Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Adrenal Fatigue: Symptoms List (plus a little about my journey)

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I was first introduced to the adrenal glands by reading Dr. James L. Wilson’s book, “Adrenal Fatigue: 21st Century Stress Syndrome” (see it here). The first to discuss adrenal fatigue to my knowledge, Dr. Wilson’s words spoke to me like he was reading my mind. I had been struggling with a strange (and seemingly unrelated) set of symptoms for at least 15 years, probably longer since I’d ignored so many subtle signs prior. Aside from constantly feeling crummy, I was tired of being misunderstood by doctors who did nothing but hand me prescriptions for drugs  to shut me up.

That feeling when you find proof you’re not making stuff up #adrenalfatigue #notlazyorcrazy

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You know that feeling when you finally find proof that you’re not making stuff up? That book was the first time someone validated my intuition and told me to listen to what my body had to say. It was, you might say, my first step to freedom. (I just bought another copy as a kind of memorial to my health journey. I’d loaned my original copy so many times, it finally disappeared.)

The Start of My Journey

Before learning adrenal exhaustion was real,  I had reached the point where if one more person told me I was making it up, needed more exercise, needed to relax, needed a pain pill, needed an anti-depressant, needed to stop eating so much, needed to have more sex, or needed to get my head examined, I would explode. Believe me when I tell you I would’ve tried anything to feel better, but I was an educated woman who’d lived in this body a long time — I knew those weren’t what I needed to fix me.

I found zillions of people on the internet (usually women) who felt like I did. Knowing I wasn’t alone was incredibly empowering, since I had no idea this was even going on. By reading their stories and reflecting on my own, I grew in knowing there had to be answers beyond what traditional medicine currently understood. So began my journey to learn as much as I could about adrenal fatigue and restore myself once and for all.

In this article and others to come, I’ll talk more about my journey to solve adrenal fatigue. I plan to be transparent hoping my findings will also help you, too. Please remember I’m not a medical doctor so you’re agreeing to read/apply this information at your own risk. I’ll be brutally honest, though. After years of going to doctors, I’m confident I know more about the adrenals than most of the doctors you’ll ever meet.

Symptoms Inventory

I’ll begin by listing common symptoms. There are more than the ones on my list, but I’m naming some of the symptoms that personally affected me and I’ve observed in other women I know.

Also know the language I’m using isn’t clinical, but I’m writing this for real women to relate to right away.

Finally, understand these symptoms alone don’t necessary indicate adrenal exhaustion and could each have other causes. It’s the combination of a bunch of these symptoms together that likely indicates the adrenals are on the way out, or shot altogether. The grouping of these symptoms is what you want to pay attention to.

Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue/exhaustion/total wipeout:

  • Stress and anxiety, often extreme, and at unwarranted times (like when you’re relaxing or doing something fun, or when you know there’s not really much stress in your life)
  • Dizziness or faintness, like waves that strike for no reason at all
  • Inability to bounce back after emotional or psychological pressure (not like you used to anyway)
  • Excessively moody, weepy, touchy, or emotional (more than is usual for you)
  • Mental confusion, hard to focus, “brain fog” (having to re-read paragraphs several times, not able to think crisply and clearly)
  • Anger, irritability, argumentative (even when you know it’s not appropriate, but you can’t help it)
  • Fatigue during the day, especially in the afternoons (crawling up the stairs on all fours <sigh> as I did)
  • Wide awake at night when you need to go to bed, but staying up just to get some “me time” or to finally get things done
  • Neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, pain in the trapezius or other muscles in those areas
  • Unexplained cough
  • Low blood pressure, or BP that doctors say is “low-normal” even if it isn’t normal for you
  • Feeling of hopelessness, despair, general depression, even though logic says you have a wonderful life
  • Low tolerance for people, stuff, and anything you used to be able to handle before
  • Autoimmune issues, like Hashimotos, or being told you have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue
  • Skin issues, like rashes or hives, when they persist for years with no known cause
  • Excess fat storage, especially around the middle, and especially when you’re eating relatively well
  • Food cravings, for sweets, or for sweets that just don’t satisfy
  • Food cravings, for salty snacks, or some feeling you need extra salt
  • Food cravings for high fat foods, which fuel you for a little while until you crash again
  • Feeling better after a meal, or feeling worse after a meal
  • Over use of coffee or alcohol, more than you know you should (sometimes with guilt attached to using these substances to get through the day)
  • Crashes in between eating, and urgency to eat soon (scrambling to stuff something in your mouth)
  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Gum bleeding or swelling
  • Sighing, gasping for air, feeling like you can’t fill up your lungs or get a full breath of air, but you keep trying anyway, so much it becomes an obsession
  • Blurry vision that comes and goes with no apparent cause, rubbing your eyes to clear them, getting glasses
  • Jaw pain, TMJ, teeth grinding at night, face tension or headaches from clenching so much
  • Heart pounding, racing or rapid heartbeat, even when resting, and especially when getting out of bed in the morning
  • Muscle cramps, “charley horses”, during the day, in bed, when you haven’t done any exercise or anything else to cause it
  • Constipation, irregular bowel movements, or different stools than you know is normal
  • Shaking or trembling, like having slightly shaky hands or an internal trembling in your mid-section
  • Low or no libido
  • Feeling like nothing is ever fun any more, you’re no fun, or there’s just no joy in life left
If you have these symptoms, you may have adrenal fatigue

