Is it Adrenal Fatigue?
I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t stop snapping at my family, no matter how many deep breaths I took. Overwhelm had become my normal. I was a new mum with a toddler and a baby, studying and working — the juggle as we all know it.
Most days, I survived on sandwich crusts and five cups of instant coffee.
I remember dragging myself to my naturopath appointment, both kids in tow, desperate for something to help.
When we ran my pathology, the results were clear: I was depleted in… well, pretty much everything.
I realised something important, this wasn’t just about being tired or stressed. It went deeper. Back then, I had no idea what adrenal fatigue was — or that my body had been waving red flags for months.
What even is Adrenal Fatigue
If you wake up already dreading the day because you feel behind in your energy bank before you’ve even swung your legs out of bed…
If you need caffeine just to think about functioning…
And at night, you’re lying there wired but tired, scrolling on your phone, Googling “adrenal fatigue” because someone told you that’s probably what’s wrong…
You’re not imagining it. You’re not just a “lazy” mum. Something real is happening in your body.
But you go to the doctor. They look at you like you are crazy. They tell you it’s not a thing — just get some better rest, maybe stop breastfeeding or co-sleeping — and oh, here’s an antidepressant.
In the conventional model, doctors will tell you your adrenals can’t technically “fatigue” because they either work or they don’t, as in Addison’s disease.
But that misses the nuance.
Your adrenal glands, like any organ, have requirements. They need nutritional building blocks — vitamin C, B vitamins, cholesterol, amino acids, minerals — to produce stress hormones like cortisol, DHEA, and adrenaline.
If you’re running on stress for months or years without replenishment, without quality sleep, and without the nutrients to rebuild, these systems can absolutely get depleted.
It’s not that the glands have “given up” — it’s that the communication between your brain, nervous system, and adrenals becomes dysregulated. The result? Burnout at a hormonal and nervous system level, even if your basic lab tests come back “normal.”
Symptoms
It often starts with thoughts like:
“Why am I so tired all the time?”
“I can’t focus on anything.”
“I have no patience left — I’m snapping at everyone.”
“I feel anxious for no reason.”
“I just… can’t move. I’m stuck.”
“I’m lazy. I’m useless…”
When your adrenal stress response is out of balance, it doesn’t just make you “a bit tired” — it changes how you think, feel, and function.
You might notice:
Fatigue from the moment you wake, even after a full night’s sleep.
Irritability and a short fuse — reacting faster and harsher than you want to.
Emotional swings — sadness, frustration, or feeling on the edge of tears.
Poor concentration and indecision — simple tasks feel like big decisions.
Increased anxiety — a racing heart or restlessness without clear cause.
Heightened fight-or-flight — constantly feeling “on alert” in your own body.
No motivation to start anything, even things you normally enjoy.
Snappiness with loved ones or colleagues.
Moments of feeling completely immobile, frozen, or unable to start the next step.
Energy crashes — particularly mid-afternoon.
Salt or sugar cravings — your body trying to self-medicate its stress chemistry.
Brain fog — losing your train of thought mid-sentence.
Low libido — because survival mode shuts down pleasure mode.
Dizziness when standing — blood pressure regulation struggling.
Weaker immunity — catching bugs more often or taking longer to recover.
These aren’t random quirks of personality or weakness. They’re your body’s distress signals — showing that the communication between your brain, nervous system, and adrenal glands is fraying under long-term demand. In functional terms, this is your HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) struggling to keep up with chronic stress.
Testing Markers
If you see yourself in those symptoms, the next step is not guesswork — it’s measurement. To understand how your adrenal and stress systems are coping, I look at key functional markers that give us a clear window into your hormonal balance and overall stress load.
Some of the important tests include:
Salivary or dried urine cortisol mapping to see how your cortisol (the main stress hormone) fluctuates throughout the day — are your levels too high, too low, or out of sync? This tells me what stage of burnout you may be in.
DHEA-S testing, which shows how your adrenal glands are supporting your energy and recovery — a vital counterpart to cortisol, and strong indicator to how hormones will adjust.
Electrolyte levels like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, because your adrenal hormones regulate these minerals and imbalances often explain dizziness and cravings.
Blood glucose stability, as blood sugar swings can mimic or worsen adrenal-related symptoms.
