Out of all the patients I have treated, I would say that about 50% of them (at least) are struggling with a pattern called adrenal exhaustion. This basically means that they have lost the ability to rest and rejuvenate. Instead, it’s as if the nervous system is always ’on’ and the person has lost the ability to stop the incessant mental chatter, anxiety, worry, or stress.
The main symptoms of this pattern include: fatigue, irritability, restless sleep, low back pain, anxiety, depression, nervousness, feeling wiped out upon waking, many female hormonal problems, food cravings and various addictions, weight gain, sluggish metabolism, and so on.
The real question is, what is the cause of this pattern and, more importantly, what is the cure?
Well, in my experience most people have adrenal weakness because they are using excessive amounts of will power to get through life. It is like they are constantly swimming upstream, fighting against life. They work too hard, rest too little, and have a ’to do’ list a mile long. These are some of the outward causes. The real cause is more of an inner dynamic. In this day and age, many people are disconnected from their true purpose for being alive. Because of this, they don’t know themselves on a deeply intimate level, which causes them to make decisions that lead to distress and distraction.
Adrenal weakness needs to be treated not only by incorporating acupuncture treatments and nutritional therapy, but also with lifestyle changes. Patients who are the most compliant and motivated to make lifestyle changes and willing to do the work necessary to live in balance and awareness are by far the patients who make the most progress.
