Medically reviewed by Megan Bonney, PMHNP-BC — Co-Founder, AlphaOmega Wellness. Last reviewed: September 2026.
You bring up how you’ve been feeling, and depending who you ask, the answer changes. Your OB checks hormones and says things look normal, or points to a cycle-related explanation. Your therapist focuses on stress and mood. Meanwhile you’re the one living inside a body and mind that don’t feel like yours — a pattern we see constantly in women across Indianapolis, Greenwood, and Central Indiana — and you’re stuck being told it’s hormones or mental health, one or the other, when it often genuinely feels like both.
Hormones or mental health? Why they aren’t actually separate systems
Estrogen and progesterone directly influence serotonin, GABA, and other neurotransmitter systems central to mood regulation. That means hormonal shifts — PMDD, postpartum, perimenopause — don’t just cause physical symptoms; they can genuinely trigger or worsen anxiety and depression. At the same time, chronic anxiety and stress can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, affecting hormone regulation in return. It’s a two-way relationship, not a simple either/or.
Why this makes women hard to diagnose — and easy to dismiss
Because the two systems overlap so heavily, women are frequently bounced between specialists, each of whom is treating their piece of the picture without addressing the whole. “Your labs are normal” doesn’t mean nothing is wrong — hormone levels fluctuate, and standard panels don’t always capture what you’re actually experiencing day to day.
What an integrated approach looks like
A physician-led evaluation should look at both pictures together rather than sending you to chase one at a time. For the mental-health side specifically — anxiety and depression that persist regardless of where your hormones land — IV ketamine therapy addresses the neuroplasticity and mood-regulation piece directly, increasing BDNF and promoting new neural connections (Li et al., Science, 2010). At AlphaOmega Wellness in Greenwood, IN, every infusion is conducted under the medical direction of Dr. Dee Bonney, MD, with ACLS-certified clinical staff present at all times, and we coordinate with your other providers so hormonal and mental-health care work together instead of against each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get my hormones tested before starting mental health treatment?
It’s reasonable to rule out or address hormonal drivers with your OB or primary care provider, but you don’t need to wait for perfect hormone levels before addressing mood symptoms directly.
Can IV ketamine therapy interfere with hormone treatment?
Generally the two can be used together; we’ll coordinate with your other providers to confirm what makes sense for your specific situation.
What if my labs keep coming back normal?
Normal labs don’t rule out a real hormonal or mood-related pattern — how you feel matters, and a fuller evaluation may be needed.
Is it common to have a hormonal and a mental health issue at the same time?
Very. Because estrogen and progesterone directly influence mood-regulating neurotransmitters, hormonal shifts and anxiety or depression often travel together — especially around PMDD, postpartum, and perimenopause.
Which provider should I see first?
Either is reasonable, but the most efficient path is a provider willing to look at both the hormonal and the mental-health picture together, rather than sending you to chase one at a time.
You shouldn’t have to choose which specialist gets to be right. We’re located in Greenwood and see women from across Central Indiana. See our integrated approach or call 317-300-4091 for a consultation.