June 2023: My story in a nut-shell: I believe I have accumulated stress since childhood, and did not become aware of it until my mid-thirties. In fact, I thought that the word stress was overused and I could not relate to it or else did not really want to relate to it, as my nervous system was always kicking in in high gear. The wake up call came when I no longer had the energy to hangout with friends or family - all I wanted to do was rest and sleep, which I did. I started getting better when I decided in letting go my my cultural ties with Italian foods like pasta, pizza, breads etc... This made a huge difference in my energy level. Thinking I was cured however, some years later I went back to some of my familiar foods. Within less than 6-months I found myself flat on my back, unable to really have the energy to do anything. When I visited my doctor and complained of fatigue, depression or other symptoms, I was told to take a vacation, or else take a an anti-depressant. Although I was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was not ever asked by my doctor the following questions: 1. “How many hours of sleep are you getting?” 2. “Do you use caffeine or other stimulants,” and 3. “What other symptoms are you having?”. I was also LOST. Searching for God in all the wrong places (answers from doctors and holistic health practitioners) made me feel even more fatigue and lost. This has changed for me! Thanks be to God! I place God first in my life. I practice FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY. I don't focus on moi (me) anymore and this seems to help with any fatigue I may feel. I let the Holy Spirit lead me and His grace empowers me to fulfill my daily tasks. Burnout has no place in grace. I pray for others and pray for their conversion. I pray for an end to modernism, which has led so many poor souls lost for eternity. And pray for humility 🙏 Second, since I started the nutritional balancing science program, I am much better. By helping others on their health journey gives me energy. Join me on the road less travelled! (Slightly revised from 2013 ) Copyright © 2013 and 2023 Josephine Certified Holistic Nutrition, CHN, FDN You can Order Nine Servings of Vegetables HERE NOW LET'S EXPLORE THE 20 MYTHS OF ADRENAL BURNOUT Below 👇 is part of Larry Wilson's article Myth #1: Burnout is Psychological. Burnout is a breakdown of the energy system of the body. Vital minerals are depleted or burned out and replaced by toxic metals. Psychological stress may be a cause and burnout can affect one’s emotions and behaviour. However, burnout itself is biochemical. Recovery may involve improving emotions and dealing with psychological issues. However, it also involves rebuilding body chemistry because it is a physical condition as well. Myth #2. People in Burnout Have No Energy and Cannot Work. Many in burnout hold full-time jobs. They may appear in good health. However, they are often tired or stressed. They may require stimulants in order to keep going. Some bury themselves in their work to forget how tired they feel. Myth #3. Vigorous Exercise is Good For Burnout Vigorous exercise can be attractive to those in burnout. Exercise temporarily makes them feel better. While it may provide a boost, in the long run vigorous exercise further exhausts their bodies. People in burnout need to reduce exercise, often to a minimum in order to conserve their energy and allow their adrenals to rebuild. Exercise requires energy and adrenal reserves that people in burnout do not have. Myth #4. A vacation, A Diet, OR A Nutritional Supplement Will Cause Recovery From Burnout. Most people never recover from burnout. Recovery requires a strong commitment to healing. A number of natural therapies are often required. Recovery takes at least several years. If one recovers faster, one was not in adrenal burnout. Myth #5. Burnout Occurs Mainly In Men. In Fact, It Is More Common In Women. This is due mainly to lifestyle changes in women. Many women now work outside the home, and raise the children as well. Many are in single-parent homes or both parents work just to pay the taxes. Women have more sluggish oxidation rates to begin with, so burnout may be less apparent in women, but it is just as common or more so than in men. Myth #6. Burnout Only Occurs in Those in High-Stress Jobs. Burnout occurs in all groups, regardless of occupation, income or educational level. In fact, many homeless people are burned out. This helps account for why they may give up hope or be incapable of holding a job or supporting a home. Myth #7. Burnout Occurs Only in Adults. In fact, it is common today in children and even babies. Children are being nutritionally depleted and toxic as a result of the ill health of the parents. This can be measured with mineral analysis. Minimal brain dysfunction, chronic ear or other infections, crib death, failure to thrive, ADHD and anti-social behaviour may all be symptoms of burnout in children. We are seeing more and more babies and children burned out and parents often do not realize this until they come to us. Myth #8. Burnout Affects Only Physical Health. Burnout affects every area of life. Family and work are often affected. Relationships often suffer. One may lose interest in everyone and everything. There simply is not enough energy available for others or for activities beyond those required for survival. Friends, family and employers are often unaware of what is occurring, which only worsens the situation. Myth #9. A Hectic Lifestyle Causes Burnout. This may be one cause. However, a hectic lifestyle can also be a result of burnout. Excessive activity, overwork and a very busy life can be a way to stimulate one into action, a compensation for feelings of exhaustion. When such a person stops working and running around, they will feel just how exhausted and perhaps depressed they really are. Myth #10. Overwork For Years Causes Burnout. This is possible. However, it can occur due to a single shock or just a few traumas that occur together. It may also not be related to any single trauma or activity. Often a combination of factors causes burnout. Whether one goes into burnout from an illness, accident, divorce, overwork or other stress depends very much on one’s ability to handle stress, rather than the absolute amount of stress. Myth #11. Burnout Is an overused terms Without Scientific Basis Just because burnout doesn’t show up on x-rays or standard blood tests does not mean it is not real. Burnout can be measured and quantified using tissue mineral testing. The term is not overused. In fact it is greatly underused. A large percentage of the population is in burnout and it would be helpful if physicians understood it better, even if they have no cure. Myth #12. Plenty Of Sleep Will Take Care Of Burnout. Unfortunately, this is not so. The body is unable to regenerate its energy during sleep. Waking up tired after 8-10 hours of sleep is a primary symptom of burnout. Like a dead battery, the body does not recharge itself during sleep. An interesting principle of health is that one can only regenerate during sleep in proportion to the energy one has. Those in burnout are overtired which interferes with the restorative power of their sleep. Myth #13. Cleaning Out Toxins Will Take Care Of Burnout. The accumulation of toxins that occurs as the body can no longer remove them properly contributes to burnout. Exposure to toxic metals or chemicals can be an important factor in burnout. Eliminating them is helpful. However, energy is required to release toxins. If the energy system is weak, just fasting or detoxifying will not be enough. One must rebuild the entire energy system by balancing body chemistry and providing nutrients as well. A one-month or even six-month cleanse is nowhere near adequate. It can take a year just to replenish one mineral. Warning - For those in later stages of burnout, some detoxification programs such as fasting, raw foods or even chelating agents can be dangerous. This is because these therapies can further deplete certain minerals or unbalance body chemistry in ways that can be quite dangerous. Also, the eliminative organs are compromised. As a result, toxins that such programs release from various storage tissues may be redeposited in more vital organs such as the brain. This can significantly worsen one’s health. A gentle, complete program of rebuilding and nourishing the body must accompany any efforts to eliminate toxins. In fact, as vitality improves, toxin elimination will proceed on its own. Myth # 14. One Will Come Out Of Burnout When One Changes Whatever Factor or behavior Caused The Burnout. This is not how it works. As one goes into burnout, vital minerals become depleted and toxic substances replace them. They become part of the structure of enzymes and body organs and glands. Although one changes one’s diet, lifestyle, attitudes or behaviour, the toxins remain. Often, burnout does not even set in until several years after a trauma, illness or injury as depleted and damaged cells proliferate. Though many change their diets and get over their traumas, most people never recover from burnout, or make only a partial recovery. Myth #15. To Recover From Burnout Just Re-Establish Close Communication With Those Who Are Close To You This is the prescription for burnout in one popular book. However, this is not enough. Communication is also difficult when one is in burnout. Burnout can greatly affect one’s attitudes, outlook and perceptions, making real communication very difficult. Low energy by itself can impair communication. Lack