A. "It's my thyroid, and I need to call my doctor and complain about my medicine/dosage etc."
B. "What have I been doing differently lately that might be making me tired? Am I getting enough sleep? Am I eating poorly? Do I have a stressful situation going on?"
C. "I should schedule something nice and relaxing to do for myself, like a long hot bath and a nap, or a massage, or a long walk, or a yoga class. "
D."I'm never going to have energy again, I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Why did I have to get a thyroid problem, anyway???"

2. If you are not feeling optimal, and your doctor doesn't spend much time with you, isn't a good listener, and doesn't really seem to take thyroid disease seriously, you would probably:

A. Complain at the thyroid forum, and write letters to the doctor, complaining about your treatment, and send the doctor photocopies of books and articles about thyroid disease.
B. Review Top Doc listings, call offices and get information about the doctors and their philosophies, interview docs, talk to fellow patients, and choose a new doctor.
C. Go to the health food store and start taking herbs and vitamins that you think might help your thyroid.
D. Keep going to him or her, because most doctors are the same, and there's really no hope to do anything for your health anyway.

3. Your idea of diet that will allow you to lose weight is:

A. "I should be able to lose weight eating normally, when I'm on the right dosage of thyroid medicine."
B. "A thyroid-oriented weight loss diet like the Zone Diet, Goddess Diet, or other low-glycemic, healthy diet, along with some exercise"
C. "Lots of seaweed and kelp, lots of soy products, and juicing"
D. "I can't lose weight on any diet"

4. Your philosophy about thyroid hormone replacement is:

A. "I want to take T4, plus T3, and I really want my TSH to be 1.3 to 1.5, but definitely not more than 1.8, and I really think I'd like to try the time-released T3, so I'm researching everything I can find about it to give to my doctor, and after I take that for a few weeks, if that doesn't work, then I want to try Armour, and if that doesn't work in a few weeks, then maybe Thyrolar, and then..."
B. "I follow what my doctor suggests, try to keep up on my blood test results, and will ask to try a new brand, or different drug if after a few months, I am still having significant symptoms."
C. "I don't believe in thyroid drugs. I try to control my hypothyroidism by taking kelp and iodine, and glandular supplements I buy at the health food store."
D. "I just refill my Synthroid prescription every month."

5. As far as your thyroid condition, you believe:

A. "There's something out there -- a drug, doctor, vitamin, treatment, etc. -- that can cure me, and I'm going to find it if it kills me!!!!!!"
B. "I may have to redefine what feeling well means, and learn to work within some limits, but generally, I will keep working to feel better."
C. "My thyroid problem is the result of some blockage in my soul/spirit or something unspoken that I cannot release, or some nutritional deficiency, and I will find the right alternative approach that will cure me."
D. "It's never going to get better, and probably will get worse, and I'll probably end up getting other autoimmune diseases too, and I'll never enjoy good health again."

6. The things you can't live without are:

A. Your 10 different thyroid books, your doctor's phone and fax number, and email address, and your computer for internet research
B. Your copy of Living Well With Hypothyroidism
C. Your "Rescue Remedy," guggul, ginseng tea and soy patties.
D. Sleep. Food.


Add up the answers, to find out your Thyroid Wellness Personality. The personality with the highest score (on a scale of 0-6, with 6 being the highest) is you! Look below for an analysis of your traits and what you need to work on. If your score is divided evenly between two personalities, read up on both of them.

A's ______ Thyro-Centric B's ______ Thyro-Realistic C's ______ Thyro-Holistic D's ______ Thyro-Fatalistic

If your highest score was for Thyro-Centric
You tend to think that everything that goes on in your health has to do with your thyroid. While the thyroid is important, and it's critical not to overlook symptoms that may mean you are undertreated or overtreated for your thyroid condition, you may take this too far. It's important to realize that sometimes, you just get the flu, or aches and pains, and they don't have anything to do with your thyroid disease.

Things to work on: