Updated: April 12th, 2026
- Specialists focus on one piece of the puzzle; you need to see the whole picture.
- Adrenal fatigue is very real – and has some surprising root causes.
- Changes in energy and mood are often the first symptoms of adrenal imbalance.
- Toxicity and trauma could be at the root of adrenal dysfunction.
- Reducing toxin exposure and processing trauma can help heal your adrenals.
“I’m exhausted, everything hurts, and I’m gaining weight. But the worst thing is that I just don’t feel like myself anymore! I’ve been to so many specialists and told them this, but they just ignore me. I don’t know what to do anymore!”
That’s what Lia said after making the rounds to specialist after specialist who couldn’t give her any answers about the almost unbearable symptoms she was experiencing. The only suggestion her primary care physician had was to take medication for anxiety and depression.
While Lia certainly felt anxious about what was going on, she didn’t believe that was the root of her problem – and I agreed! Of course she felt anxious about losing her former vitality and zest for life. Who wouldn’t?
One of the biggest problems with seeing specialists is that they are, by design, trained to look at one little piece of the picture. So when their tests come back negative, they send you to someone else. In my practice, I’m committed to looking at the whole picture – and digging for answers until we find out what’s really going on.
With Lia, I was reasonably confident that adrenal fatigue was causing her discomfort. What I didn’t know, however, is why. Something had caused her adrenal glands to stop functioning properly in the first place. And it had gone on way too long – she was simply depleted.
Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine focuses on getting to the root cause of an issue instead of simply treating symptoms. That’s why my first course of action is never an antidepressant. After all, masking symptoms doesn’t make the real problem go away. My mission is to discover why your health has taken a bad turn and help you build habits that will sustain good health for a lifetime – not just while you’re taking a pill.
To really understand this issue, you need to know what adrenal fatigue is and what symptoms to look for. Let’s take a look at that now, and then I’ll talk about two “T’s” that often surprise people when I tell them they can send your adrenal glands off course. Finally, I’ll give you some concrete tips for addressing those factors to heal your adrenals and finally find relief.
Adrenal fatigue – fact or fiction?
Conventional practitioners debate the reality of adrenal fatigue, and it isn’t an accepted diagnosis in the conventional medicine world. I’ve talked about this a lot in the past, and you can read more about it here.
Sadly, I think a lot of the debate comes down to semantics. The word fatigue can be deceiving if you take it literally, as the adrenals don’t typically get “tired” and shut down completely.
What actually happens is that the adrenals don’t work like they should, and the hormones produced by these little glands become skewed in either direction. Thus, your body has either too much or too little of these hormones, especially the stress hormone cortisol. And to complicate matters further, it’s a moving target. Sometimes, production is too high. Others, it’s too low. And often, levels are still within the “normal” range (which is far too broad to really make sense).
That’s why I generally use the terms “adrenal imbalance” or “adrenal dysfunction” to describe the issue commonly known as adrenal fatigue. The bottom line is that if the adrenal glands aren’t producing the correct amounts of hormones, the body will respond negatively.
Signs of adrenal fatigue
Looking back, Lia said the first thing she noticed as her health began to decline was a change in her energy level. This is so common for women who come to me with these symptoms. They find themselves needing more and more caffeine just to make it through the day. They wake up tired even after a full night of sleep, have difficulty getting out of bed, or get a burst of energy late at night which disrupts their sleeping patterns.
These energy changes are a sign that something is awry in the adrenal glands. Other symptoms include changes in mood (including anxiety and depression – which is what so many conventional practitioners latch on to), aching joints and muscles, unexplained weight gain, hair loss, skin issues, low blood pressure, and lightheadedness.
These symptoms overlap many other conditions, so they don’t always indicate trouble with the adrenals. Still, it’s worth asking about if you experience several of them, especially if you aren’t getting any good answers as to why. There are several stages of adrenal fatigue, and if you catch the problem early, you can avoid reaching a state of total shut down.
