Do you seem to go through mood & energy "cycles"?

[DustingMyselfOff]

Oh phooey! So I suppose next you're going to tell me to stop staying up late, using drugs, and riding on Harley's?!?!?! Shoot me now, why don't you!

Yes, I was living on adrenaline, and I know all about adrenal fatigue. Still not sure if it's truly a medical condition or not, depends on which of my caretakers you ask. I was and still pretty much am convinced that if I'm not suffering with it now, I have in the past. I've mentioned it to my GP and of course she "poo pooed" it but begrudgingly tested me for cortisol levels. I know that's not an accurate diagnosis but it's the best I could get out of her, and of course, it came back in the normal range. Then I saw a Nutritionist and "Nutritional Response Therapist" who did all kinds of funky tests on me and declared that I absolutely was suffering from a severe case of adrenal fatigue. Of course, I don't know for sure if he was legit or was just trying to sell me supplements.

I just ordered some Omega 3 to start taking. Figure it can't hurt and might help? I don't ever eat fish, so my body could probably use some.

So, Dickhead, thank you for the insightful responses. But.... not even ONE beer!?!?!?
Sue

[ankietyjoe]

I might have the odd single bottled beer with food, 330ml bottle (I don't know how much that is in FreedomUnits™).

But it has to be relatively low alcohol. And I don't really miss it at all.

The reason adrenal fatigue is ignored by the medical profession (as far as I understand it) is that any test that can be performed is merely a snapshot. What presents as symptoms really needs to be tested continually so that the changes in hormone levels can be seen, minute by minute. That's not practical, and as the treatment is holistic, it's difficult to monetise a treatment. Hundreds of thousands of anecdotal sufferers are unlikely to be wrong though.

I take Omega 3's as well. It's most often the case that you might be consuming too much Omega 6 from your current diet, unless you're particularly picky about eating only organic and/or grass fed meats.

[Carnation]

As usual, I agree with AJ.
I too have had to change my lifestyle and my initial breakdown was due to adrenal fatigue.
I'd basically burned myself out, so anything that pumps my adrenalin affects me.
But instead of waiting to crash, I take the rests and tlc before it happens. That way I can plan to do things and still stay in control.

[ankietyjoe]

As usual, I agree with AJ.
I too have had to change my lifestyle and my initial breakdown was due to adrenal fatigue.
I'd basically burned myself out, so anything that pumps my adrenalin affects me.
But instead of waiting to crash, I take the rests and tlc before it happens. That way I can plan to do things and still stay in control.

Something else I learned further down the line was to recognise a trigger and not OVER react to it. What used to happen was I would get an adrenal spike from something minor, and then my reaction would create a cascade of adrenal spikes etc etc. My adrenal reactions still aren't perfect (probably 75% improved), but I don't trigger react to them any more. I can deal with a stressful situation, get through it and then accept that I might feel a bit rubbish/fatigued for the rest of the day. By morning it's gone again.

[DustingMyselfOff]

I know that the amount of stress, anxiety and fatigue has been GREATLY reduced since I stopped working so I am definitely heading in the right direction towards healing, and I'm sure that after many decades of running on adrenaline and burning the candle at both ends, recovery is not going to happen overnight. And I think I am more aware of and able to recognize symptoms and triggers now that my life has slowed down so much, so maybe it seems as if I'm having more symptoms but it's only because I've slowed down enough to actually recognize them and acknowledge them.

Thanks to everyone's input and sharing, I'm learning a lot about the process, the damage that's been done, and the steps towards recovery. I'm also learning that acceptance is a huge key to success, so I am going to work on that one more. Not over-reacting to a trigger: that one's going to take some practice but hopefully I won't have TOO many opportunities to practice!
Sue

[gregcool]

I through this exact cycle day in day out..what did i eat at that time what did i drink.how much sleep did i get etc constantly analysing every little thing to see if something has interacted with me that gave me that little spell of goodness .but can never find a link it drives me made although i dont get many good moments let alone days lol but when i do get that feeling of being upbeat i start searching for the answer as to why or what has made me feel happy but no luck and it dsnt last long and my mental health soon returns..

[DustingMyselfOff]

I guess the key, Greg, is not only to stop trying to figure out WHY we feel the way we do, but to stop noticing how we feel every minute of the day. But now that I'm not going to a busy work environment every day I'm finding that second part even harder since I don't have as many distractions. So now when I start to feel a dizzy wave or shakiness or panic, I quickly say to myself "Big deal - so what!" and try to think about something else quickly and not give it the attention it deserves.
Sue