Thyroid function tests, since stress impacts thyroid hormones and thyroid issues can cause fatigue and mood changes.
Inflammatory markers such as CRP, to spot hidden inflammation that drags down your energy.
Sex hormone panels, especially if libido, menstrual cycle, or mood shifts are part of your picture.
These tests aren’t just numbers — they tell the story of your body’s current state and how best to support it. I take your full story, symptoms, and lifestyle into account when interpreting results to tailor treatment specifically to you.
If It’s Not Adrenals, What Else Could It Be?
Because “adrenal fatigue” isn’t an officially recognised diagnosis in the medical field, many people with these symptoms are told they’re simply depressed, anxious, or “just stressed” — and handed a prescription, rather than an investigation into what’s truly going on. The truth is, fatigue, mood swings, and brain fog can stem from many root causes, including:
Thyroid disorders
Anaemia or iron regulation issues
Post-viral syndromes (including post-COVID fatigue)
POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) — an autonomic nervous system condition.
Blood sugar dysregulation or insulin resistance
Nutrient deficiencies — B12, magnesium, vitamin D, essential fatty acids
Chronic inflammation from hidden infections or food intolerances
Sleep disorders (apnoea, restless legs)
Mood disorders and trauma-related nervous system dysregulation
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) causing widespread inflammation, histamine intolerance, and unpredictable energy crashes
Autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s, lupus, or multiple sclerosis
Neurodivergent burnout — the deep exhaustion that comes from years of masking, overcompensating, or trying to keep pace in systems not designed for your brain
I don’t stop at the first label you’ve been given. I explore all of these avenues to find you an answer — delving into your story, your lived experience, and your functional testing results to uncover what’s actually driving your symptoms.
Treatment Steps — What You Can Do Yourself & Where You May Need Help
Fatigue, overwhelm, and adrenal-related symptoms aren’t one-size-fits-all. While your body tries to signal it needs support, healing is a multi-layered process. Here’s how you can start taking back control—and where working with a practitioner like me will make all the difference.
What You Can Do Yourself:
Prioritise sleep hygiene: Aim for consistent, restorative sleep cycles. Dark, cool rooms, winding down rituals, and turning off screens early help reset your nervous system.
Balanced nutrition: Eat whole foods rich in vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, and quality protein to give your adrenals the building blocks they need. Avoid excessive caffeine, sugar, and processed foods that worsen crashes.
Daily gentle movement: Nature walks, yoga, or stretching can lower stress hormones and reconnect your nervous system.
Stress-release rituals: Breathwork, journaling, grounding in nature, meditation, or simple moments of pause reset your fight/flight reflex.
Hydration and mineral balance: Drinking mineral-rich water and including salty snacks mindfully can support electrolyte balance.
You can absolutely get started on these steps yourself — but I can help you if you need guidance, accountability, or a framework that fits your capacity and lifestyle.
Where You May Need Professional Help:
Functional testing and interpretation: To truly understand if your symptoms come from adrenal imbalance, inflammatory conditions, thyroid issues, MCAS, or autoimmune conditions, you need precise testing and a nuanced read of the results.
Herbal and nutrient protocols: Targeted herbs and supplements support adrenal tone, reduce inflammation, and replenish deficiencies — but they must be chosen for your unique presentation, constitutionbiochemistry and timing.
Trauma-informed nervous system healing: For those stuck in fight-or-flight or neurodivergent burnout, somatic therapies and nervous system coaching can be game-changers.
Autoimmune and MCAS management: Complex conditions need an integrative approach that addresses triggers, diet, lifestyle, and immune modulation.
Personalised lifestyle and mindset coaching: Healing fatigue isn’t just physical — it’s mental, emotional, and spiritual. Working together, we craft a plan that honours your life’s rhythm and your soul’s needs with energetic shadow work.
Work With Me
You’re done with generic quick fixes, tired of being told it’s “all in your head,” and ready to stop dragging yourself through the day. This isn’t about surface-level “feel good” hacks — it’s about digging deep, owning your story, and reclaiming your energy from the inside out.
If you’re ready to uncover what’s really driving your fatigue, overwhelm, or burnout — and build a personalised roadmap to true vitality — I’m here to guide you.
Book your initial consultation now and step into a healing process that respects your body, your mind, and your soul. No more waiting. No more half-measures. Just real answers, real support, and real transformation.
