Frustration and discouragement are experienced intimately by most people suffering from adrenal fatigue. When you start on the road to recovery and have a setback, you may become discouraged and frustrated even more easily than someone recovering from a different illness. But do not give up! Even when things are not going like they should and you have tried everything, do not despair. Often, it is the next thing you do, or sometime it is just the amount of time needed for your program to work. If you keep trying, there is hope. If you give up and quite doing the things that make you feel better, you can be sure your chances of healing are slim to none. So, the first and last rule of the program is to never give up!
Some people start feeling better in the first week of their recovery program, especially if they dramatically improve their diet or make changes in their lifestyle that greatly reduce stress. But typically you should not expect changes before at least three weeks.
I advise patients to keep journals in which they jot down notes daily about how they are feeling, what they are able to do, and their general overall symptoms. On days when you are feeling discouraged, you can go back to the early journal entries and note that you have made progress even though it does not feel that way at the moment. As you get better, you will find that you are able to do and complete more things, your frame of mind is improving, generally, things are going more smoothly in your life, and you are better able to handle the rocky times. You will even have happy days or nearly happy days, replacing all those bleak ones that came before. Note the happy days in your journal. They will serve as landmarks and as inspiration on other days when you need encouragement.
Although regaining your health and vitality is very important and requires considerable commitment and persistence on your part, do not wrap your entire life up into getting well. This creates a compulsiveness that is not usually conducive to restoring health. It causes you to be driven by the effort to get well which then becomes just another source of stress draining your adrenals.
This blog post was not only informative, but also, positive! Thank you. It’s nice to read that though I seem to be going through this alone, others have been down this path, understand and have recovered. I believe this blog will play an important part in my recovery as I need a support system. Until Adrenal Exhaustion hit me (I also am hypothyroid) and wrecked havoc on my digestive, hormonal, nervous systems and neurotransmitters, I was the one that helped others. For the moment, the tables have turned. We moved and I had no time to meet anyone before this hit. The seven totally bedridden months were the worst. My wonderful husband is gone 13 hours on work days. Our daughter lives close by but has a toddler, husband & works outside of the home, so though a loving daughter, is herself heading toward adrenal fatigue. My doc seems to be treating me as a bunch of glands instead of a whole person & I’m not confident doc has a proven plan. So, not having that confidence & support to count on, can be a stressor in itself.
I journal, eat very healthfully and ( mostly organic, nothing processed, pure water, etc.) slowly increase my activilty as i build up and try to be positive and grateful. Hearing your stories would be very helpful to me & I’m sure others, as well. For those who can share, thank you!!
I would appreciate anyone sharing what their ‘down times’ were like ( symptoms & what helped them get out of them or their best ways they made positive strides.). Example: Did you go through any paradoxical reactions like having heart palps or super spikes in blood pressure for no seeming reason or getting tired again for months after gradually building up, etc.
Going through Adrenal Exhaustion recovery is a lonely, rough process.