Adrenal Fatigue

Have you ever heard of Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction.

Many of the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue apply to me.

The adrenal glands are two small glands, each about the size of a large grape. They are situated on top of the kidneys. Their purpose is to help the body cope with stress and help it to survive.  

You do not have to read all of the below.  It's a lot of information.  But in case you are curious about what it is and you want to know more keep reading!

Here's a description of Adrenal Fatigue:

(taken from: http://drlam.com/articles)

The adrenal glands are the main stress modulation centers of the body. When stressors overwhelm the adrenals ability to compensate, adrenal fatigue may ensue. This is usually a slow and insidious process that progresses through many years, though some can experience it after an intense episode of acute stress, such as death of a loved one, financial distress, or acute infection. 

Stress can be physical, emotional, psychological, eviromental, infectious, or a combination of these.

The job of returning the body to its normal function rests with the adrenals. If a person is under intense and acute stress over a short period of time, or under long-term stress, the adrenals may not be able to mount an adequate stress response sufficient to overcome the stressors. When this happens, the body decompensates and enters into a state of emergency. 

In short, it occurs when the amount of stress overextends the capacity of the body to compensate and recover from that stress or the combined stresses.

People who have marginal adrenal reserve to begin with make it even more difficult for the person to sustain stress.  From an outsider's perspective on a person with Adrenal Fatigue they might be quick to judge thinking that person just gets overwhelmed too quickly, just needs to take a vacation, or is emotionally weak and needs to snap out of it.  When in reality it is just that they are depleated and do not have the reserve capacity to take on the stresses.  "Sucking it up" and "pushing through" does not work, it only causes the person to crash even deeper and steeper.

Many of the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue apply to me.

But I'm struggling with how my body got to this place.  I've always felt I've had a strong trust that God will provide, protect and love me.  Stress is something I've laid at God's feet time and time again, knowing that I can only control so much and that the rest I just have to let go of.  Stress is a part of life.  We cannot run from it, we cannot avoid it.  I feel like I've looked at it straight in the face and dealt with it as it has come.

So...if I am suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, how did I get to this point?  I've already changed everything it seems I can changed, and made my life as stress free as possible.  We eat healthy and do the many things reccomended for healing.

I am still in the beginning phases of research.

We have tried so many routes to find out what is causing my headaches and exhaustion.  This seems to fit.  I'm willing to try anything.  

Some days are so debilitating, and some days I feel almost normal.

It is going to be a LONG process of ups and downs, hopefully all the while increasing in healing a bit at a time.

There's more to come...