Psychosomatics of autoimmune thyroiditis
Autoimmune thyroiditis, or Hashimoto's disease, is when your immune system attacks your own thyroid gland. It starts slowly and can go unnoticed for years. Over time the gland works less, your TSH rises, and tiredness, feeling cold, dry skin, hair loss and period changes can appear. If you lack thyroid hormone, an endocrinologist prescribes hormone tablets; if you do not, they keep an eye on it. The Ladder method adds questions about your pace and your right to rest, and it does not replace a doctor.
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When to see a doctor
An endocrinologist looks after autoimmune thyroiditis. They check TSH, free T4 and antibodies, feel your neck and sometimes do an ultrasound. If you take tablets, you have your TSH checked regularly to keep the dose right.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method autoimmune thyroiditis is not explained as "you are destroying yourself". You are not to blame: it is an immune reaction, and it partly runs in families. First have your TSH and antibodies checked by an endocrinologist and take tablets if you need them. Questions to yourself belong next to treatment, not instead of it.
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In the method the thyroid fits the image of pace and strength: how fast you live, how much you demand of yourself and whether you have the right to rest. It is an image, not the cause, and it does not replace treatment.
On the ladder this shows up as the steps "I must cope on my own" and "I will rest when everything is done". You can work through them at your own pace alongside check-ups with your endocrinologist.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
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How it shows up
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- Constant tiredness and sleepiness
- Feeling cold when others are comfortable
- Dry skin and hair loss
- Weight gain and constipation
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Trouble concentrating and mood changes
What medicine knows
MedlinePlus says chronic thyroiditis, or Hashimoto's disease, is caused by an immune reaction against your own thyroid gland. The NHS says it is most common in women, usually starts between 30 and 50, and is more likely if thyroid disease runs in your family.
It develops slowly: months or years can pass before hormone levels fall below normal. Sometimes the only early sign is an enlarged thyroid (goitre). The NHS calls Hashimoto's disease the most common cause of an underactive thyroid, when the gland makes too little hormone.
It is diagnosed with blood tests: TSH, free T4 and thyroid antibodies. A high TSH means the pituitary gland is pushing a thyroid that is working less. Scans and biopsy are usually not needed for the diagnosis.
Not everyone with thyroiditis has low hormone levels. Then the doctor simply checks your blood tests regularly. If you lack hormone, you are prescribed thyroid hormone tablets (levothyroxine) and the dose is set by your TSH. Do not stop the tablets or change the dose on your own.
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Frequently asked questions
What is autoimmune thyroiditis in simple words?
It is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. It often shows no signs for years, and then the gland may start working less, so your TSH rises (MedlinePlus).
What does autoimmune thyroiditis mean in psychosomatics?
There is no proven "meaning". In the Ladder method thyroiditis becomes a reason to ask yourself about your pace and your right to rest. It is a question to yourself, not a diagnosis, and it does not replace tests and treatment.
Do you always need tablets for Hashimoto's?
No. If your hormone levels are fine, the doctor checks your blood tests regularly. Hormone tablets are prescribed when the gland works too little, and the dose is set by your TSH (MedlinePlus, NHS).
Related topics
Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.