Thousands
of people suffer from constant fatigue that is not relieved by rest and sleep.
This is the main symptom of adrenal weakness or adrenal burnout syndrome. This article examines this extremely common syndrome – its
causes, symptoms and the process of recovery of vibrant health by natural
methods.
WHAT ARE THE
ADRENAL GLANDS?
The
adrenal glands are rounded, disc-shaped glands about 3-4 inches across. One sits atop each kidney, located on
either side of your lower back, just above where the ribs end. You may at times feel a sensation of
pressure in this area when under stress.
However, muscular tension and other factors also commonly cause pain or
a sensation of pressure in this area.
The
adrenal glands are essential for life.
They secrete a number of hormones that prepare our bodies to respond to
stress. These include adrenalin, also called epinephrine,
noradrenalin, also
called norepinephrine, cortisol
and cortisone. The adrenal glands also produce aldosterone,
estrogens, testosterone, progesterone, pregnenelone and DHEA.
These
hormones regulate many body activities.
Of greatest importance for this article is that the adrenal hormones,
particularly adrenalin and cortisol, activate the body’s fight-or-flight
response.
This
consists of increasing the amount of glucose or sugar in the blood, raising
blood pressure, and promoting increased energy production. There are many other effects of the
adrenal hormones, but we will focus on these effects for now.
Of
great importance to our discussion is that the adrenal glands are innervated
and stimulated by activity of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic or
automatic nervous system of the body.
This is the part of our nervous system that activates when we must
respond to threats to our life.
A DEFINITION
OF ADRENAL BURNOUT
The
adrenal glands may develop various types of problems. Before we define adrenal burnout, let us
briefly discuss these rarer conditions.
Cushing’s
disease. Severe overactivity or hyperfunction of
the glands is called Cushing’s syndrome or Cushing’s disease. It is characterized by a ‘moon face’,
obesity in the trunk, muscle weakness, poor wound healing, kidney stones and
often psychological symptoms.
This
condition is relatively rare and usually caused by a tumor of the adrenal
glands that secretes cortisol or cortisone, two of the important adrenal
hormones.
Addison’s
disease. Extremely low adrenal activity is known
as Addison’s disease. It is
characterized by weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, changes in skin color,
dehydration, anorexia, nausea, decreased cold tolerance and dizziness. It is also a fairly rare condition,
though I have met people who say they have Addison’s disease when they really
are just in adrenal burnout, which is very different.
Addison’s
disease is also caused at times by a tumor on the adrenal glands that shuts
down the glands completely. It may
also be caused by a severe shock to the system, as happened in the famous case
of John F. Kennedy.
Mr. Kennedy developed Addison’s disease when
his small patrol boat was suddenly rammed by a Japanese destroyer on a dark
night during World War II. Most of
the crew was killed instantly. He
survived, but the shock damaged his body severely.
Adrenal
burnout syndrome. Adrenal
burnout syndrome is basically a mild form of Addison’s disease. It is a low functioning or underactivity of the adrenal glands. It may also be termed adrenal
insufficiency or adrenal
exhaustion. It differs from Addison’s disease in
several important ways:
1.
In most cases, it can be corrected using natural methods. We do not like using cortisone therapy
or any bio-identical hormone therapy for this condition. Most often it is not needed and just
slows true recovery of the adrenal glands.
2.
In most cases, the cause is not a single shock to the system, as with Addison’s
disease. Instead, it is usually a slow decline in adrenal activity due
to nutritional deficiencies and the accumulation of toxic metals and chemicals
in the body. As these causes are
removed, the adrenal glands easily recover.
3.
Unlike Addison’s disease, adrenal insufficiency or burnout is very, very common
today, especially among adults.
However, few physicians are prepared to diagnose it.
Fatigue
versus adrenal burnout. Adrenal burnout syndrome
differs from simple fatigue in that burnout is not relieved by getting a few good nights sleep, as is the
case with fatigue.
This
is the case because adrenal exhaustion is not just a sleep deficit, although
that may be an aspect of the syndrome.
