SICK OF stress?

Are you just run down or do you have adrenal fatigue? How to tell the difference and what you can do to bounce back

What is Addison’s disease?

The most extreme level of adrenal fatigue is known as Addison’s disease (also known as hypocortisolism or chronic fatigue). This occurs when the adrenal glands are producing extremely low hormone levels and is not usually apparent until more than 90 percent of the adrenal cortex has been destroyed. In many cases, lifelong medication is required to repair adrenal damage.

On a scale of one to 10, how stressed do you feel? Work, financial strains and relationship issues can add to everyday pressures and responsibility – making us tired, worn out and feeling low. But is feeling highly overstressed and fatigued normal? How do we recognise the difference between general stress and unhealthy stress, and what are the long-term effects? In a Southern Cross survey, 30 per cent of New Zealanders were unsure if they were overstressed, while 30 per cent ticked the stressed box. That statistic alone is enough to cause anxiety. Dr James Wilson, author of Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, says prolonged periods of fatigue are not normal. If you’re tired for extended periods of time, feeling run down, struggling to keep up with daily life and unable to bounce back from illness, you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.

WHAT ARE YOUR ADRENALS?

Adrenal glands are commonly known as the “glands of stress”. These two walnut-sized glands are perched on top of each kidney in your lower back area and are responsible for helping you deal with mental stress, physical injury, illness, and emotional strain. Your adrenal glands secrete more than 50 hormones into the body including cortisol, oestrogen, testosterone and epinephrine (adrenaline).