Have you ever walked out of a doctor’s office feeling a little… unseen?
You shared that your mood is off, your energy is low, and you just don’t feel like yourself—and the solution was simply:
“Let’s adjust your medication.”
“Let’s try a different one.”
Or my personal favorite:
“Your labs are normal. You’re fine.”
But what if you’re not “fine”?
And what if the problem isn’t you—it’s that no one actually looked deep enough?
Here’s something I wish more people knew:
Depression and anxiety aren’t simply chemical imbalances.
Yes, chemicals are involved. But more often than not, they’re demonstrating a communication imbalance—your body trying to send messages no one has been trained to interpret.
And here’s what you probably aren’t being told:
There are labs that directly influence your mood that many doctors never run.
Not because they don’t care—but because our healthcare system isn’t built for whole-person evaluation.
So let’s walk you through a few of the most commonly missed markers when someone is struggling with depression—markers that tell a much fuller story. If this is helpful, be sure to download my more detailed lab guide at the end, so you can take it to your practitioner and advocate for yourself!
1. Thyroid Hormones (the whole panel—not just TSH)
Your thyroid is like the dimmer switch on your brain.
When it’s too low, everything in life feels out of whack.
Ask for: TSH, T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, TPO and TG antibodies
2. Ferritin (your iron stores)
Low ferritin can feel like depression, ADHD, or anxiety:
Fatigue. Irritability. Brain fog. No motivation. Racing thoughts. ADHD symptoms.
And women especially are often “normal” on paper but nowhere near optimal.
Ask for: Ferritin, TIBC, and Serum Iron
3. B Vitamins & Methylation Markers
If these are off, your brain simply cannot make the neurotransmitters you need to feel steady and grounded.
Ask for: Homocysteine, B12, and B9
4. Inflammation (hs-CRP)
Inflammation acts like static on your brain’s signal.
It disrupts clarity, mood, and stress tolerance.
Ask for: high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
5. Gut Health
Because if the gut is inflamed…
The brain will be too. Gut bacteria synthesize neurotransmitters, and if your gut is imbalanced, you’re likely to get more mental messages of distress than support.
…But there are so many more labs to check!
When your labs aren’t optimized, medication may only scratch the surface while your body keeps whispering, “There’s more going on here.”
If you’ve been feeling discouraged…
If you’ve been wondering, “Why don’t I feel better yet?”
If you’ve been tempted to believe you’re broken…
You’re not broken. It’s not all in your head. Your body is communicating. When you listen to its signals (and know what signals to listen to), you feel validated and healing gets a whole lot more possible.
This is a major theme I explore in my book Live Beyond Your Label—how your symptoms aren’t failures, but invitations. And this month I’m finishing up my edits for book two (not sharing the title just yet), which will be a food-mood guide with so much support for your brain!
And because I want you to feel equipped to advocate for yourself, I put together a free downloadable guide with the labs I recommend most often when mood is shifting.
👉 Download your Mood Lab Guide here
(This is the same guide I use with clients when we’re trying to get to the root of depression, anxiety, fatigue, or brain fog. I don’t want anyone to feel overlooked or invalidated.)
Looking for more support? I’m booking for clients. Join the waitlist here!