Can dehydration cause depression and anxiety? How does getting enough fluids impact one’s overall mental well being?
It’s common knowledge that adequate water intake is essential for physical health. However, most don’t realize how important hydration is to brain function.
The negative effect dehydration can have on mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorder is real. But how much water do we need to maintain optimal health?
As a mom raising a neurodivergent family, I’m personally invested in this question. So, here’s what I’ve learned about the importance of hydration and electrolyte balance on mental health.
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Seek Professional Medical Advice
This is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor, but an educator with a passion for researching, learning, health, and supporting the neurodivergent community. As such, this is for educational purposes only. I encourage you to learn as much as you can by learning, reading, and seeking the insight of multiple experts. Please discuss your healthcare decisions with a trusted healthcare provider.
Can Dehydration Cause Depression or Anxiety?
The relationship between dehydration, depression, and anxiety is complicated. Dehydration alone is not a direct cause of clinical depression or anxiety.
However, it can exacerbate and contribute to challenging mental health signs in several ways. Here are some ways that dehydration impacts mental health and emotional well-being.
1. Mood and Emotional Regulation
Dehydration can negatively impact mood and emotional well-being.
When the human body has less water than it needs, its ability to produce essential neurotransmitters is limited. Specifically, a reduction in levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine which impact cognitive abilities, emotional regulation, attention, and motivation.
Low dopamine and serotonin levels are related to feelings of anxiety, low motivation, irritability, and sadness.
2. Cognitive Function
Dehydration impairs brain function and mental performance.
Impairment can include:
- difficulty concentrating,
- memory problems,
- and reduced problem-solving abilities.
These challenges can lead to feelings of frustration and hopelessness, which are associated with depression.
3. Fatigue and Low Energy
Dehydration can lead to physical symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and low energy levels.
These symptoms can overlap with the physical and emotional symptoms of depression. This can make it difficult to distinguish between dehydration-induced fatigue and clinical depression.
4. Sleep Disruption
We all know how it feels when we don’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is a huge part of my story and has impacted my family in more ways than one.
One thing I’ve learned is that sleep is essential for my family’s mental well-being. Sleep problems in kids are a huge factor in neurodivergent families. Friend, the relationship between dehydration, depression, and sleep is complicated.
Sleep Patterns and Depression
Low hydration status, depression, and anxiety can each hurt sleep patterns. Depression is often associated with oversleeping. Anxiety is often associated with insomnia and disrupted sleep (middle-of-the-night wakings, anyone?)
On the other hand, not getting enough sleep is believed to contribute to increased dehydration levels. Additionally, sleep deprivation increases mood volatility and anger.
In the end, poor sleep quality can contribute to the cycle of dehydration and mental health challenges.
5. Decreased Self-Care
Individuals experiencing depression often struggle with self-care, including maintaining proper hydration.
Depressive symptoms such as loss of interest in daily activities, changes in appetite, and decreased motivation can lead to neglecting basic self-care needs, including drinking enough water.
This can, in turn, worsen dehydration, and increase challenging mental health symptoms.
Complex Cycle
Dehydration, depression, and anxiety can create a vicious cycle. Dehydration can lead to mood disturbances and cognitive impairments, making it more challenging for individuals to engage in self-care and seek the help they need.
It’s important to note that while dehydration can contribute to the exacerbation of depressive and anxiety symptoms, it is not necessarily a primary cause.
Depression is a complex mental health condition with multiple factors. These include genetics, life experiences, and environmental influences such as systemic ableism and racism.
How to Prevent Dehydration
Most health experts recommend drinking half an ounce to one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily.
If you’re an athlete or sweat heavily, you may need to add electrolytes to your daily routine. In my ADHD home, we consume electrolytes for optimal cognitive function.
However, we avoid drinking sugar-filled energy drinks to stay hydrated.
Each day, I add Himalayan sea salt and electrolytes to the glasses of water we consume. It’s been a great way to ensure we avoid the mental crashes associated with dehydration.
Plain Water isn’t Best
According to Dr. Sims,
“Fluids need a certain osmolality (concentration of salt and sugar) to be transported from the gut into your bloodstream. That’s why plain water isn’t great for quick hydration– it just sits there.”
Dr. Stacy Sims, Next Level
For athletes or active people, she recommends drinking a solution of 8 ounces of water combined with electrolytes. (A small amount of sugar, salt, and potassium.)
Another simple way to prevent dehydration is to add a squeeze of lemon to a glass of water.
Or fill a large stainless steel reusable water bottle with water and add a pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt for extra minerals. Then consume daily.
What is Dehydration Exactly?
The human body is approximately 60 percent water. Even more, the brain is made of a whopping 70% water. Dehydration occurs when fluid intake does not replace the amount of water excreted by the body.
Now, there are three different types of dehydration.
- Hypotonic
- Hypertonic
- Isotonic
Hypotonic refers to electrolyte imbalance in the cells. This can happen when the body has plenty of water, but not enough electrolytes.
Hypertonic dehydration is related to a loss of water only.
Isotonic dehydration is when both water and electrolytes are low in the body.
When the color of your urine is not clear or dark yellow, it’s time to boost your electrolyte and water consumption.
Symptoms of Dehydration
Signs of dehydration include:
- Increased thirst
- Be aware that extreme thirst can be a sign of health problems such as diabetes.
- Dry Mouth
- Low energy
- Confusion
- Slow reaction time
- Dark colored urine
- Brain fog
- Increased perception of task difficulty
- Low mood
Research in Hydration
The effects of mild dehydration levels (just a 2% drop) can have a significant impact on attention, coordination of movement, and memory.
