The Husband I Didnt Know
- riseandthrivemamma
- Jun 7, 2023
- 4 min read
Stress Broke My Husband.
Normal one day - unrecognizable the next.
Once he broke, he was someone I couldn't recognize.
For my husband he was a high stress person. ADHD, work out phenetic, stringent diet eater. I would always call him my energizer bunny because he would go-go-go, crash for a 20 min nap and then go again. Three years prior we had also gone through a traumatic time of a premature baby, 16 day NICU stay and then his death and burial. Grief is a stressor on your body big time. A year later we then had a rainbow pregnancy, which, while joyful, also carried the PTSD worry and stress that something would go wrong again. It all takes a toll on the body.
We left for a 10 day trip to Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary and we came home and he crashed. The cheating on his diet paired with the huge time change stress was the straw that broke the camel's back.
He went almost a week not sleeping for more than 10 or 20 minutes at a time. He was a zombie. He couldn't sleep and couldn't think. He has zero strength.
To be honest, I don't remember much of that first month and I don't remember how we came.to learn about adrenal fatigue. It's all blurred. It was survival. What I do know is a fabulous friend patiently guided us through the beginning stages of his healing, but healing took YEARS.
He didn't break overnight, so healing didn't happen overnight either. This had been years in the making because we didn't know the impact that stress does to a body or how to protect it from adrenal fatigue.
Many instances in my husband's healing journey he said, "I'd cut an arm off to feel normal again." He was desperate to sleep normally, to think normally, to have moods normally again.
He was on a few pharmaceuticals that had its pros and cons . While they helped him sleep better they made his brain mush and have short term memory loss. Others made him moody and mean.
The whole way through we just survived.
So now I am on a mission to help families. Using awful years for good. I urge you to take care of your stress and Mental Wellness now....before you break.
What Is Chronic Adrenal Fatigue
Chronic adrenal fatigue is a condition that occurs when the adrenal glands, which are located right above the kidneys, do not produce enough hormones.
Hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, seratonin and dopamine are responsible for managing stress levels in the body. When the adrenal glands are functioning properly, they produce enough hormones to help the body deal with stress, but when they become overworked and cannot keep up with the constant demand, they begin to underproduce the hormones, leading to chronic adrenal fatigue.
Some of the most common symptoms of chronic adrenal fatigue include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, brain fog, depression, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, and difficulty handling stress. From we have learned from the adrenal Facebook support groups we are in, symptoms are vast and wide and no two people are alike. Symptoms can also range from subtle to dibilitating. If these symptoms sound familiar, they may be indicative of adrenal fatigue, and you may need to seek medical attention to address the issue.
The most significant cause of chronic adrenal fatigue is prolonged stress, which takes a toll on the adrenal glands, eventually leading to underproduction of necessary hormones. High-stress levels lead to an increase in cortisol production, which helps the body handle stress. But if stress levels remain high and cortisol production remains elevated for an extended period, the adrenal glands become overworked, leading to the eventual underproduction of cortisol and other hormones. Hence why my "high stress husband" broke so hard.
There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing adrenal fatigue. The first step is to reduce stress in your daily life. This can be achieved through activities such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep and learning to say no to things and not overloading your plate. You should also focus on addressing any underlying health issues that may be contributing to your stress levels.
Another vital step is to focus on a healthy diet, including foods that support adrenal function, such as those high in nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium, and B vitamins. Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and sugar can also help reduce stress levels in the body. Whole food diets are essential, as processed foods are a stressor on your body and mess up your hormone levels.
How to Feel Better
Healing your gut is the number 1 priority.
Your gut makes the large majority of your seratonin and dopamine, which helps you deal with stress better. You gut also helps level out your cortisol so that your body reacts better to daily stressors. The vegus nerve also needs help because those hormones all need to move from the gut to the brain. The vegus nerve is the highway between the gut and the brain, called the gut brain axis. Helping those two have good communication is key to feeling better.
We have boxes and boxes of supplements that my husband used and tried the last five years. Some of them worked a lot, some worked a bit and others didn't work at all or made the symptoms worse. Amare was only coming into existence when my husband broke or I can guarantee we would have started with this.
My husband has been on the Happy Juice pack for two months. He has improved sleep, improved brain function, improved moods and improved energy. For those with mild symptoms, I'd recommend the Happy Juice Pack. For those in the depths of despair with adrenal fatigue, I would recommend the Fundamentals Pack.
Just know that there IS hope. It may not feel like it right now, but there is. You're not alone.
Disclaimer: Product reviews and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Amare does not guarantee specific results, as these are the opinions of individuals and results may vary.
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