Burnout is a deeper derangement of the body’s energy-producing system,
of which fatigue is one symptom.
DETECTING
ADRENAL BURNOUT
Unfortunately,
when a patient complains of fatigue, depression or other symptoms that are
often related to the adrenal glands, most of the time the doctor does not ask
the right questions and does not run tests of the adrenal glands.
Instead,
patients are told to take a vacation, or given an anti-depressant, or told it
is “in their head”.
The
right questions, however, would often be enough to assess the condition fairly
accurately. These would include “How
many hours of sleep are you getting?” , “Do you use caffeine or other stimulants”
and “What other symptoms are you
having?”. Let us examine how this
can often identify adrenal burnout, even without other testing.
Signs
and symptoms. A simple and quite reliable way to assess
adrenal burnout in a general sense is with signs and symptoms. A common sign, for example, is a
low blood pressure in the absence of other obvious causes.
Usually,
the person will also often feel fatigued, even though one sleeps well. If one is not sleeping, the problem may
simply be a sleep deficit. One may
not feel tired, however, if you drink coffee, other caffeinated beverages or
use other stimulants.
Another
common symptom is depression. Others
include joint pain, cravings for sweets, pain in the low back area and perhaps excessive
thirst or craving for sweet and salty foods. Together these symptoms can help
one decide if one needs further testing.
Hair
mineral analysis. We
have been using hair mineral analysis to help assess the condition of the
adrenal glands for almost 30 years.
We have done over 15,000 of them and are very satisfied with our results
using this method.
Indicators
for adrenal insufficiency on the hair mineral test, provided the sample is not
washed at the laboratory, include:
1.
A sodium/potassium ratio less than about 2:1.
2. A sodium/magnesium ratio of 1:1 or less.
3. A copper level of 10 mg% (100 parts per million) or more.
The
hair mineral test also tells us how to correct the condition and is a very
cost-effective and non-invasive test.
In a few instances, high amounts of toxic metals in the body or other
imbalances can distort the readings.
In
these cases, we begin a nutritional balancing program based on what is revealed
on the test. The true condition of
the adrenals will be revealed on a retest in several months in almost all
cases.
For
this reason, we do not require any other type of testing besides the hair
analysis and a complete list of all physical and mental symptoms.
Blood,
urine and saliva hormone testing. Many holistic
doctors today are testing the levels of adrenal hormones in the blood, urine or
saliva. This is definitely a step
in the right direction. However,
we do not use these tests, as a rule, for the following reasons:
1.
Not needed. We find the hair
mineral test, when understood properly, provides plenty of information about
adrenal activity.
2. Cost. Hormone tests are usually several hundred dollars. This is prohibitive for many people,
especially compared to the hair mineral test.
3. Staging not needed. Hormone
tests can assess how impaired the adrenals are, as does the hair analysis. However, we find that correction is not
as dependent on the degree of adrenal weakness as much as it depends on how
well one follows our directions for recovery.
CAUSES OF
ADRENAL BURNOUT
Excessive
stress, an
important cause of burnout, can be from many sources. Chemical toxicity and
nutritional depletion are among the physical causes. Mental, emotional or
spiritual stress may be a major factor. Financial, family or other stress may
also contribute to burnout.
Any
excessive stress can deplete the adrenals, especially when weakened by poor
nutrition. Working too much or emotional stress are two common causes. Excessive stimulation, especially for
children, is another cause. Fast-paced, high-stress, fear-based lifestyles are
a sure prescription for adrenal burnout.
Other
stressors in cities are noise and electromagnetic pollution. Cell phones,
microwave towers and appliances like televisions, microwave ovens and computers
give off strong electrical fields.
Nutritional
Deficiencies are a
common cause. When under stress, the need for nutrients is much greater.
Carbohydrates, when excessive in the diet, stress the adrenals. Diets low in
protein may also create deficiencies. Inadequate or poor quality water affects
oxygenation of the tissues.
Most
diets are low in nutrients required by the adrenals. These include B-complex
vitamins, vitamins A, C and E, manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium and other
trace elements.
