7 Subtle Signs of Thyroid Dysfunction Every Empath & Healer Needs to Know

Are you an empath or healer experiencing fatigue, brain fog, or unexplained mood shifts? Is it making it difficult to serve your clients or take care of yourself? You may be dealing with more than just energy depletion—your thyroid health could be the missing piece. In this broadcast, I look into why hypothyroid issues are often overlooked, especially by those in the healing community. We explore the critical role your thyroid plays in regulating your energy, emotions, and overall vitality.

Learn how subtle signs like exhaustion after routine tasks, dry skin, or persistent weight gain can indicate a hypothyroid condition. We’ll discuss the essential tests you need to ask for, why standard lab results might miss the mark, and practical ways to support your thyroid through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and spiritual practices.

Discover how the throat energy portal or chakra is connected to thyroid health and why empaths are particularly vulnerable to thyroid dysfunction. Follow the story of Sarah, a fellow healer who finally found answers after persistent struggles and learn the steps you can take to advocate for your well-being.

What You’ll Gain:

• Recognize Hypothyroid Symptoms: Understand how to spot signs that go beyond typical fatigue.
• Proper Testing Knowledge: Know which specific thyroid tests to request for an accurate diagnosis.
• Holistic Tips for Thyroid Support: Nutrition and lifestyle adjustments tailored for empaths and healers.
• Energy Healing Practices: Techniques to balance your throat chakra and boost thyroid health.

Take care so you can continue your work as a vibrant, healthy healer.

If you found this video helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with your community! Your health is the key to helping others.

Links mentioned in this episode:

 https://healersu.com/feedback

https://physicspoweredhealing.com 

Transcription:

Have you ever wondered why, despite your best efforts, your energy feels stagnant or low? Do you wonder how you’ll fulfill your purpose if you don’t have the energy to do so?  If you're an empath or healer, your thyroid could be playing a bigger role than you think, especially because a low thyroid feels like you’ve absorbed someone else’s mood or energy.Today, I’m looking into why thyroid health is crucial for maintaining your energetic harmony.

As healers and empaths, you're uniquely attuned to energy—both your own and other people’s. But sometimes, this gift can mask underlying physical issues. Did you know that thyroid replacement is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States? With over 100 million prescriptions filled each year, it's clear that thyroid dysfunction is a widespread issue. Yet, for those of us in the healing arts, it can be especially challenging to recognize when your own energy systems need attention.  Tune in to hear what your thyroid does for you and what you can do to heal it.

Understanding Your Thyroid

When I say that your thyroid releases the metabolically active hormone in your body, what does that really mean? Let me share an analogy that might resonate with you. Imagine you're driving a high-performance sports car, designed for power, speed, and precision. This is your body—a finely tuned instrument that runs at a high vibe for healing and energetic work. Now, imagine fueling this magnificent vehicle with the wrong kind of fuel, instead of the high octane it needs, you give it the lowest octane available. At first, everything seems fine, but gradually, things start to change. The engine hesitates and pings, the acceleration becomes sluggish, and the dashboard lights flicker without any clear emergency. 

This is exactly what living with subtle and often underdiagnosed thyroid deficiency feels like. Your body—your vehicle for receiving energy and subsequently healing—might not show obvious signs at first. The fatigue might feel like normal tiredness from energy work. The mental fog might seem like energetic overwhelm. But these are actually your body's signals that it's running on suboptimal fuel.

Let's talk about what your thyroid actually does. This butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck is like your body's energy control center. It produces hormones—mainly T3 and T4—that regulate everything from your metabolism to your heart rate, body temperature, and even your ability to process emotions clearly.  Your T4 is converted to T3, the metabolically active thyroid hormone, by the liver, kidneys and spleen. 

The Throat Chakra Connection

What feeds your thyroid energetically? For you as healers and empaths, there's a crucial spiritual dimension to thyroid health. Your thyroid is intimately connected to your throat chakra—your energy center of self-expression and truth-telling. When you speak your truth and maintain open, authentic communication, you're actually supporting your thyroid's energetic flow.

How often do you hold back from expressing your truth to protect others' feelings? Or worse, absorb other people’s thoughts, feelings, or energy without setting clear boundaries? These patterns can gradually close down your throat chakra, blocking the flow of nourishing energies, potentially affecting your thyroid's function.

Life of a Thyroid Deficient Healer

Let me share a story about Sarah, a dedicated empath and healer who might remind you of yourself. Sarah regularly practiced maintaining her energy through meditation, nutrition, and energy work. But despite her spiritual practices, she began noticing subtle changes: exhaustion after routine tasks, dry and cracking skin, and weight gain despite her healthy diet and regular exercise.

Sarah thought her symptoms came from the emotional and energetic toll from her healing work. She increased her self-care routine, added more grounding exercises, and added new meditation practices. This added burden of self-care deepened the fatigue and her once-vibrant energy became sluggish. It wasn't until she developed cold extremities and unusual feelings of sadness that a friend suggested checking her thyroid.  The first doctor she went to said she was fine.  Her wise friend suggested that many doctors don’t do a thorough enough job of checking because this is not their area of expertise.  Finally, a doctor well-versed in thyroid function confirmed her hypothyroid diagnosis.

How to Recognize Thyroid Insufficiency? 