of understanding of the problem by partners, friends and others can also impair communication. Myth #16. To Get Out Of Burnout, One Needs To Get Back In Touch With Oneself. This is not enough for recovery. Also, getting in touch is difficult due to toxins in the brain. These produce odd feelings, low self-esteem and negative attitudes that often accompany burnout. Many people in burnout become overly introspective, which can make them worse as they get in touch with all their problems. Myth # 17. One Can Recover From Burnout In Matter Of Months. It takes at least two years and often longer. Layers of toxins, infections and other adaptations and compensations must be undone. Each adaptation uses up energy so that when one begins correction, there is little energy to work with. This slows progress and is one reason correction takes several years. Eliminating toxins that have become integral parts of the organs and glands also takes time, like rebuilding a house. Also, most people must replenish twenty or thirty trace minerals. This takes time, even if one does all the correct procedures to restore one’s health. If one truly recovers in a few months, a person was not in severe burnout. However, often, a small recovery can feel like a cure when it is not. As an analogy, those in burnout need an overhaul, not a tune up. One needs to commit to doing whatever it takes and devoting a few years to healing. This needs to become one’s primary occupation or job for a while, allowing all other interests and activities to become secondary to the commitment to healing. Myth #18. Burnout Is Not An Important Medical Problem Unless The Stress Of Burnout Causes High Blood Pressure OR Another Symptom. Burnout is degenerative exhaustion. It sets the stage for all degenerative diseases, because energy is a common denominator of health. All illnesses start with fatigue. The body is like a newer car with power steering, power brakes and power windows. The entire car stops working right when the power goes down. Burnout is a serious medical problem, although symptoms may be vague and unrelated to a specific disease. Myth #19. Burnout Is New Phenomenon. In fact, Burnout Is As Old As Humanity. Understanding adrenal exhaustion can even help us understand the rise and fall of civilizations. For example, it is known that many great civilizations, including perhaps our own, have fallen slowly or even suddenly. Why does this occur? One way to understand the fall is that the people, as a whole, go into adrenal burnout and cannot sustain the intellectual, cultural and social traditions of the culture. Wise leaders and strong traditions, (such as the Catholic traditions) become replaced with vulgar habits, lower moral standards and leaders who sway the people’s passions, but do not appeal to their higher sensitivities. Constant wars, as occurred in Europe, which can also be contributed to burnout. Toxic technology can also take its toll. The Roman Republic was famous for its lead water pipes, for example. We are famous for our medical drug cures and surgeries, both of which involve a lot of toxic chemicals. Industrialization has brought large amounts of many toxic metals into our homes, air, water and food Even oppressive political and economic systems can contribute in some nations. This is a problem with the socialist and fascist ideologies that spring up around the world. They repress the people and, as a result, the people do not function well after a time. Myth #20. Burnout Only Affects One Generation At A Time. This is perhaps the most pernicious aspect of burnout. Children born to burned out parents will be born nutritionally weaker and thus more prone to adrenal fatigue themselves. Children today are going into burnout, as a result, at a younger and younger age. So the story of adrenal exhaustion cuts across generational lives. This was ably demonstrated by Dr. Weston Price, DDS, in his classic book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Melting pot nations like America have an advantage in this regard. New immigrants are often the more ambitious ones that are in better health and can help rejuvenate the population. Also, nations that emphasize freedom and individual rights allow people to devise better ways of coping and maintaining their health that those that are stuck in rigid prescribed social structures, which most countries are today. RECOVERY Recovery from burnout is certainly possible. It takes several years and usually requires a change in diet, improving one’s lifestyle, nutritional supplements, detoxification procedures and attention to one’s emotional and spiritual health. Addressing all these aspects is the way to assure success. Without it, it certainly can lead to many diseases, including cancer. Sources: Lawrence Wilson, M.D.