly dropped.

Deacon, you may have hit upon what my issues were!

I too had some of the issues that have been listed here but I have to say the biggest issue was how tired i was. Later I was to find out that I had sleep apnea do to my weight. I was put on the CPAP too and had the band installed. Those sleep related issues are long gone (and the weight) thankfully.

I've just begun Andro (inj) again for the third time now. My wife and I both agree that I'm happier without the T although the other issues like being so damn tired caused me to get off of it after 8 months (the first time I was on it for 9 months). Each time as I've come off of it there has been a deminished T effect thankfully, I do so want to stay on Andro as long as I can without those previous issues.

So, I do hope that you hit onto something with regards to me. We'll see where I am in six months.

Joe

Best of luck to you jbird1955.

I think that this sort of thing happens more often than people want to think about. Everyone is soooooo obsessed with the post castration depression, I have read some posts here that insist there is "ALWAYS" a depression caused by chemical or surgical castration, and some even go so far as to say that suicidal thoughts are inevitable, and OMG I wish they would give it a rest! The best take on it is simply this: each and every one of us are unique, and castration will affect each of us in some unique ways, and some similar ways.... some of us never felt the post castration depression, some of us did.

So, when someone does have a depression, I think it is just so wrong for everyone to automatically assume that it is caused by the diminished T levels, and totally ignore the many other VERY REAL causes of depression.