Are you constantly tired but can’t explain why? Do you feel overwhelmed by stressful situations and find yourself lacking in the strength and vitality that you used to enjoy? Do have struggle to get out of bed in the mornings even after a long sleep? If so, there is a good chance that you are suffering from a condition named Adrenal Fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue is a stress-related condition that occurs when your adrenal glands are functioning below their optimal level. Although you might not have heard of the adrenals (they don’t get the same publicity as larger organs like the heart or lungs), they perform several vital roles in maintaining your health. Most importantly, they control your body’s response to stress by releasing hormones like cortisol, DHEA and epinephrine, which are used to regulate your heart rate, immune system, energy storage and more.
When the adrenal glands are overstimulated for a long period of time, they begin to weaken. Typical causes of Adrenal Fatigue include long term stress from jobs, relationship problems or even chronic disease. Eventually, the adrenals weaken so much that they are unable to respond adequately when we need them. At this point, many Adrenal Fatigue sufferers report symptoms like a feeling of constant tiredness, lack of enthusiasm and mild depression. Sleeping long hours does not help – they wake up just as tired as when they went to bed. And they often resort to large caffeinated drinks, sugary sodas or other stimulants to get through the day.
Adrenal fatigue is not recognized by modern medicine until it becomes life-threatening, when the adrenal glands virtually cease to function in a condition named Addison’s disease. But what many doctors (at least the unenlightened ones) fail to realize is that millions of us suffer from sub-optimal adrenal performance. Put simply, our adrenals are still doing their job, but just not as well as they should. This might not qualify us for a trip to the ER, but it is certainly a major issue for those of us who suffer from it.