In one study of a group of athletes, the relationship between dehydration and the stress hormone cortisol was assessed. The researchers found mild dehydration led to increased cortisol levels in participating athletes.
When unchecked by safety cues, the psychological effects of stress can be destructive. Stress sets the stage for mood disorders and increases the risk of depression and anxiety.
Water, Hydration, and Mental Health Issues
Let’s discuss hydration and what happens when we don’t consume sufficient water.
Blood circulates throughout the body to supply nutrients and energy. Additionally, it cleans out the waste. When active, blood then travels to your skin to release heat via sweat.
We need enough body fluids to keep our system running smoothly.
If dehydrated, there isn’t enough fluid in the body to keep blood volume high enough to sweat efficiently. That leads to an increase in body temperature and the blood becomes thicker.
This means the heart has to work harder to pump this thick blood. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Brain tissue shrinks. Energy production decreases.
In the end, this results in exhaustion and decreased performance in all areas of the body including mental functioning.
ADHD Paralysis Freeze
While ADHD paralysis is not considered part of the formal diagnostic criteria, it’s a common experience of adult ADHD.
For those of us with ADHD, keeping up with our daily tasks seems daunting. However, when we experience periods of stress, those responsibilities can feel insurmountable. To be honest, it can be any particular task that throws us into a loop.
Just the perception of something being “hard” can be enough for the amygdala to perceive it as a threat and therefore, shut down all functioning. This freeze response is controlled by a much stronger lower brain.
Quick Tutorial: ADHD Paralysis
Watch this quick ADHD Paralysis tutorial on A Heart for All Students channel.
Let me set the stage for you…
What Does ADHD Paralysis Look Like?
ADHD paralysis can look different depending on the person and the situation. It can look like this:
- Zoning out
- Spinning in circles in the middle of a messy kitchen or home because you don’t know where to start.
- Jumping from thing to thing never completing any one specific task
- Putting off a hard decision until “later”
Further, it’s often broken into three types.
- Choice Paralysis
- Struggling to make important decisions
- Task Paralysis
- Challenges beginning simple tasks
- Mental Paralysis
- When the brain receives too much information at one time. Competing thoughts, ideas, emotions, and demands, cause a virtual shutdown and you can no longer communicate.
Though young children may not use the phrase ADHD paralysis, they often experience it as a daily ADHD symptom.
Dehydration and Exhaustion
Brain cells that lack energy can contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms. Further, that lack of fuel can increase ADHD-type symptoms related to executive functioning.
For example,
- decreased focus and attention
- increased impulsivity
- emotional regulation challenges
It’s easy to see the complexities of the brain and body. Hydration levels matter.
What are Electrolytes?
We hear about the importance of drinking water often. However, it’s important to understand that not all water is created equal.
Consuming plain water stripped of essential minerals can lead to forms of chronic dehydration impacting energy production in the body.
And I’m not just talking about exercise type of energy. I’m talking about energy production in brain cells that need the right amount of electrolytes to function optimally.
According to nutrition scientist, Dr. Stacy Sims,
“You have no plain water in your body. All the fluids in your body are a solution of electrolytes, glucose, and some amino acids…Drinking to hydrate, you want your water to contain small amounts of sugar and salts.”
Electrolytes are essential minerals that greatly impact critical body functions.
- sodium
- potassium
- magnesium
- other trace minerals
A loss of electrolytes can wreak havoc on the nervous system.
What is Depression?
There are several types of depression including:
- Major Depression
- Post-Partum Depression
- Seasonal Affect Disorder
While research is ongoing, medical experts believe depression is related to low serotonin production.
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter made from the amino acid tryptophan. It’s traditionally considered to be calming and supports an elevated mood.
This is why most conventional doctors prescribe SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) to ease the symptoms of depression.
Symptoms of Depression
The symptoms of depression are varied, but include the following:
- Low mood
- Lack of motivation and drive
- Decreased activity level
- Excess sleep
- Pessimism
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feelings of worthlessness or persistent guilt
- Loss of interests
Depression is a serious issue not to be ignored. If you’re struggling with depression, please tell your doctor or a trusted friend or family member.
You matter and you’re worth it.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Chronic stress is rampant in the United States. Anxiety levels are high across the board. And when stress level increases beyond one’s capacity to manage, the body and mind take a hit.
Specifically, the adrenal glands release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. This leads to increased anxiety symptoms.
According to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety symptoms include several fight-or-flight responses. These are autonomic nervous system responses that happen automatically.
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feelings of impending doom
- Sweating
- Digestive distress
- Elevated heart rate
- Panic attacks
Some forms of diagnosable anxiety conditions include:
- Generalized Anxiety
- Selective Mutism
- Panic Disorder
- Social-Anxiety
- Separation-Anxiety
Neurodivergent Families and Mental Health
In neurodivergent homes (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia), it’s common to have family members struggling with some form of anxiety.
Know that there’s so much you can do to support your family’s emotional regulation.
Keep learning, and slowly add in small changes. Over time, small habits add up to big growth. Hang in there, Friend.
Recap: Can Dehydration Cause Depression and Anxiety?
Unfortunately, mental health problems are a huge issue in the United States and impact adults and kids alike. This means that small daily habits that impact mental well-being can make a huge impact.
Maintaining proper hydration and fluid levels is one simple way to support your family’s brain health.
Of course, proper nutrition, supplementation, trauma-informed mental health therapy, community, and medical intervention are also valuable tools.
If you’re concerned about your mental health or that of someone you love, get help. As a dear friend said to me one afternoon, you’re worth it.
So, friend. What did I miss? Thoughts? In this together.
Up Next:
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About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