The
reasons for this begin with how food is grown. Most food is grown on depleted soils. Processing and
refining further deplete nutrients.
Habits
such as eating in the car or while on the run further diminish the value
derived from food. Also, allergic reactions to foods such as wheat and dairy
products can damage the intestines and reduce the absorption of nutrients.
Toxic
metals and chemicals
often play a large role in adrenal burnout. Everyone is
exposed to thousands of chemicals in the air, the water and the food. Other
sources are dental materials and skin contact with chemicals. Over-the-counter and prescribed
medications add to the body’s toxic load.
Most people do not realize that antibiotics and many other drugs
accumulate to some extent in the liver and other organs.
Toxins
may also be generated within the body due to impaired digestion. When food is not properly digested, it
either ferments or rots in the intestines, producing many harmful substances
that are absorbed into the body.
A
healthy body has the ability to eliminate many toxins on a daily basis. However, as adrenal weakness develops,
the body’s ability to eliminate all toxins decreases. This produces a vicious cycle in which weaker adrenals
impairs the elimination of all poisons, which then further weakens the
adrenals.
Chronic
infections play a critical role in some cases of adrenal exhaustion. Chronic infections may originate in infected teeth or
gums, though they can be located anywhere in the body.
They
contribute greatly to the toxic load of the body. Infections also cause inflammation and stress that must be
countered using the adrenal hormones such as cortisol and cortisone.
Stimulants damage the adrenal glands. They whip the adrenals. Caffeine, sugar and alcohol are among
the most common stimulants.
Less
obvious but no less important stimulants may include anger, rage, arguing,
hatred, loud music, fearful news and even movies full of suspense or violence.
Other
activities that may act as stimulants and must not be overlooked include vigorous
exercise, sexual preoccupations, recreational drug use or other thrills. These often provide a temporary “high”,
which is caused in part by the secretion of high amounts of adrenal
hormones. However, over time, this
weakens the adrenals and can eventually lead to adrenal depletion and
insufficiency.
Stimulant
use, however, can also be a result of adrenal burnout. While stimulants can cause or contribute to adrenal weakness,
some who use stimulants do so because they are in adrenal burnout already.
Stimulants
are attractive to one in burnout to provide temporary energy. This is an important
appeal of the drug culture, both legal and recreational. It is also the appeal of loud music,
sexual addiction, and even anger.
These
activities or attitudes can provide enough adrenal stimulation to allow a
person to feel better temporariy. This
is an important reason why giving up one’s addictions can be difficult.
When one gives them up, one must face
the fact that one is exhausted, depressed and often just feels awful due to
adrenal burnout. It is safe to say
that most people addicted to stimulants or other drugs including cigarettes,
cocaine, marijuana, and others has some degree of adrenal insufficiency.
Unhealthy
responses to stress
are another cause of adrenal burnout. These include habits of worrying, or becoming angry or
afraid.
Don’t
worry, be happy is
a great prescription for adrenal burnout. This applies particularly to high
strung, nervous individuals and those with very active minds, as they are
especially prone to adrenal burnout.
Congenital
Weak adrenals. Many children today are born with
weak adrenals due to their parents’ nutritional deficiencies. This is not a genetic problem. Instead, it is due to the
nutritional imbalances of the
mother, in particular. These are passed
through the placenta to the unborn child.
For example, if the mother is
zinc-deficient, as most are, the baby is born low in zinc and often high in
copper, cadmium or other minerals that substitute for zinc to a degree.
Fortunately,
this means the problem can be corrected, though it is better to prevent it, of
course.
By
age three or four, these children are in burnout. They are often sick, depressed and have difficulty in school. Some of these children react to the
situation by becoming hyperactive, compulsive, obsessive or by developing various other behavior
problems.
On
their hair mineral analyses, these children are often in a state of burnout at this
early age, a relatively new phenomenon, in my experience. By gently rebuilding their body
chemistry, however, their behavioral and other disorders generally vanish in a
few months to a few years.