2 Surprising “T’s” that lead to adrenal fatigue
So often, I hear people focusing on hormonal imbalance and/or gut issues when discussing the root cause of adrenal dysfunction. While these are both important factors, but focusing only on them means you may be missing the mark. That’s because each of these is another symptom…not really a root cause. Why are hormones imbalanced? What is behind dysbiosis in the gut? These are the things you really need to know. It all comes down to this question: where do these problems originate?
Two “T’s” are often the root cause of adrenal dysfunction: Toxins and Trauma. I’ve talked about each before, but it’s important to understand how they can cause problems with the adrenal glands.
Toxicity and Adrenal Fatigue
Toxins are everywhere: in our food, water, the air we breathe, and the personal care products we use. More than 300 synthetic chemicals have been found in the tissues of the human body – even some in newborns! That means these toxins can pass from mother to child and carry on for generations! And emotional toxicity, from stress or unhealthy relationships, is just as bad.
Sometimes, there’s nothing we can do about toxin exposure. Unless you live in a plastic bubble, for instance, you don’t have much control over what’s in the air you are breathing (though air purifiers at home do help). Still, there’s a lot we can control. That’s why it’s so important to understand the role toxins play in adrenal function.
Adrenal dysfunction is most commonly triggered by chronic stress – and that includes the physical stress that your body endures when bombarded by environmental toxins. Exposure to heavy metals, asbestos, toxic chemicals and mold can disrupt the natural processes of the adrenal glands, throwing off your natural stress response.
Toxic relationships can be as serious as environmental toxins when it comes to the impact on your adrenal glands. That’s because your brain can’t distinguish between types of stress; it initiates the same stress response whenever a threat is perceived, even if it’s emotional rather than physical. Research has indicated that perspective makes a difference to health. When surrounded by the negativity of relationships that simply don’t work well, your health will suffer.
Trauma and adrenal fatigue
Trauma – whether recent or in the distant past – has lingering effects in your body. With physical trauma, you’re likely to take the necessary steps to heal (such as resting a sprained ankle or staying in bed when you have a migraine). Emotional trauma, on the other hand, is often buried deep.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study has clearly demonstrated the impact that trauma in childhood can have on adult health. But it’s still difficult for many of my clients to process the idea that something that happened decades ago might be behind their uncomfortable symptoms.
I often come back to the phrase “our issues are in our tissues.” Our body holds on to trauma long after the source is gone. And eventually, the buildup of emotional trauma in these tissues manifests in physical ways.
That’s because emotional trauma can create chronic stress, sometimes leading to specific disorders, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although the acute trauma has passed, the long-term impact is devastating. The brain’s natural response to trauma of any kind (real or perceived) is to flood the body with adrenaline and cortisol, leading to the “fight, flight or freeze” reactions. Individuals with PTSD have a hyper-aroused response system, meaning even the slightest perception of a threat can result in a full-blown stress response.
Being on “high-alert” means your adrenals are constantly called upon to produce more stress hormones, leading to elevated levels of cortisol (and a range of painful symptoms). The longer this goes on, the harder it is for your body to produce these hormones. Eventually the adrenals may not be able to keep up, leading to a whole different set of problems, including chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
Reducing the impact of toxins and trauma
The good news is that once you understand that toxins and trauma may be the root of your problem, you can start taking steps towards healing. While you can’t eliminate all toxic exposure, you can certainly reduce it! And though past trauma can’t be changed, it can be processed so it won’t keep triggering your stress response.
Pay attention to what you put in your body.
So much of my advice comes back to making sure you are consciously choosing what enters your body. Highly processed foods are never a great choice. Whole, organic meats and produce are the best way to avoid pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics that are so prevalent in commercial foods. A good rule of thumb is to avoid labels with a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce or identify.
