You Don’t Have Adrenal Fatigue – What is Really Going On?

Have you been feeling low on energy lately? Craving sugar in the hopes of getting a boost of energy? Unable to function without caffeine in the morning? If so, you may have been told that you have adrenal fatigue. However, the truth is that the only condition in which the adrenals cannot produce adequate cortisol is a rare autoimmune disorder called Addison’s disease. So what is really going on?

Reduced Cellular Energy and Cell Danger Response

Reduced cellular energy impacting our mitochondria function and nervous system dysregulation are often the culprits behind what we call “adrenal fatigue”. Mitochondria, which are responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP and monitoring for threats in our environment, become dysfunctional as a result of too many and/or chronic threats like poor sleep, diet, infections, toxins, over-functioning, psychological distress, leaky gut, and more.

Related Blog Post: Cell Danger Response: Is it Keeping You Sick and Tired?

When you suffer from long-term unhealthy stress, your nervous system becomes dysregulated. This means that your body is unable to respond properly to external and internal stimuli. To protect itself, your body starts to overproduce stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Unfortunately, this overproduction can damage your mitochondria and decrease overall cellular health.

When your body produces too much cortisol, it perceives it as a threat signal to the mitochondria, leading to decreased energy production. This, in turn, leads to decreased cellular energy and increased inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammatory responses can damage your mitochondrial function, leading to further down-regulation of your body’s energy production and HPA axis.

In chronic cases, all health-promoting functions slow down or even come to a grinding halt, including digestion, hormone production, neurotransmitter synthesis, detoxification, and energy. Impaired digestion can lead to further threats for our mitochondria, as we struggle to absorb and assimilate the nutrients in healthy foods that our cells need to produce energy and create new cells.

Therefore, instead of focusing on adrenal fatigue, you need to focus on what is happening at the cellular level. Look at the stressors in your life and identify the factors contributing to chronic cell danger response, including inflammatory diets, chronic psychological distress, unresolved trauma (BIG ONE), suppressed emotions, poor sleep quality, impaired digestion, gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, chronic inflammation, environmental toxins, chronic stealth infections, and more!

How to Heal “Adrenal Fatigue”?

It is essential to identify the root causes of your fatigue and take the appropriate steps to improve your overall health. Adrenal fatigue is merely a symptom of a broader issue that needs addressing. Instead of trying random remedies or self-diagnosing yourself with “adrenal fatigue,” take a step back and work on identifying what’s causing the dysregulation, preventing your body from functioning properly.

The nervous system, which is the master regulator of physiology and psychology, plays a pivotal role in regulating mitochondrial energy production. A healthy nervous system is essential for overall health and well-being. So instead of focusing on “adrenal fatigue”, let’s focus on supporting cellular energy production and balancing the nervous system. This can be done through improving sleep hygiene, reducing exposure to toxins and stressors, healing unresolved trauma, feeling emotions, cultivating a growth mindset, living your passions and purpose, rest, prioritizing self-care and stress management, supporting gut health and more.

In conclusion, “adrenal fatigue” may not be a accurate diagnosis. Instead, the focus should be on supporting cellular energy production and regulating the nervous system for optimal health and well-being. Don’t let the concept of “adrenal fatigue” hold you back from finding true healing and vitality.

How to Get Support?

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Learn more about my approach with clients: My Health and Healing Philosophy

I believe ANY HEALING JOURNEY ultimately needs to involve addressing BOTH the body and the mind in the proper way and in the proper order which will be highly individual.  

It also is a HUGE reason why I see many feel stuck on their own healing journeys because this concept hasn’t been adequately acknowledged, understood or addressed.