SYMPTOMS OF
ADRENAL BURNOUT
In
addition to fatigue, weakness and often depression, symptoms often include a
craving for sweets, low blood pressure and low blood sugar. Low energy impairs every system of the
body. Thus, secondary symptoms can
range from impaired digestion, aches and pains to chronic or recurring
infections.
Emotional
and mental symptoms. Often, emotional and psychological
symptoms are present or even predominant.
Depression is very common.
Apathy, despair and even suicidal tendencies are also quite common.
Emotional
instability, mood swings, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and irritability are also
common symptoms associated with adrenal burnout syndrome. The world can look evil, one loses
faith in people, and a hopeless attitude is not uncommon.
Compulsiveness
and obsessive-compulsive tendencies may be associated with adrenal
burnout. One may become addicted
or very attracted to excessive exercise, sex, loud music or other forms of
excitement. The unconscious goal is always the same, to stimulate the adrenals
into activity.
Many
areas of life affected. Adrenal burnout affects every area
of life. One may lose interest in
friends, family and work.
Relationships often suffer when one person in the relationship goes into
adrenal exhaustion.
Unfortunately,
many with adrenal burnout function on anger and resentment. These act as
adrenal stimulants, providing a negative energy with which to function. Most of the world, in fact, functions
on the negative energy of anger.
Bigger
implications. While it is beyond the scope of this
article, entire nations can go into adrenal exhaustion as a result of wars,
famines and other catastrophes.
When this occurs, the attitudes of the people change, and with it the
leaders they elect.
This
has happened many times in history, and is an important hidden factor in our
politics of today in America. For
example, a population in burnout does not feel capable of taking care of
themselves. They will vote for
more and more government welfare programs, often bankrupting the nation,
without understanding the consequences of their votes.
THE PHYSIOLOGY
OF ADRENAL BURNOUT
Low
cortisol symptoms. Low blood sugar, low blood pressure,
low temperature, depression, joint pain and allergies may result from low
levels of cortisol.
Multiple
chemical sensitivity is an extreme allergic condition associated with adrenal
burnout. Later, blood pressure may
rise as toxic substances build up in the arteries and kidneys.
Copper
toxicity and burnout. Elevated copper and low zinc related
to adrenal burnout impair the immune system. Chronic infections may
develop. The stage is also set for
the development of degenerative conditions. Cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases
may be end-stage results of toxic accumulation and energy depletion.
Thyroid
imbalances and burnout. Often secondary to adrenal
exhaustion are other glandular imbalances such as hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland and the adrenals have
a very close relationship and stress on one always affects the other.
Much
less common is the development of a secondary hyperthyroidism, or overactivity
of the thyroid. This may be a
compensation for low adrenals, as the condition will disappear as the adrenals
are allowed to rest and rebuild.
The
adrenal glands produce estrogen and progesterone. They are the main source of these hormones after
menopause. Premenstrual syndrome
and hot flashes often have to do with weakened adrenal glands.
Reduced
cellular energy prodution. Depression and apathy are often the
result of low energy production in the cells. Also, cortisol provides a natural ‘high’.
Thus,
low cortisol can contribute to feelings of depression and even despair. Unsure if there is energy to get
through the day, anxiety may occur. Irritability is common as one is less able to handle even
minor stress.
Burnout
and metal toxicity. When the adrenals are weak, copper
builds up in the body. Elevated copper enhances emotions. Panic attacks,
bipolar disorder, mood swings and schizophrenia are related to copper
imbalance.
As
one’s energy level declines, other toxic metals build up as well. Mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic,
beryllium and others contribute to hundreds of physical and emotional symptoms.
MYTHS ABOUT
BURNOUT
Myth
#1. Burnout is psychological. Burnout is a breakdown of the
energy system of the body. Vital minerals are depleted or “burned out” (used
up) and replaced by toxic metals.
Psychological
stress may be a cause, and burnout can affect one’s emotions and behavior.
However, burnout itself is biochemical, not only psychological.
Recovery
may involve improving emotions and dealing with psychological issues. However, it also involves rebuilding
body chemistry because it is a physical condition as well.
