Why is it so difficult to wake up? Why am I so tired? Why can’t I focus? Why can’t I keep the weight off? Why am I so moody and irritable? Have you ever asked yourselves these questions? I did and I did not know the answers.
I did not feel like myself, words that came out of my mouth would never exit my mouth before when I became frustrated and irritated. Who was this person? . For years I complained about not having enough energy, struggled with my weight and anxiety yet I did not know why. Finally in August 2016 I discovered the answer—adrenal fatigue.
What is adrenal fatigue I asked? I had never heard of it before. Adrenal fatigue is when the adrenal glands can no longer function properly and become deficient. The adrenals secrete small amounts of hormones, particularly cortisol. When we experience too much stress whether it is emotional, physical, environmental or psychological, these secretion of hormones is diminished.
There are many signs or symptoms for adrenal fatigue. The following are some of the signs: 1.) difficulty getting up in the morning, 2.) brain fog, 3.) lack of energy, 4.) mood swings, 5.) fatigue continues even when sleep is increased, no amount of sleep seems to alleviate the fatigue, 6.) craving salt/salt food, 7.) increased effort in everyday task, 8.) decreased ability to deal with stress, 9.) difficulty fighting infections, increased time to recover from illness, 10.) light-headed when standing up quickly, 11.) mild depression, 12.) less enjoyment or happiness with life, 13.) increased PMS, 14.) less focus, 15.) memory less accurate, 16.) decreased tolerance, and 17.) decreased productivity. (Dr. James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., Ph.D. “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome”).
Adrenal Fatigue has four stages according to Fawne Hansen and Dr. Eric Wood. With each stage, there are various symptoms. As the fatigue worsens so do the symptoms.
Resources:
https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/
https://www.drberg.com/blog/adrenal-fatigue
Part 2 – What To Do About It Coming Soon