"Now, you might be wondering: 'How do I know if my thyroid is not doing its job?' Let me share some key signs to watch for. The symptoms are not unique to thyroid issues, but since it is so common, it is always worth a check.  When you see several of these symptoms together, it's time to pay get your thyroid tested:

You’ll notice changes in your physical energy and body:

• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight, even on a low-calorie diet
• Feeling exhausted, particularly after activities that used to energize you
• Cold hands and feet, even in warm weather
• A consistently low body temperature

You’ll might find these mental and emotional changes:

• Feelings of depression or anxiety that appear disconnected to your circumstances
• Poor short-term memory and become forgetful.  You might find yourself going from not needing a calendar or lists to unable to function without them 
• You find yourself speaking more slowly than usual.  You might not notice, but others will..
• A general feeling of brain fog or difficulty maintaining your train of thought

One or more of these changes occur in your physical appearance:

• Your hair becoming dry, coarse, or thinning - particularly watch the outer edges of your eyebrows (this is when it gets more extreme)
• Skin becoming dry and prone to cracking
• In some cases, your skin might even take on an orange tint due to problems metabolizing beta-carotene

You might also notice:

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Persistent constipation
• Muscle pain, joint pain, or developing conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome
• Elevated blood pressure or cholesterol levels

I suffered from all of these symptoms but had difficulty getting help.  I finally went to an endocrinologist that wanted to put me on an antidepressant.  I said no to that, then he finally said that T3 often acts as an antidepressant.  To him, I said, that’s something I’m willing to try.  Inside I was jumping up and down with excitement because I knew that’s what I needed it.  

Why did it take so long to get the right help?

Understanding Proper Thyroid Testing  

Here's something crucial that many healers and empaths need to know: standard thyroid testing often misses subclinical cases. This is particularly important for sensitive individuals like you who feel imbalances but they don’t show up on basic tests.

If you suspect thyroid issues, here are the specific tests you should request:

1. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): This is the basic test most doctors run, but it's not enough alone. The optimal level is around 1 μU/ml, though many labs still use outdated ranges. If your TSH is above 2.5 μU/ml and you're experiencing symptoms, don't let anyone dismiss your concerns.

2. Free T3 and Free T4: These are crucial tests that many doctors skip. T3 is your active thyroid hormone, while T4 is the inactive form that needs to be converted. The optimal ranges are:

• Free T3: 2.3 to 4.2 pg/mL

• Free T4: 0.8 to 1.8 ng/dL

3. Thyroid Antibodies: This test checks for autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's that might be affecting your thyroid function.

Remember, many sensitive individuals feel best when their levels are in the middle of these ranges, not just barely within them. Don't be afraid to advocate for comprehensive testing or find a doctor who will, especially if you're experiencing symptoms but getting “normal” results on basic tests.  Have them treat you, not the lab slip.

Why Empaths Are Vulnerable 

As empaths and healers, you're particularly susceptible to thyroid dysfunction for several reasons. Your natural tendency to absorb others' emotions and energy can place additional stress on your endocrine system. You often prioritize others' well-being over your own, potentially ignoring early warning signs. Moreover, your ability to adapt and compensate energetically can mask hormonal imbalances until they become more severe.

Practical Support for your Thyroid

So how can you support your thyroid health while maintaining your healing practice?

Here are some practical ways to support your thyroid health so you can improve your energy levels. As empaths and healers, you need to be especially mindful of nurturing our own physical vessel as we help others.

First, your thyroid needs specific nutrients to function optimally:

1. Let’s look at supportive foods: Foods rich in B-vitamins,  iron, iodine like sea vegetables, and antioxidant-rich foods.  Transition to a whole foods-based diet, thus minimizing processed food

2. Certain seemingly healthy foods can actually interfere with thyroid function if eaten raw. These are called goitrogens because they can interfere with iodine absorption. If you love these foods, simply cook them to neutralize the effect: Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and more

3.  Many people with thyroid issues benefit from going gluten-free or even grain-free and be careful with soy products as they can interfere with thyroid hormone absorption.

4.  If you have chlorinated water coming out of your faucets, the chlorine you inhale during hot showers can actually block thyroid hormone from entering your cells. Chlorine is chemically identical to iodine and can block its function. Consider installing a shower filter - it's a simple change that can make a big difference.

5.  Minimize or eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.  Pay attention to your energy levels during and after client sessions and take regular breaks between healing sessions to prevent energy depletion.  Release their energy from you and collect yours back.  Ground yourself before working with others.   Set boundaries with people.  

Remember to pay attention to your body's signals. If you're consistently feeling drained after client sessions, or if your usual post session recovery practices aren't working as well as they used to, it might be more than just energy depletion. These could be signs that your thyroid needs additional support.

A Few Energy Healing Practices to Help Your Thyroid

For energy workers, try this: Send blue or green healing light to your thyroid. Open your throat chakra often.  Practice clearing stored emotions from this area regularly.  Speak up.  You can even try imprinting the energy of your younger, healthier thyroid onto your current thyroid energy, releasing any stagnant patterns down your grounding cord.  

Summary for Your Thyroid Health

Understanding and nurturing your thyroid is more than just physical—it's an energetic practice that can transform your work as a healer or empath. By protecting your energy and your thyroid, you're not just taking care of yourself; you're enhancing your ability to serve others.

When you are ready to grow your healing practice while improving your energy and health, I’m looking for expert feedback on such a program.  Go to https://healersu.com/feedback 

If you found these insights helpful, please like and subscribe for more content on holistic health and energy healing. Share this episode with fellow healers and empaths to spread awareness. And remember, take care of yourself—you are your most important healing tool.