Myth
#2. People in burnout have no
energy and cannot work. Many in burnout hold full-time jobs or other active lifestyles.
They
may also appear in good health. However, they are often tired or
stressed. They may require stimulants in order to keep going. Some bury
themselves in their work to forget how tired they feel. One can go on like this for years in
some degree of adrenal burnout.
This usually stops, however, when burnout gets very serious, as there is
not enough energy to continue working hard and living a very active life.
Myth
#3. Vigorous exercise is good for
burnout.
Vigorous exercise can be attractive to those in burnout. Exercise may temporarily
make one feel better.
While
it may provide a boost, vigorous exercise further exhausts the bodies of those
in burnout. People in burnout need to reduce exercise, often to a minimum. This helps conserve their energy and helps
to allow their adrenals to rebuild.
Exercise
in moderation can assist circulation and oxygenation, factors that may help
with burnout. However, excessive
exercise of any kind uses up energy and adrenal reserves that individuals in
burnout do not have and cannot afford to lose.
Myth
#4. A vacation, a diet or a
nutritional supplement can cause recovery from burnout. Most people never recover
from burnout, although they could if they followed a nutritional balancing
program to the letter.
Recovery
also requires a strong commitment to healing. Recovery also takes at least several years. If one recovers faster, one was not in
adrenal burnout.
Myth
#5. Burnout occurs mainly in men. In fact, it is more common in women
today. This is due mainly to lifestyle changes in women.
Many
women now work outside the home and raise the children as well. Many are also in single-parent homes or
both parents work just to pay the bills and taxes.
Women
are also more prone to copper toxicity, thyroid imbalances and other factors
that can contribute to adrenal burnout.
Women also do not realize in most cases they are different from men and
have greater needs for rest and sleep.
For all these reasons, we see more burnout in women today than in men.
Myth
#6. Burnout only occurs in those
in high-stress jobs.
Burnout occurs in all groups, regardless of occupation, income or educational
level. In fact, many homeless
people are burned out.
This
helps account for why they may give up hope or be incapable of holding a job or
supporting a home. In addition,
burnout is a worldwide phenomenon today and is not limited to certain parts of
the globe.
Myth
#7. Burnout occurs only in adults.
In fact, it is
common today in children and even babies. Most children today are being born nutritionally
depleted and toxic as a result of the ill health of the parents. This can be
measured with mineral analysis.
Minimal
brain dysfunction, chronic ear or other infections, crib death, delayed
development, learning disorders, failure to thrive, ADHD, autism and
anti-social behavior may all be symptoms related to adrenal dysfunction in our children.
Vaccination,
wholesale drugging of the children and other abominations led by our public
health authorities and the medical profession are only making the problems
worse in the long term. Children
usually respond very rapidly to nutritional balancing program. This is not at all the same as throwing
a lot of good food and vitamins at a child. It must be targeted, based on a properly performed and
correctly interpreted hair mineral analysis. I teach this science to anyone who will listen.
Myth
#8. Burnout affects only physical
health.
Burnout affects every area of life. Family and work are often
affected. Relationships often suffer. One may lose interest in everyone
and everything.
There
simply is not enough energy available for intimate relatioships or for
activities beyond those required for survival. Friends, family and
employers are often unaware of what is occurring, which only worsens the
situation.
Myth
#9. A hectic lifestyle causes
burnout. This
may be one of many causes. Oddly,
however, a hectic lifestyle can also be a result of burnout.
Excessive
activity, overwork and a very busy life can be a way to stimulate one into
action and a compensation for feelings of exhaustion. When such a one stops working and running around, he will
feel just how exhausted and perhaps depressed he really is.
A
hectic lifestyle can therefore be a stimulant, like caffeine of loud music. It always makes burnout worse, but it
may be the result of burnout, not the original cause.
Myth
#10. Overwork for years causes burnout. This is possible. However, adrenal burnout may also occur quickly due to a single
shock or just a few traumas that occur in rapid succession. In some caes, however, it is not be
related to any single trauma or activity. Often a combination of factors causes burnout.
