Chronic Fatigue

Written by Cathy Shea
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My experience of this condition came at a time in my life when I was living with my second alcoholic husband. We had been together for 12 years and I was always tired. I had become exhausted by the lifestyle that included fear, anger and guilt. I never knew if or when he was coming home, always wondering if he was in an accident. I had been holding so much tension in our relationship for so long, I finally collapsed physically and emotionally. Fortunately, I found a compassionate and wise chiropractor who led me into colon cleansing as a way to help me "clean out" my life as well as my body. Shortly after I began to cleanse, it became apparent that I could no longer live my life the way I had been living. I was experiencing a "spiritual awakening". It was time to let go of this relationship and move on. I went on a 2 week retreat and was amazed at what I learned about myself.
As soon as I came home, I moved out of the home we had shared. My energy began to return little by little as the stress began to melt away. I was no longer burdened by the worry and concern of living with an alcoholic. I began attending Al-Anon meetings and found others who were on the same path. I received tremendous help from a psychotherapist as I unraveled my past and how it had formed my life. I became clear about what I truly wanted and the joy of creating my new life increased my energy tremendously. I was reclaiming my power, my happiness and the pleasure of being alive. It takes time to recover from such events and I feel like I've been reborn.
SYMPTOMS:
1. always tired, even after 10 or 12 hours of sleep 2. disturbed sleep/inability to fall asleep
3. skin rashes
4. inability to focus attention/constantly distracted 5. vaginal yeast infections/any chronic infection 6. mood swings/mostly depressed
7. feelings of hopelessness & being powerless
CAUSES:
1. dysbiosis: imbalanced intestinal bacteria
2. Dehydration
3. viral infections like Epstein Barr
4. depressed immunity
5. poor nutrition: * inadequate healthy calories * over consumption of sugar * over consumption of alcohol * over consumption of refined carbohydrates * over consumption of caffeine products
6. dieting/especially yo yo diets of up and down weight gain/loss
7. intestinal permeability-click on LEAKY GUT article
8. lack of coping skills/ inability to manage stressful situations
9. erratic schedule/ lack of rhythm in daily life
10. holding on to anger and other unresolved emotional issues 11. unhealthy/unhappy/destructive/abusive relationships
12. overwork, especially in an unhappy career situation
REMEDIES:
1. rest, rest rest
2. learn to listen to your body and follow the signals to drink more water, eat when hungry, enjoy nature, etc.
3. create a schedule that works for you and stay with it, discipline pays off
4. rehabilitation of the adrenal glands using ADRENOGEN & LICORICE PLUS
5. tell the truth lovingly, no matter what
6. being willing to say "NO" when asked to do something you do not want to do
7. developing a peaceful lifestyle that includes ample time for nutrition, exercise, prayer and meditation
REFERENCES:
Gates, Donna; The Body Ecology Diet
Watson , N.D. , Brenda & Smith, M.D., Leonard; Renew Your Life Watson , N.D. , Brenda & Smith, M.D., Leonard; Gut Solutions