From the MidLife Maze Blog - June 14, 2010

There’s a lot of talk about the heavy demands and responsibilities of women, how we’re stretched to the max from living in the fast lane. Articles and books abound about what women can do to make their lives more doable. But in my opinion, not enough is being written about the effect, short and long term, of  our lifestyles on our bodies, and ultimately on our lives.

During a teleconference a couple of weeks ago with the creators of the Inspiring Women Conference, the presenter told us she has learned that women are using their adrenalin to ‘push’ in order to succeed in the world. Adrenalin is not meant for everyday pushing, as we all know it’s the ‘fight or flight’ hormone, and is for times of crisis. Testosterone on the other hand, is meant to be used in a ‘push to get ahead’ kind of way.

This piece of information fascinated me; while I’m not a medical professional, it seems that it could go a long way towards explaining why adrenal burnout is epidemic among women now. When I sent out a query about this I found out that the adrenalin-testosterone information is based on a TCM  interpretation (Traditional Chinese Medicine). I’m now trying to learn more about it.

In past generations, when our world involved more physical activity, we took used our excess adrenalin by physical exertion, but the world of today is quite different. The pressures of our jobs, the pushing we do to get through each day, a family emergency or a car accident may constitute stress for us today.

When we don’t work off the adrenaline it’s left in the body and we often feel nervous and may have insomnia. Many of us are on an adrenaline high each day. Eventually many of us deplete our adrenal supplies as our adrenal glands become tired from overuse.

Because adrenaline burnout is a complex interaction, it’s thought of as a syndrome, or group of  symptoms. Some symptoms of adrenal burnout are listed on the myadrenalfatigue website.

The about.com website offers some helpful holistic tips for women who think they may have adrenal burnout.

Dr. Christiane Northrup has many helpful articles on her website. Her books Womens’ Bodies, Womens’ Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause have both been recently revised and are an excellent source of reference.

Some thoughts:

* A significant proportion of the things you’re now doing can probably be done by others (or not at all).
* Although we often feel irreplaceable, someone will step in to close the gap if we’re not there.
* If we don’t make ourselves a priority, chances are no one else will.
* Taking 1-3 deep breathes every 15 minutes gives us a new perspective. It enlivens, invigorates, yet also slows down the racing (put post its up as a reminder).
* Eating regular, high quality small meals/snacks and drinking water help our adrenal glands.

You may also find the book Tired of Being Tired by Hanley & Deville helpful for full details on adrenal burnout along with a program of restoration.