Water is essential to good health, but if it’s coming from plastic bottles it can often contain unwanted chemicals. I recommend filtered water over bottled water for just that reason. If you can invest in a whole home filtration system, you won’t be showering in unwanted toxins either. Avoid drinks loaded with sugar, artificial flavorings or colorings. If plain water is too boring, try adding some fresh fruit or infusing it with mint. Flavored seltzer and herbal tea are also great options.
In public, you can’t do much about the air quality. But at home, you can use an air filter, keep dust to a minimum, and address any areas with mold immediately.
Examine relationships to see if they are serving you well
This can be the trickiest thing to remedy, especially if you have years invested in a relationship. But if your relationship isn’t what you’d like it to be, it’s time to really take a look at what you get from it. Exposing yourself to toxic people just because they are family, for instance, is doing yourself a great disservice. Find ways to set healthy boundaries with parents, siblings, friends and significant others. It’s okay to let go of relationships that don’t work for you – especially if you’ve tried to set boundaries without success.
A lot of women tell me they simply can’t see a way out of a bad relationship. I understand how hard it is, but your health depends on you putting yourself in front of others. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to leave – especially once children are involved, or finances are intertwined. That said, even if you’ve been in a toxic relationship for years, you CAN get out.
If the relationship has turned abusive – physically or emotionally – I urge you to reach out to a domestic violence agency for help. If the relationship is unhealthy, but not abusive, you can turn to a trusted friend, or seek therapy or other resources to help you decide what’s best for you.
Address past emotional trauma head on
It’s so tempting to bury your head in the sand around emotional trauma. So many women say they just want to forget their past trauma. Unfortunately, your body won’t let you. Unless you’ve really dealt with the issue, you’ll continue to feel the effects, even years later.
Healing from trauma is best done with the help of a professional. There are many amazing programs that clients have found success with, including the Hoffman Process and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Psychotherapists have a range of programs and tools at their disposal. You may need to try a few options before you find the one that’s right for you. But don’t give up – this work is too important!
Choose better household products
Too many women tell me they’ve never even thought about what’s in their cleaning products, laundry detergent, or personal care products. This is a mistake! Many commercial products are loaded with chemicals that can really wreak havoc on health. This is where a lot of those toxins that end up in our bodies come from!
There are so many great, natural options for cleaning and personal care – and a lot of them are a lot less expensive than commercial products! Baking soda and vinegar are the two top ingredients for creating cleaning products and detergent that won’t add to your toxic load. If you prefer commercial products, check the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning for the best options. Their website also offers valuable tips on what to look for when reading labels and selecting products.
When choosing skin care products and cosmetics, be sure to read the labels. If you need guidance in selecting the best products for your needs, the EWG has a great guide on their website.
Take baby steps towards healthier lifestyle habits
The best way to combat the impact of trauma and toxicity is to lead the healthiest life possible. That includes breaking bad habits, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol, and eating poorly.
It also means building healthy habits, such as routines that promote quality sleep, and getting plenty of physical activity. Spending time outdoors is a healthy lifestyle choice that naturally boosts Vitamin D if you expose yourself to sunlight without sunscreen for twenty minutes per day.
Stress reduction is also critically important to supporting your adrenal glands, so finding ways to relax and rejuvenate are especially important. Yoga, meditation, practicing gratitude, and setting aside time just for yourself every day go a long way in reducing stress.
Changing your lifestyle can be tricky, and most people can’t do it all at once. Taking little steps that move you closer to your end goal can help you shift your habits without feeling so overwhelming that you abandon your goal completely.
Adrenal balance is possible
Remember Lia? I’m happy to say I was able to help her when no one else could. It took some time, and a commitment to change on her part, but we did it. And looking at her toxic load and past trauma played a big part in her success!
Adrenal fatigue can be debilitating, but when you understand the underlying factors that can lead to the hormonal imbalances behind the condition, you can make a difference in your life. Dealing with toxins and trauma can help you get to good health faster, allowing you to lead the healthy life you deserve!