Whether
one goes into burnout from an illness, accident, divorce, overwork or other
stress depends very much on one’s ability to handle stress, rather than the
absolute amount of stress. In
other words, some people handle stress and trauma far better than others. For this reason, we recommend a
grounding, centering meditation to everyone with adrenal exhaustion. For more information about this, click
on the article on this website entitled, Meditation.
Myth
#11. Burnout is an overused term
without a scientific basis. Just because burnout
doesn’t show up on x-rays or certain blood tests does not mean it is not real. Burnout can be measured and quantified
using tissue mineral testing and hormone testing.
The
term is not overused. In fact it
is greatly underused. A large
percentage of the population is in burnout and it would be helpful if
physicians understood it better, even if they have no drug “cure” for it.
Myth
#12. Plenty of sleep will take
care of burnout.
Unfortunately, this is not so. The person in burnout is unable to regenerate itself adequately during sleep.
In
fact, waking up tired after 8-10 hours of sleep is a primary symptom of
burnout. Like a weak battery, the body does not
recharge itself during sleep.
Myth
#13. Cleaning out toxins will take
care of burnout.
The accumulation of toxins that occurs as the body can no longer remove them
properly contributes to burnout. Exposure to toxic metals or chemicals can be
an important factor in burnout. Eliminating
them is helpful.
However,
energy is required to release toxins. If the energy system is weak, just fasting
or detoxifying will not be enough. Fasting, in fact, can and usually does make the situation
worse.
One
must rebuild the entire energy system by balancing body chemistry and providing
nutrients as well. A one-month or
even six-month ‘cleanse’ is nowhere near adequate. It can take over a year just to replenish one mineral.
Warning - For those in later stages of burnout,
extreme detoxification programs such as fasting, raw foods or even chelating
agents can be dangerous. This is
because the body may lack the vitality to properly eliminate toxins.
Also, the eliminative organs are
compromised. As a result, toxins that
such programs release from various storage tissues may be redeposited in more vital
organs such as the brain. This can
significantly worsen one’s health.
A
gentle, complete program of rebuilding and nourishing the body must accompany
any efforts to eliminate toxins. In
fact, as vitality improves, toxin elimination will proceed on its own.
Myth
# 14. One will come out of burnout
when one changes whatever factor or behavior caused the burnout. This means that if you just quit
your stressful job or your stressful marriage, you wil recover from burnout.
I
wish this were true. It is not how
it works, however. As one goes into burnout, vital minerals
become depleted and toxic substances replace them. The toxic metals become part
of the structure of enzymes and even parts of organs and glands.
For
this reason, although one changes one’s diet, lifestyle, attitudes or behavior,
the toxins remain. This is very
frustrating for people who expect a recovery after they leave a stressful
situation such as a bad marriage, for instance.
Myth
#15. To recover from burnout, just
reestablish close communication with those who are close to you. This is the cure for burnout in one
popular book. Re-establishing
excellent communication with those you love is always helpful. However, in my experience it is usually
not enough.
In
fact, it can be a source of frustration. Reason for this are:
1. As stated earlier in this paper, your loved ones often do not and cannot
understand what has happened to you.
2. Burnout often affects your perception and attitudes. Therefore re-establishing good
relationships can be complex.
3. Burnout is usually a multi-faceted problem that demands a more complete
approach than just communicating better.
Myth
#16. To get out of burnout, one
needs to get back in touch with oneself. As with Myth
#15, this is an excellent concept, but in my experience is not nearly enough
for recovery. One reason is that
getting in touch with oneself is often complicated when the brain has excessive
toxins, thanks to adrenal exhaustion.
Burnout,
for example, often causes terribly low self-esteem because one’s energy is low
and thinking is foggy or clouded. Adrenal
burnout causes most of its victims to become overly introspective. This is helpful in some ways, but
damaging in others. The positive
side of this is discussed at the end of this paper, and is very important not
to miss.
Myth
# 17. One can recover from burnout
in matter of months.
It takes at least two years and often longer. Layers of toxins, infections and other adaptations and
compensations must be undone.
