5 Tips On What To Do When You Have Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue (AF) is the number 1 condition I see. I would say most people living in the 21st century are in some stage of adrenal fatigue.  Our physiology is not made to cope with the constant life stressors we combat on a day to day basis such as; work pressures, financial pressures, running a family household, and generally living in a fast paced society where rest is not valued.  

Adrenal fatigue is not recognised by conventional doctors, they wont recognise it until the adrenals are not outputting adequate cortisol and other regulatory hormones. Then you could be diagnosed with Addison's disease and then it is too late to reverse the damage and you will be on medication for your entire life to manage it.  

Adrenal fatigue is actually a hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPAA) dysfunction.  It works like this; There is some kind of stressor, it could be making a presentation or being stuck in traffic while running late.  The hypothalamus releases a hormone which sends a message to the pituitary.  The pituitary is then stimulated  which prompts the adrenals to make cortisol.  This system works via a very tightly regulated negative feedback loop.

The problem occurs when the negative feedback loop is constantly 'on' due to constant and consistent stress. Our physiology is just not made to cope.  The adrenals literally get 'fatigued' or depleted and can not sustain the cortisol output needed to cope with the daily onslaught of stress.

This is where symptoms start to appear and feelings of tiredness and lethargy.  Other hormones start to drop which creates metabolic chaos.