Dealing with the two T’s—toxins and trauma—could be the key to recovering from debilitating adrenal fatigue, says Marcelle Pick
Lia came to me after visiting specialist after specialist who couldn’t give her answers to the almost unbearable symptoms she was experiencing. Her lack of energy, aches and pains, and low mood were tough, she told me, but the hardest thing to cope with was the sense that she somehow just wasn’t herself anymore. When she said this to specialists, they simply ignored it.
Her primary care physician suggested medication for anxiety and depression. But while Lia certainly felt anxious about what was going on, she didn’t believe that was the root of her problem—and I agreed. Of course she felt anxious about losing her former vitality and zest for life. Who wouldn’t?
One of the most important aspects of my practice is my commitment to looking at the whole picture, something specialists just aren’t equipped to do. I immediately suspected that adrenal dysfunction was causing her discomfort. What I didn’t know was why her adrenals weren’t functioning properly in the first place.
Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine focuses on getting to the root cause of an issue instead of simply treating symptoms. After all, masking symptoms doesn’t make the real problem go away.
Functional medicine is all about discovering why your health has taken a bad turn and building habits that will sustain good health for a lifetime, not just while you take a pill.
There’s been a lot of debate among conventional practitioners about whether adrenal fatigue is real. Much of it comes down to semantics, I think. It’s true that the adrenal glands rarely reach a point of total shutdown.
Instead, what often happens is the adrenals become skewed in either direction—producing too much or too little of a hormone, especially the stress hormone cortisol. And, to complicate matters further, it’s a moving target. Sometimes production is too high. Other times, it’s too low. And often levels are still within the “normal” range (which is far too broad to really make sense).
That’s why I typically use the term adrenal imbalance or adrenal dysfunction to describe the issue commonly known as adrenal fatigue. The bottom line is that if the adrenal glands aren’t producing the correct amount of each hormone, the body will respond negatively.
In hindsight, women often say the first thing they noticed as their health began to spiral downward was a change in their energy level. They found themselves needing more and more caffeine just to make it through the day. Or they would wake up tired even after a full night of sleep, have difficulty getting out of bed or get a burst of energy late at night, making sleep tough.
These energy changes are a sign that something is awry in the adrenal glands. Other symptoms include changes in mood (including anxiety and depression), aching joints and muscles, unexplained weight gain, hair loss, skin issues, low blood pressure and lightheadedness.
These symptoms can also be a result of other problems, but it’s worth asking about adrenal function if you find yourself faced with several. There are several stages of adrenal fatigue (see the end of this article for the typical symptoms of each) and if you catch the problem early, you can avoid reaching a state of total exhaustion and inability to function.
The conversation about what causes adrenal fatigue often focuses on hormonal imbalance and/or gut issues. While these are both important factors, focusing solely on them kind of misses the mark.
That’s because each of these is another symptom, not really a root cause. Why are hormones imbalanced? What’s behind dysbiosis in the gut? These are the things you really need to know. Where do these problems originate?
Two T’s are often the root causes of adrenal dysfunction: toxins and trauma. It’s important to understand how they can cause problems with the adrenal glands.
We’re surrounded by toxins in our food, water, air and personal care products. More than 300 synthetic chemicals have been found in the tissues of the human body—even some in newborns. That means these toxins can pass from mother to child and carry on for generations. We also deal with toxic stress and toxicity in relationships.
Sometimes there’s nothing we can do about the toxins we’re exposed to. Unless you live in a plastic bubble, for instance, you don’t have much control over what’s in the air you’re breathing (though air purifiers at home do help).
Still, there’s a lot we can control. That’s why it’s so important to understand the role toxins play in adrenal function.
Adrenal dysfunction is most commonly triggered by chronic stress, and that includes stress your body endures when bombarded by environmental toxins. Exposure to heavy metals,1 asbestos2 and toxic chemicals like plastics3 can block the natural processes of the adrenal glands, throwing off the natural stress response.
Toxic relationships can be as serious as environmental toxins when it comes to the impact on your adrenal glands. Remember, your brain can’t distinguish between types of stress—it initiates the same stress response whenever a threat is perceived, even if it’s emotional rather than physical.
Research has indicated that perspective makes a difference to health. When you’re surrounded by the negativity of relationships that simply don’t work well, your health will suffer.
Trauma—whether recent or in the distant past—has lingering effects in your body. Physical trauma is obvious, and you’re likely to take the necessary steps to heal (such as resting a sprained ankle or staying in bed when you have a migraine). Emotional trauma, on the other hand, is often buried deep.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study has clearly demonstrated the impact that trauma in childhood can have on adult health.4 But it’s still difficult for many of my clients to process the idea that something that happened decades ago might be behind their uncomfortable symptoms.
I often come back to the phrase “Our issues are in our tissues.” Our body holds on to trauma long after the source is gone. And eventually the buildup of emotional trauma in these tissues manifests in physical ways, such as the symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
Emotional trauma can also create chronic stress sometimes leading to specific disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the acute trauma has passed, the long-term impact is devastating.
The brain’s natural response to trauma of any kind (real or perceived) is to flood the body with adrenaline and cortisol, leading to the “fight, flight or freeze” reactions. Individuals with PTSD have a hyper-aroused response system, meaning even the slightest perception of a threat can result in a full-blown stress response.
