Adrenal exhaustion has a variety of possible symptoms associated with it. It can be tricky to figure out if the cause of the symptoms a client is having is adrenal exhaustion because so many of the symptoms can be linked to other issues. When our adrenal glands aren’t functioning properly, many times a client will be told they have depression or other disorders and be placed on medication that puts a bandaid over the real issue.
Adrenal stressors may include lack of sleep, chronic or prolonged infections or inflammation, surgery, trauma, injuries, trigger emotions such as anger, fear, worry/anxiety, and guilt. If we are exposed to toxins, it may disrupt adrenal function. Chronic pain, illness, and allergies also play a role in adrenal exhaustion.
There are steps we can take to help restore our adrenal function. Stress management is important. Taking time to do the things you enjoy can help with stress relief. Meditation, breathwork, yoga, and journaling are all activities to help decrease stress. Exercising will also boost function. Sometimes it feels hard to exercise when feeling fatigued, but even 10 minutes is helpful. It can be that once we start exercising, we feel an increase in our energy and can exercise for a bit longer.
Herbs may boost function. Ginseng and ashwagandha have properties to help with adrenal exhaustion. Studies have been conducted on red ginseng to find how effective it is in combating fatigue. It has shown pharmaceutical effects on the endocrine system, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and immune system. It has antioxidants and also increases resistance to different stressors. Ashwagandha has medicinal properties to help the body deal with stress and inflammation, both common items that increase fatigue. Starwest Botanicals, one of the companies I recently became an affiliate with, has a wide variety of herbs. They carry Gingseng that some may find helpful to add to their collection.
When we take the steps to help increase the function of our adrenal glands, we will feel less sluggish both mentally and physically. It’s important to talk to your health care physician if you have concerns of having adrenal exhaustion and come up with a game plan to get your energy back.
