There’s “a little stress,” and then there’s “overwhelmed by stress.” You may be one of the 33% of people feeling extreme stress, or worse, one of the 77% of individuals who experience stress-related health effects. It’s essential to understand the conditions that stress produces in your body, including adrenal fatigue and seek the help of a naturopathic doctor who understands how to reverse adrenal fatigue before the condition worsens.
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
Your adrenal glands are small organs located just above your kidneys. They release cortisol, adrenaline, and other anti-stress hormones to produce the fight-or-flight response. When your stress is minimal and short-lived, your adrenal glands produce what is necessary for the situation, and then they reset and wait for the signal that they are needed again.
If you live under prolonged, extreme stress, your body can’t meet the demand and the adrenal glands struggle to do their job. At this point you will experience physical and emotional effects and will rapidly approach a state of adrenal fatigue. Once you’ve reached this stage, it’s imperative to find a doctor who understands the condition and knows how to reverse adrenal fatigue and restore balance.
Adrenal fatigue doesn’t happen overnight, however. There are four commonly recognized stages of the progression from mild stress to adrenal fatigue.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Alarm
This is the typical reaction to mild stress, such as public speaking or a competition. You may feel tired, but your adrenal glands are well within their coping ability. Following the event, your adrenal glands reset and await the next alarm.
Stage 2: Resistance
Your body needs more rest, and your fatigue extends throughout the day. You notice that you catch colds more frequently, your blood pressure rises, and you may develop insomnia. Emotionally, you are irritable and anxious. During stage 2, your body attempts to respond to imbalances and sends symptoms as a warning that something isn’t right. It’s crucial to make an appointment with a physician who recognizes this stage, understands how to reverse adrenal fatigue, and creates a plan to stop the condition’s progression.
Stage 3: Adrenal Exhaustion
When you hit stage 3, you can no longer deny that something is wrong. Your existing physical symptoms worsen, and new ones are added. Blood pressure fluctuations, marked sleep disturbances, GI issues, and near-debilitating fatigue accompany worsening emotional conditions such as anxiety and depression. Your productivity and ability to function are severely impacted. It is even more imperative to find help from someone who knows how to reverse adrenal fatigue since the next stage of the progression becomes life-threatening.
Stage 4: Adrenal Failure
At this stage the adrenal glands are completely exhausted, and the results include any number of life-threatening complications, including strokes and blood pressure extremes. You may experience chronic pain, debilitating fatigue, severe GI issues, and even fainting spells. Although harder to manage at this stage, a qualified provider can intervene if they know how to reverse adrenal fatigue.
Is It Normal to Feel Stressed?
In small doses, stress is not only normal but also beneficial. After all, stress is your body’s natural fight-or-flight system in action. Our fight-or-flight response lets us choose between standing and fighting or making a safe, hasty retreat.
We form memories during our fight-or-flight responses, and we subconsciously rely on these memories when faced with a similar situation. These memories encourage us to stay away from a bee’s nest, for example, and the fight-or-flight response gives us the fuel to do so.
The problem arises when you live in a state of chronic stress. Eventually, your body can’t keep up with the demands of consistently high-stress levels, and over time you develop adrenal fatigue. Once you’ve reached this stage, learning how to reverse adrenal fatigue is vital for your well-being.
How We Increase Our Stress
You have conflicts with coworkers, excessive job demands, commuting dilemmas, and other job-related woes at work. You’d be fine if you could leave them at the door when you clock out, but instead, you take them home in your emotional briefcase and continue to obsess over them.
Constant stress causes physical and emotional disturbances and interferes with personal relationships, motivation, and overall well-being. In a vicious cycle, the effects of stress cause you more stress.
Recognizing When Enough is Enough
While stress is unavoidable in our lives, its demands on the body eventually exceed your physical and emotional ability to cope. This doesn’t happen overnight, but signs you might be at your limit include the following:
- Changes of appetite
- Obsessive and repetitive thought patterns about a situation(s)
- Weight gain/loss
- Lack of motivation
- Depression and anxiety
- Withdrawal from activities you enjoy
- Irritability
- Excessive sleepiness
- Sleep disturbances
- A turn to alcohol or narcotics for relief
- Changes in relationships with loved ones
Listen to coworkers, loved ones, and friends who tell you they’ve noticed a change in your behavior. It’s essential to find a doctor who knows how to reverse adrenal fatigue before your physical and emotional health deteriorate even more.
How to Reverse Adrenal Fatigue with Thrive Naturopathic
Thrive Naturopathic understands the adverse effects of stress, and we can create a functional medicine wellness plan to reduce these effects on your life. We can show you how to reverse adrenal fatigue naturally. If stress has taken over your life, it’s time to make the call that can change it all. Book your discovery call and take the first step to a new, relaxed, stress-free you.
