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 sleep2. disturbed sleep/inability to fall asleep 3. skin rashes 4. inability to focus attention/constantly distracted5. vaginal yeast infections/any chronic infection6. 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 issues11. 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