Stress and Fatigue

​Not only Chronic Stress is exhausting because of disturbed sleep patterns, the highs-and-lows of the blood sugar rollercoaster and overuse of stimulants (caffeine, sugar), depressed mood, and negative thoughts; and also because it acts on energy production in the body, via the negative impact on (feel-good) exercising, socialising (an anxious-depressed person, due to stress, will be more likely to live a sedentary lifestyle, mainly in the safety of the four walls of his/her home), and consume very little nutrient-dense foods – all of this added to Mental and Emotional Fatigue, in part due to high level of Cortisol circulating in the blood (Hypercortisolemia).
 
Hypocortisolism may occur after a prolonged period of hyperactivity of the HPA axis due to chronic stress. In other words, following a long period of prolonged state of stress, the Adrenals have exhausted all production of Cortisol, leading to an imbalance in (serum) Cortisol levels in the blood (see Stress Part 1 – Winter newsletter 2015-2016), which is characterised by low-to-normal Cortisol release in the morning (cortisol levels are normally raised in the morning, so that we can get up and go) and somewhat elevated in late afternoon to early evening (so a typical person will find it hard to fall asleep). 
If Adrenal fatigue is left unchecked it can lead to Adrenal exhaustion (crash). A person may be unable to walk or move, and may require hospitalisation. 
 
Low CRH is also a marker in Alzheimer’s Disease and Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.