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In future articles, I’ll describe some of the things that helped me and specific techniques that healed my adrenals for good. If you’d like to follow along, there’s a box where you can subscribe at the very bottom of my HOME PAGE.

Meanwhile, if you want to grab a copy of Dr. Wilson’s book, click the image (affiliate) below:

To your good health,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Positive Things Cause Stress, Too

I remember like it was yesterday. Expensive coffee in one hand, deals and coupons in the other, I looked forward to Christmas shopping all year. Black Friday always kicked off the holiday season for me. It was the one day all year that was virtually guaranteed to put me in a good mood for weeks to come, so I’d never miss it, no matter the ridiculous amount of planning it sometimes took to get the morning off.

If I was so happy, then why did I feel so run down? And how was I suddenly blind-sided with panic without a clue there was anything wrong? I can almost recreate the dizziness, the heart palpitations and feeling drenched in my own sweat. I remember thinking I might actually tip over, and how embarrassing that would be in the middle of J.C. Penney. Finding a place to sit down in the bedding department, I called my husband, who talked me through it until I caught my breath. The attack caught me utterly by surprise, as I hear from so many other women who report experiencing exactly the same thing.

Miserable as that was, I gained some big understanding that day. I had a real awakening about stress, dominating the lies I’d heard for years from doctors and drug companies. I realized that positive life experiences can be stressful, too. It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

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This is a really big idea actually.

It’s not what you believed about stress just a few minutes ago, is it?

See, I  assumed relaxation and fun were antidotes for my stress, like some automatic way to cancel my symptoms. But what’s really true is that all kinds of experiences can be stressful, even positive ones. My body had just been on high alert so long, anything could have set me off — so it did.

Do you think you might be near a breaking point, too?

Have you considered where your stress is actually coming from?

Most of us think stress is a response to unpleasantness in our lives. But, if you think back to the last time you planned a party/welcomed a new baby/began an exciting new job, I think you’ll see what I mean.

Since that time, I’ve made life changes.  Major ones. If you experience stress, you can make life changes, too.

Even a happy life can make us stressed out. Remember it’s the stacking of many things that make us overloaded.

To your health and healing,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

What if I forget something really important?

{This post is one in a series called, “Top 10 Fears”, in which I speak to the most common fears parents express about homeschooling the high school years.  To see all the topics, or start at the beginning, click HERE.}

Fear #9

The fear of forgetting something really important

The biggest problem with homeschooling a teenager is never getting a second chance. What that means is, grades K-8 notwithstanding, you’d better not mess things up in high school. If you do, your child will have a perfectly miserable life. Oh, and, because everything’s your fault, you’ll be miserable forever, too.

Just kidding.

If high schooling were so high risk, why would so many of us be doing it? Did you realize there are as many homeschoolers in high school as in the lower grades?  Contrary to what many people think, you don’t have to put your kids back in school when they reach high school age.

So, the proof is in. People do it. And it works.

Better yet, homeschooling high school works despite the mistakes we make. And we do make mistakes. We’re mere mortals taking on a gargantuan task, right?

The good news is that high schooling errors aren’t the end of the world. Not by a mile. I know there’s a bit of a learning curve, and you’re doing the best you can to prepare, but, there’s no way to predict every possible thing that can happen. It’s safe to assume you’ll probably goof up every now and again.

But, you can recover from making mistakes in high school, and your student will continue making strides anyway. Success in high school isn’t dependent on doing things perfectly. It’s dependent on your caring and doing the best job you can. And you’re already doing that or you wouldn’t be here, amiright?