Being on high alert means you’re constantly calling on your adrenals to produce more stress hormones, leading to elevated levels of cortisol (and a range of painful symptoms). The longer this goes on, the harder it is for your body to produce these hormones, and eventually the adrenals may not be able to keep up, leading to a whole different set of problems including chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
The good news is that once you understand that your troubles may have begun with the toxins and trauma you’ve been exposed to, you can start taking steps toward healing. While you can’t eliminate all toxic exposure, you can certainly reduce it. And though past trauma can’t be changed, it can be faced so it won’t keep triggering your stress response.
Guard your body
So much of my advice comes back to making sure you’re consciously choosing what enters your body. Processed foods are never the best choice. Whole, organic meats and produce are the best way to avoid the pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics that are so prevalent in commercial foods.
Water is essential to good health, but if it’s coming from plastic bottles, it can often contain unwanted chemicals. I recommend filtered water over bottled water for just that reason. If you can invest in a whole-home filtration system, you won’t be showering in unwanted toxins either.
Avoid drinks loaded with sugar, artificial flavorings or colorings. If plain water bores you, try adding some fresh fruit or infusing it with mint. Flavored seltzer and herbal tea are also great options.
In public, you can’t do much about the air quality. But at home you can use an air filter, keep dust to a minimum and address any areas with mold immediately.
Examine your relationships
This is much easier said than done sometimes, but if you’re feeling like a relationship isn’t what you’d like it to be, it’s time to take a close look at how it affects you. Exposing yourself to toxic people just because they’re family, for instance, is doing yourself a great disservice.
Find ways to set healthy boundaries with parents, siblings, friends and significant others. It’s okay to let go of relationships that don’t work for you, especially if you’ve tried to set boundaries without success.
I know a lot of women tell me they simply can’t see a way out of a bad relationship. This is one time when putting yourself in front of others is essential. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to leave, particularly once children are involved or finances are intertwined. But even if you’ve been in a toxic relationship for years, you can get out.
If the relationship has turned abusive—physically or emotionally—I urge you to reach out to a domestic violence agency for help. If the relationship is unhealthy but not abusive, you can turn to a trusted friend or seek therapy or other resources to decide what’s best for you.
Address past trauma head-on
I know how tempting it can be to bury your head in the sand. So many women tell me a past trauma is behind them and they just want to forget it. Unfortunately, your body won’t let you. Unless you’ve really dealt with the issue, you’ll continue to feel the effects, even years later.
Healing from trauma is best done with the help of a professional. There are many amazing programs that clients have found success with, including the Hoffman process and emotional freedom technique (EFT). Psychotherapists have a range of programs and tools at their disposal. Also check out the Time-Light technique of WDDTY publisher Bryan Hubbard, which healed his own long-held trauma and is helping many others: time-light.co.uk.
You may need to try a few options before you find the one that’s right for you. But don’t give up.
Choose better household products
Many of the women I talk with tell me they’ve never even thought about what’s in their cleaning products, laundry detergent or personal care products. This is a mistake. Far too many have chemicals that can really wreak havoc on health. It’s where a lot of those toxins that end up in our bodies come from.
There are so many great natural options for cleaning and personal care—and a lot of them are less expensive than commercial products. Baking soda and vinegar are the two top ingredients for creating cleaning products and detergent that won’t add to your toxic load.
If you prefer commercial products, check the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning for the best options. Their website (ewg.org) also offers valuable tips for reading labels and selecting products.
Be sure to read the labels when choosing skin care products and cosmetics, too. If you need guidance in selecting the best products for your needs, check the Skin Deep database on the Environmental Working Group’s website.
And make sure to check out WDDTY’s Healthy Shopping resources.
Choose healthier lifestyle habits
The best way to combat the impact of trauma and toxicity is to lead the healthiest life possible. That includes breaking bad habits, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol and eating poorly.
It also means building healthy habits, such as forming routines that promote quality sleep and getting plenty of physical activity. Spending time outdoors is a healthy lifestyle choice that naturally boosts vitamin D (when you expose yourself to sunlight without sunscreen for 20 minutes per day).
Reducing stress is another critical element of supporting your adrenal glands, so finding ways to relax and rejuvenate is especially important. Doing yoga or meditation, practicing gratitude, and setting aside time just for yourself every day go a long way in reducing stress.
Remember Lia? I’m happy to say I was able to help her when no one else could. It took some time, and a commitment to change on her part, but we did it. And looking at her toxic load and past trauma played a big part in her success.
Adrenal fatigue can be debilitating, but when you understand the underlying factors that can lead to the hormonal imbalances behind the condition, you can make a difference in your life.
Dealing with toxins and trauma can help you get to good health faster, allowing you to lead the healthy life you deserve.
No matter what stage you’re in, it’s likely that you can recover by following the healthy diet and lifestyle tips I’ve shared. It may take longer if you’re in a later stage, but it will be worth it.
STAGE 1
Fluctuating energy levels
A jittery feeling
Difficulty sleeping
Mild digestive issues
STAGE 2
A feeling of being “tired but wired”
Difficulty sleeping
Feelings of anxiety
Restlessness
Frequent battles with viruses or infections
STAGE 3
Constant fatigue
Trouble focusing
Moodiness or irritability
Low sex drive
Difficulty sleeping
Infertility
Worsened PMS
Insulin resistance or blood sugar imbalances
STAGE 4
Exhaustion or extreme/constant fatigue
Irritability
Depression
Anxiety
Low sex drive
Brain fog
Leaky gut
Severe hormonal imbalances
Autoimmune conditions
Digestive disorders
Infertility
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