Each
adaptation uses up energy so that when one begins correction, there is little
energy to work with. This slows progress and is one reason correction takes
several years.
Eliminating toxins that have become
integral parts of the organs and glands also takes time, like rebuilding a
house.
Also,
most people must replenish twenty or thirty trace minerals. This takes time, even if one does all
the correct procedures to restore one’s health.
If
one recovers in months, I would assume one was not in severe burnout. However, often, a small recovery
can feel like a cure when it is not.
As
an analogy, those in burnout need an overhaul, not a tune up. One needs to commit to doing whatever it
takes and devoting a few years to healing. This needs to become one’s primary occupation or job for a
while, allowing all other interests and activities to become secondary to the commitment
to healing.
Myth
#18. Burnout is not an important
medical problem unless the stress of burnout causes high blood pressure or
another symptom.
Burnout is degenerative exhaustion. It sets the stage for all degenerative diseases, because
energy is a common denominator of health.
All
illnesses start with fatigue. The body is like a newer car with power steering,
power brakes and power windows. When the power goes down, the entire car stops
working right. Burnout is a serious medical problem, although symptoms may be
vague and unrelated to a specific disease.
Myth
#19. Burnout is new phenomenon. In fact, burnout is as old as
humanity. Understanding adrenal
exhaustion can even help us understand the rise and fall of civilizations.
For
example, it is known that many great civilizations, including perhaps our own,
have fallen slowly or even suddenly.
Why does this occur?
One
way to understand the fall is that the people, as a whole, go into adrenal
burnout and cannot sustain the intellectual, cultural and social traditions of
the culture. Wise leaders and
strong traditions become replaced with vulgar habits, lower moral standards and
leaders who sway the people’s passions, but do not appeal to their higher
sensitivities.
Constant
wars, as occurred in Europe, can also contribute to burnout. Toxic technology can also take its
toll. The Roman Repulbic was
famous for its lead water pipes, for example. We are famous for our medical drug cures and surgeries, both
of which involve a lot of toxic chemicals. Industrialization has brought large amounts of many toxic
metals into our homes, air, water and food.
Even
oppressive political and economic systems can contribute in some nations. This is a problem with the socialist
and fascist ideologies that spring up around the world. They repress the people and, as a
result, the people do not function well after a time.
Freedom,
in contrast, tends to help people live better and function better. This was the goal of the founders of America,
of course.
Myth
#20. Burnout only affects one
generation at a time. This is perhaps the most pernicious
aspect of burnout. Children born
to burned out parents will be born nutritionally weaker and thus more prone to
adrenal fatigue themselves.
Children
today are going into burnout, as a result, at a younger and younger age. So the story of adrenal exhaustion cuts
across generational lives.
This
was ably demonstrated by Dr. Weston Price, DDS, in his classic book Nutrition
and Physical Degeneration. Melting
pot nations like America have an advantage in this regard. New immigrants are often the more
ambitious ones that are in better health and can help rejuvenate the
population.
Also,
nations that emphasize freedom and individual rights allow people to devise
better ways of coping and maintaining their health that those that are stuck in
rigid prescribed social structures.
RECOVERY FROM
ADRENAL BURNOUT
Recovery
from burnout is certainly possible.
We have helped many people to do this. Our program is all about diet, rest and other lifestyle
changes.
Be
prepared to spend several years on a nutritional balancing program. This does not mean you cannot work or
take care of your family during this time. However, lots of rest is critical and recovery still usually
takes several years of effort. The
following is an outline of the program we recommend for adrenal burnout:
1.
An improved diet. For more on
diet, click here for the Slow Oxidizer Diet Plan.
2.
Plenty of pure water to drink. We
prefer distilled water to begin with, and later spring water, in most
cases. At least use a carbon
filter on your tap. We don’t like
reverse osmosis water very much, nor do we like most alkaline water systems, “drinking
water” or tap water.
3.
An improved lifestyle. Loads of
rest is the single most important lifestyle change. For some other details, click on The Healing Lifestyle and many other
articles on this website about lifestyle.
4.