Recovering from High Schooling Mistakes

Though it’s impossible to list all the dreadful scenarios and major foibles you might make when high schooling your kid, let’s take some common situations so I can show you things aren’t hopeless. Meet me again at the end of this article, so I can share some final thoughts and we can recap this whole thing together.

Common homeschool high school mistakes and how to fix them:

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What if…you forget to schedule/teach a class, or your student fails one miserably?

Recovery strategies might include: Having the student take/retake the entire class or a similar one (time permitting); have the student take an intense or abbreviated version of the class; the student may choose to learn the material independently, then “test” for course credit; you could extend the graduation date, allowing time to take the class; you could also research the importance of the class after all, judging whether it was really that important; or, you could just move on without it.

What if…you lose important paperwork, or forget to write down things your student did several years ago?

Recovery strategies might include: Trying to obtain copies of important paperwork if they exist somewhere else (your district, a homeschool group, copies loaned to friends, etc.); recreating documents from memory, with help from your student or others; looking for similar materials and seeing if they resemble what you might have done in the past; explaining in an honest written statement what happened, highlighting those parts of the experience you do recall, plus samples of any evidence you’re able to find; or, omitting the course/experience on the transcript altogether, substituting something else worthwhile in its place.

What if…you miss a deadline, and now it’s too late for your student to do something he/she wanted to do?

Recovery strategies might include: Petitioning for a deadline extension, or applying at the next and earliest available time; applying for something similar but different, and making the best of the change; looking for a similar opportunity out of town or possibly online; designing/creating a similar opportunity on your own; using it as a learning opportunity to highlight the importance of planning and responsibility; or, emphasizing the need (for you and your student) to stay on track for the future.

What if…you’ve been busy preparing your student for a job/other opportunity after graduation, then you find out your student wants to go to college after all?

Recovery strategies might include: Using the remaining time in high school (if any) to prepare; extending the graduation date, if possible, for college prep activities; using independent learning to hone skills in crucial areas that matter; taking college prep study courses and webinars, or purchasing study guides and focusing extensively on those; taking a gap year (or more) until college preparedness is complete; or, knowing there’s a college for most everyone, finding a college match based on what the student has completed, not what he has not.

As you can see, there are many ways to circumvent so-called high schooling errors or make the best of changing situations. With the help and guidance of friends who’ve been there, of reading articles like these, or maybe even bending the ear of a high school counselor like me, I promise homeschooling high school can still be successful.

There are lots of ways to get around the errors we sometimes create on behalf of our students. In my mind, the best way to handle things is to assume they’ll happen because we’re human, and figure out how to make lemonade and keeping going.

Messing up is just life. When you think about it, you’ll probably be better people for figuring out how to recover from these errors anyway. Bouncing back from the unexpected is just one more way to learn. You can bet your student will notice.

To your success,

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever.  A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide.  Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Things We Can’t Control

There is no worse feeling in the human experience than being out of control. Helpless and desperate, exhausted from trying, it’s a sense that events are swirling crazily around us, but we’re powerless to do anything about them.

I liken the feeling to being locked in a glass box on an old game show. Perhaps you can recall the scenes from long ago, those of frantic contestants trying to grab dollar bills in the air?

Feeling out of control is like reaching a hand into the abyss, trying to grab a bit of the chaos and tame it. It’s an urgent need to restore comfort, by controlling at least a little bit of something, but not being able to do even that. During those times when there’s nothing we can do, a terror often strikes from the futility of wanting to control what we ourselves cannot.

What to do when you’re feeling out of control #women #unbusy #release

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Surrender

It’s at these times that we must surrender. Anything else is either counter-productive or insanity.

Surrender doesn’t mean giving up. It just means recognizing that things are going to happen how they’re going to happen anyway. No behavior from us will amount to anything. And no amount of worry will ever change the outcome.

Surrender doesn’t have mean gloom and doom, either. We can remind ourselves that things always work out as they should. Recognizing that life is here to support us, not the other way around, is enormously comforting. Though we may not like it, surrendering is the only way to stop fighting against the tide.

They’re Just Thoughts

When feeling out of control, it can help to recognize that feelings are just thoughts. Looking at them as thoughts, we can begin to dissect those feelings, look at their underlying parts, and change some of them.  One of my most beloved mentors refers to this as rewriting the book of our lives. The clearest explanation I’ve heard so far, I find it one of the easiest to implement, too.

Thinking different thoughts provides a different way of looking at things. Repeating the newer, more sane understanding of a situation — rewriting the book if you will – interrupts the out-of control-pattern, and enables us to change it into something else.

