Flatlined, burnt out, foggy brain – check…… You may just have Adrenal Fatigue. Too many late nights working, burning the candle at both ends & sprinting from one thing to the next catches up with us eventually.

When our adrenals get over taxed from too much physical, emotional, and/or psychological stress they get depleted resulting in adrenal fatigue. Basically you don’t have a reserve of the necessary hormones to respond to burn out. Your immune system is shot, your ability to metabolise your food properly is poor, you can’t keep up with the little things, you want to nap all the time & your brain starts to freak out.

The HPA axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal Axis) jumps into action when stressed or stimulated. This is a good thing when the body is faced with short-term stressors.
In this event, adrenal activity increases. The adrenal glands keep people alive in the face of a threat: they rally the body’s resources into “fight or flight” mode using cortisol and adrenaline.

Healthy adrenals instantaneously increase heart rate and blood pressure, release energy stores for immediate use, shut down digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen the senses. This is awesome.

But since they are programmed to respond to every kind of stress — physical, emotional, perceived, psychological, environmental, infectious, or any combination of these — a person under chronic stress can get into a fair bit of trouble. Chronic stress can knock the whole HPA axis off kilter and that’s where trouble begins.

The result is over-activity, which can result in jittery feelings and insomnia. Eventually, this can turn into a chronic “tired and wired” feeling, as well as long-term health problems such as adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, inflammation, diabetes, autoimmune disease, fertility/ reproductive problems in women and mental health problems.

So you see, adrenal fatigue isn’t really adrenal fatigue at all but a byproduct of an HPA Axis dysfunction.

This is why an over-active adrenal gland is unpleasant-

1)  Cortisol is immunosuppressive. Cortisol impairs cytokine production and function, induces the loss of tissues important to immune cell production, and may in fact play a causative role in the development of autoimmune disease.

Being immunosuppressive also means that cortisol inhibits inflammation. Usually we’d think of this as a good thing, but when it goes on for too long, important inflammatory reactions, including the immune reactions I just mentioned, fail to function when they are needed.

2)  Cortisol decreases hormonal output. Cortisol signals to the hypothalamus to down-regulate it’s production of growth hormone, thyroid releasing hormone and sex hormones. This reduced output of critical hormones has a calamitous impact on the body. Yikes!

Now to get over adrenal fatigue naturally there is a LOT of self care involved. That means, loads of organic whole foods with plenty of healthy fats and good quality protein to help stabilise and reset your hormones. Rest, sleep, no coffee or stimulants, gentle exercise and getting a meditation practice stat are all absolutely crucial.

Essential oils aren’t the lock and key to fixing adrenal fatigue but they can certainly play a significant role in supporting your adrenals get back to full health. 

For me, staying on top of my hormone health is paramount because just this year I was diagnosed with an HPA Axis dysfunction and severe hormone down regulation due to long term chronic stress. My progesterone and estrogen levels were non existent, cortisol levels had flatlined and I was turning into a crazy woman! My desire for sex was completely gone, I felt dried up and completely lack lustre, I had zero energy past 11am when the last of my cortisol was used up, I was depressed, had no concentration or focus, anxious to the point I had no skin left on my nails from all the picking I was doing and my moods were bordering on psychotic.

Yep it was awesome. My partner Warren was super concerned about me and it was only through our relationship heading for belly up did I begin to think that something on a biological level wasn’t right.  I organised to have a DUTCH Hormone Test done through a Functional Practitioner and that was the beginning of finding myself again.

My Functional Practitioner Priscilla has been awesome and she too is an avid doTerra user and was right on to suggesting oils to support me back to balanced hormones.

I have found SO much support using these oils friends. 

These guys below are renowned for their ability to renew the nervous system, strengthen the adrenals and balance hormones. 

Basil Essential Oil – Known as “The Oil of Renewal.” It brings rejuvenation of vital forces after long periods of burnout and exhaustion. It also strengthens the adrenals and builds resilience to stress. Basil helps restore the body to its natural rhythms of sleep, activity and rest.” It is excellent for exhaustion and fatigue. Combine with Peppermint in the diffuser first thing in the morning to increase levels of alertness, concentration and energy. It’s the ultimate antidote to no coffee!

Geranium Essential Oil – Is balancing & uplifting. It’s reported to reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, improves the immune system and is a great balancer and regulator of moods and hormones no matter which way they are swinging. Geranium brings the body back into balance. Many people with adrenal issues have reported that just Geranium applied topically over the adrenals has been a great help for them.

Rosemary Essential Oil – Decreases cortisol levels in the body very effectively so if that is something you are wanting to achieve it would certainly be a powerful oil for you.  Excess cortisol has been linked to decreased learning and memory and increased weight gain, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol and heart disease issues.