Mind Body Connection and Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue is a condition I see nearly everyday, it's a condition that can severely effect our quality of life bringing with it not just physical symptoms but a whole range of emotions that can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when the body is already in such a depleted state. Treatment can sometimes be a long and slow process but if we understand the root cause of this condition it can give us a few tips and hopefully speed up the recovery process. 

In Taoism we have a concept that talks about the mind eating the body, I believe Adrenal Fatigue is a good example of this. We all know the body has limits and requires certain things to run effeciently. For example without sleep the body quickly breaks down, we can also add food and water to this list, without these things the body would stop functioning. However, we can push the body past where it reasonably wants to go, If you've ever fasted for an operation you did just that, if you've ever worked nights you forced the body not to sleep, the mind is incredibly powerful. Many people throughout history have undergone extreme physical hardship and survived. We would often say they had strong will power, they never gave up, these qualities come from the mind and allow us to keep pushing even when the body says please stop. This kind of ability is meant more for survival, so in times of danger we are able to push through. However for most us we may use this ability every day, if you've skipped meals, stayed up far to late or you class 5 cups of coffee as you daily water intake! Problems arise when this becomes our lifestyle, we go to work and we push ourselves, we come home and we push ourselves, this cycle generally repeats until the body eventually says NO! The very survival mechanism that allowed you push through is now protecting the body by closing it down. In a chronic case of adrenal fatigue the patient is unable to do much at all, this includes thinking as the mind often becomes foggy. This response although irritating and often very upsetting is actually the bodies way of redressing the balance. It's making you sleep and making it hard to think, if we try and push through the condition will only get worse. In a culture where giving 110% is the norm and even an aspiration suddenly losing this ability can be devastating. 

So how can we recover? to approach this topic lets divide it into 2, physical and mental recovery. The physical treatment of Adrenal Fatigue is where most people start and stop. Although this area is extremely important, by itself it will not solve the problem over the long term, and may actually make it worse. Let me explain, If we begin loading the body with nutritionally dense food we will begin to feel better, if we add rest to this the result will be even greater. However in some ways by improving our diet we may be sustaining an unsustainable lifestyle. We take our multivitamin, a greens supplement, ginseng, royal jelly, the list goes on and on as we try and give the body enough fuel to keep it going. I want to say here that there is nothing wrong with this approach, creating a well balanced nutritious diet is essential when recovering from Adrenal Fatigue and can not be overlooked. However if our treatment strategy stops here all we've done is delay the process. We go straight back into our old lifestyle, the same stresses the same pressures until after a year or two we find ourselves back where we started, but this time the hole is deeper and recovery will take longer. 

The second area of treatment is the mind, this is the area most people overlook or don't want to confront. This area involves change, we have to acknowledge the situation we find ourself in and then work on changing it so it's more sustainable. In the West we often have this notion that we can't be lazy, or we're trying to keep up with those around us, life is a competition and we need to win, we need to be first! before I move on, below is a quick video narrated by Alan Watts, he explains clearly this approach to life and how unnatural it is. 

So possibly the shift that is most needed is actually a playful one, if we stop defining life as a journey with an end and a beginning and start seeing life as a dance our mind becomes softer, we become softer and our health improves. Again the idea of being soft in the West is frowned upon or even laughed at, but the Taoists have known for millennia that the soft overcomes the hard, the weak overcomes the strong. For a Taoist water is the ultimate analogy for life, be soft like water, flow like water but also be as persistent as water. A rock may appear harder and stronger than water, but over time water will sculpt the rock or turn it to dust, a single drop of water doesn't seem powerful but put all those single drops together and it can destroy a whole city. What the Taoists appreciate is softness has its own strength, a strength that may not be obvious at first but becomes unstoppable over time. 

So how do we develop this nurturing softness? My two favourite technique are Meditation and Qi Gong, both begin the process of calming the mind. We aren't trying to numb or destroy the mind, we're actually trying to heal it! In most cases it is the mind that has driven the body to this place, the mind is considered the root issue, the body is the symptom. Through these two modalities we will begin to feel the mind calm and a gentle acceptance becomes the norm. This doesn't mean the stressors around us diminish, but our perception of them begins to change. As we find our own centre and a more balanced way of being the old annoyances begin to give way. This is a gentle but persistent strength that nourishes us rather than depleting us. Through this process I've seen people change their life, I've seen patients leave jobs that they realised  were depleting them and incorporate practices into their daily lives that nourish and create this gentle soft strength. 

If you feel Adrenal Fatigue may be restricting your life here are the essential pointers I advise for all patients:

  1. Eat regular meals: try not to skip meals and even introduce snacks. The goal here is to keep the blood sugar as stable as possible. We don't want spikes or dips as this will engage the adrenals. By eating regular meals we take some stress off the adrenals and allow them time to recover. 
  2. Nutrition: Appropriate nutrition is a key ingredient to recovery, staying away from to much sugar and caffeine is important. A good way to boost your daily nutritional intake is with juicing or supplementation. However remember supplements are there to supplement your diet, nutrition starts with your diet. With that in mind I'm also a fan of a good green supplement, the bonus of these is they provide a basic level of most vitamins and minerals etc but more importantly they are food based. This means the body knows how to to use it, when buying supplements if possible I always look for food based products.
  1. Don't stay up late: Many people with Adrenal Fatigue will crash early evening only to find their energy returns late evening. At this point it can then often be hard to sleep, many people with Adrenal Fatigue can actually find good quality sleep a problem. If possible try to go to bed when that first energy crash hits. this normally occurs between 7:30 - 9 with some variation. 
  2. Mornings are important: If possible try to stay in bed until 9am. For many of us this isn't practical but where you can try it. Even if you're awake at 7, try staying in bed. I found through my own research and experience this stops the afternoon crash which can often be quite severe. Another tip for the morning is eat protein, maybe a couple of eggs or even a protein shake. 
  3. Rest, Rest, Rest: This condition may have taken many years to develop, what the body needs now is rest, where possible remove yourself from your main external stressors. The body needs a safe place where it can recuperate, think of a bear hibernating. 
  4. Feel Safe: Now the body is nourished and has a safe place to rest we need to create the exact same environment for the mind. It's important to feel safe, to feel protected and cared for, this allows the mind to let go a little and relax. This may involve letting friends and family members know what you're doing. 
  5. Creating a strong gentle mind: As mentioned earlier I've found meditation and Qi Gong to be perfect modalities in this regard. However I'm sure many other techniques are available, any Yoga style that concentrates on the breath and relaxation would also be perfect, I've found Yin Yoga to be a good fit. 
  6. Take a step back: This may be the hardest step as we begin to look at our own lives a little more objectively. For example if your job is extremely stressful an objective look may suggest a change of job. At the very least this processwill create a change in lifestyle. However I want to give one warning for this stage, remember the soft gentle strength. Those prone to Adrenal Fatigue are often those who push the hardest and are actually quite hard on themselves. This habit will actually hinder progress, Adrenal Fatigue can not be pushed through, it can't be shouted at or given a strict deadline. However it can teach us how to accept ourselves, how to care for and love ourselves. Hopefully through this process we find balance and Adrenal Fatigue never comes knocking again. 

The basic philosophy of this whole approach can be summed up in one sentence:

"Nourish the body, remove the stress, nourish the mind, remove the stress"

Below is a short clip by Bruce Frantzis, Bruce has studied throughout Asia and is a recognised authority on Taoism giving lectures and workshops all over the world. Here he talks about the concept of the mind eating the body.