Release the Need

When entirely unable to control a situation, there’s still one thing we can actually do. Releasing the need to control, or to even get involved, is in fact entirely within our control. Asking ourselves if we can — at the very least – release the need to have control can have a major impact on how we feel.

Questions to ask include, “Can I let go of my need to be in control?” and “Am I willing to allow myself to see that things won’t be like this forever?” Answering these in the affirmative can be life changing.

Build Curiosity

Surrendering and changing thinking aren’t just comforting, but can even turn situations into a game. Knowing that life is happening before our very eyes, we can build a sense of curiosity about what happens next, then sit back to watch events unfold. I realize, for many, this is a stretch. Still, reaching this level of acceptance may be something to strive for.

Feeling out of control? Do this now.

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As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

The art of slowing down

 

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There once was a woman raising a houseful of delightfully inquisitive children. The woman chose home education for the children, and it soon became her full-time job. Despite her new job, she continued performing the other jobs she had prior to starting her own school. And, because no one ever told the woman she couldn’t do it all, she never said no, never asked for help, and just kept adding more things to her calendar. To be productive, the woman was always in motion, and she was continually juggling many things. Her days were spent rushing from one task to another, morning until night, with never a break in between. Because her life was successful, it never dawned on the woman to lighten her load, not even one bit. Until one day, when things started going wrong. The woman’s health showed signs of stress (though she had no time to notice). More serious symptoms developed (but there was no time to figure them out). Until finally, the woman broke. Her body had grown very sick from being ignored for so long. It screamed so painfully, she had no choice but to finally listen. So, she did.

When I tell the longer version of my story, there’s a part where people in the audience begin nodding their heads. That’s because busyness and rushing through life rings true for many people. Brave women will come up afterwards, finally realizing what they’ve been doing to themselves. Every one of them wishing they’d known this sooner, rather than spending years of pain, frustration, doctor hopping, and thinking they were a tad crazy.

The good news, I tell my audiences, is this madness can be stopped. As in 100%. That’s the message I’m sharing with you, now. You don’t have to live like that. No one does.

Want to un-create a life of stress & busyness? Simple instructions found here:

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This lifestyle I’m referring to — this crazy one of busyness and rushing – is one created by ourselves. Meaning, if we can create it, we can un-create it. No one needs to suffer as I did, and as 50 million other Americans suffering with autoimmune dis-eases do. With a simple mind shift, we can change our jam-packed lives, and no longer be sick from putting so much pressure on ourselves.

The Secret

What’s the secret to creating this new life? In reality, there are many secrets, each depending on the circumstances and symptoms of the sufferer. But, there is one universal secret I can share freely, since it’s a prescription that helps everyone who tries it:

~ Slow down ~

Sounds simple, right? And yet, if you’re used to operating at the heightened levels I’ve described, slowing down can be the hardest thing in the world. We’re resistant to change, plus our belief systems like to be right. Slowing down assaults the ego, speaking poorly about our ability to cope and handle it all.

Not an easy change to make.

But, How Exactly?

Slowing down means different things to different people.  In general, it’s about lightening your load, taking on less, and especially making space in your life to be still. It takes guts to cancel long-held commitments and start saying no more often. If you’re like others who do this to themselves, it takes even more guts to sit still for more than a few minutes without guilting yourself into thinking you should be doing something else.

But, slowing down also means physically slowing down, something some people have never known. It could look like a leisurely walk in the park or a yoga class in the evenings. It could mean observing with consciousness every move you make, and deliberately slowing it down, which is what worked for me.

Whatever slowing down means to you, it’s important to find it and start doing it right away. You’ll be surprised how the simple act of slowing down can make such a difference. In health, emotions, relationships, and in all other aspects of life. And if  you’re worried about losing your edge or sacrificing excellence, I can help you with that, too. Let’s talk.

Be warned though. Slowing down may take years of practice before letting go of old patterns. Remember, we’re programmed from an early age to do it all, and our powerful belief systems will fight us all the way. But, I have seen the miracles of slowing down in myself and so many women around me. Isn’t it worth exploring in your life, too?

Let go of old patterns and create a simple life of balance. Find out how.

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For your inspiration, I’m including 2 powerful TED talks that target this issue in very some personal and profound ways. The first is a talk by Carl Honore, the author of “In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed” (see the book here). The second is a talk by Katrina Alcorn, the author of “Maxxed Out: American Moms on the Brink” (see the book here).

Let me know how you’re doing in a COMMENT today. This is an important conversation, and I’d love to share it with you here.

To your health and healing,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!