About 6 or 7 basic nutritional supplements. These must be targeted and individualized using a properly
performed and properly interpreted hair mineral analysis. For more information, click on Nutritional Balancing And Why I Recommend It.
5.
A detoxification protocol is helpful, though perhaps not always needed. This involves the use of a near
infrared sauna and perhaps coffee enemas or colonic irrigation. This is included with all nutritional
balancing programs. For some
general information about these procedures, click on Detoxifcation Procedures.
6.
A meditation-observation exercise that is extremely centering and grounding. Click on Meditation
to learn more about this excellent and simple procedure.
7.
Shifts in your attitudes and perspectives on life, when needed. Attitudes of forgiveness, letting go,
positivity, spirituality, prayer and more can speed up healing greatly. Several articles on this website such
as Letting Go and others discuss how important
these can be for healing.
Addressing
all these aspects is the way to assure success. The preceding are general suggestions only. If possible, work with someone on our
list of recommended practitioners.
These are the only people I can recommend. Others, no matter what their education or experience, often
do not know how to correct adrenal burnout syndrome. You may also work with us by mail if you prefer. Click on Find A Practitioner
for the list of approved practitioners.
What
about adrenal and other testing? In general, we
require only the hair mineral analysis, with repeated tests every six months
for several years. Food allergy
testing may be helpful, but usually not needed, in cases of severe food intolerances.
We
do not tend to need hormone tests, blood tests or other types of tests,
although we are happy to review any tests you may have. However, we never discourage other
testing when needed.
What
about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy? We do not use any hormones at
all. This is important to
emphasize. Many holistic doctors suggest using low-dose cortisone, DHEA,
pregnenelone, testosterone and other hormone replacements.
We
do not find this necessary. Also,
we find that even bio-identical hormone therapy may easily delay real healing
of the adrenals. We much prefer to
rebuild the adrenals through nutrition and detoxification and we have excellent
success if a person will follow our simple dietary and lifestyle program.
Hormone
replacement often complicates things because the body’s hormonal regulatory and
feedback system is very complex and hard to duplicate with hormone pills or
shots.
What
about anti-depressants and other drug therapies for burnout? We very rarely recommend any pharmaceutical or
over-the-counter drug for any reason.
Exceptions
include if one absolutely cannot sleep or perhaps, if one has a severe
parasitic infection or some other serious infection. In almost all these cases, however, natural products such as
colloidal silver, herbal remedies and other work well at a lower cost and with
far fewer side effects.
We
do not take people off prescribed medication. That is a matter between you and your prescribing doctor.
THE BLESSING
OF BURNOUT
Adrenal
burnout can be the best thing that happens to a person. It is a wake up call. Often, some area of life is out of balance
or alignment.
Addressing
burnout is often the starting point for a deeper exploration of self. Rather than just existing as a
programmed zombie, adrenal burnout may be the beginning of real living.
This
was the case for me, and for many patients I have worked with. I suffered from adrenal exhaustion for
a number of years. As I began to
understand the condition better, I made many changes in my diet, lifestyle and
most critically, my thinking.
I
forced myself to do coffee enemas, to walk every day and to meditate daily, although
I did not enjoy doing any these things, at first.
I
let go of family ties and other relationships that I discovered were toxic and
harmful for me. I also moved out
of the polluted city, although the process was terrifying because I had very
little energy or money to accomplish the move.
Perhaps
most important was the need for more subtle changes in attitudes and mental
tendencies. I realized how
important it is to give up all victim thinking and negative thinking. I had to let go of thinking of anyone
else as a victim, either, although that may sound like a strange attitude. I have written about this in other
articles on this website.
I
also dwelled upon and developed the spiritual or real part of myself. This is an incredible benefit if you can
make yourself do it. In the
process, I had to leave behind the superficial life style that I, like most people,
had lived most of my life.
These
shifts have served me extremely well, as they have served thousands of others I
have since worked with. Thus, I have learned it is wrong to think that
adrenal burnout, or any serious condition, is just a curse to be “handled” as
quickly as possible. If you act
this way, you may miss the greatest blessing of your life.
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