Dueling with the

Dragon of Stress

Modern-day women of all ages suffer from adrenal fatigue. Now, local practitioners are helping them rescue their mind-body health.

by Linda Sechrist

A

s the heroine of her own life, today’s woman jousts daily with the fire-breathing dragon of stress. Guarding the Holy Grail of a peaceful mind, this dragon keeps a woman from gaining access to the dictates of her soul, as well as the truth of who she is and what she loves. Worn out from living in a vigilant state of “fight or flight,” modern-day women of all ages are suffering from adrenal fatigue and falling prey to depression, fatigue and insomnia that leave them too exhausted to continue the crusade for happiness and contentment. If you dream of rescuing your own life from this ferocious foe, take up Natural Awakenings’ shield of knowledge, forged from advice offered by four local experts in women’s physical and emo- tional health issues.

Deborah J. Post,

MSN, ARNP

“Depression, fatigue, insomnia and weight gain are symptoms of tired or worn-out adrenal glands,” says Deborah

Post, who holds a master of science degree in nursing and is a board-certi- fied advanced nurse practitioner at the Perlmutter Health Center. Post practices fully integrated traditional and comple- mentary medicine, including medicinal herbology and nutritional and health education, and has experience help- ing women with hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. In today’s world, she cautions, “Adrenal glands work overtime performing their function of protecting the body from external stressors with a “fight or flight” hormone response. Chronically abused

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Collier/Lee Counties

adrenals succumb, rather than adapt, to high stress levels.”

According to Post, for the first several weeks following a stressful situ- ation, such as checking a parent into a hospital or dealing with a foreclosure or loss of income, a woman doesn’t sleep well. Her stomach and sex drive feel off, and a light state of depression sets in. “Even though a sense of control returns and the delusion of adapting oc- curs, a woman often hasn’t compensat- ed with additional hours of sleep, extra supplementation, quality food intake, meditation or exercise,” advises Post. Within a month, a super-heroine attitude of “I can handle this,” can deplete the body’s energy reserves. Symptoms such as erratic sleep, hot flashes and the twins of exhaustion and depression are followed by lethargy and a loss of libido. Silently scream- ing “stage 3 adrenal fatigue,” the body now requires serious corrective action or medication will be needed for sleep and to fight depression and high blood pressure. “When the body’s systems are fully overloaded and heart disease, diabetes and cancer occur, women wonder why,” says Post. “Unfortu- nately, the problem began long before, when the adrenals just couldn’t handle the overload and nothing was done to lighten it.”

Post’s recovery lifeline to women drowning in a sea of stress includes diet and lifestyle counseling, stress man- agement, bioidentical hormones and supplements that support the nervous and immune systems. Frequently, it also includes referring patients to other practitioners skilled in these women’s issues: Shari Clary, a board-certified physician assistant who is fellowship- trained in anti-aging and functional medicine; Molly Barrow, Ph.D., a clini-

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cal psychologist with 25 years experi- ence; and Grace Barr, BA, a licensed massage therapist and integrative life guide.

Molly Barrow,

Ph.D.

Molly Barrow prefers that her patient’s biophysi- cal health status be determined before she begins explor-

ing emotional issues. “I appreciate that Deborah does this before referring her patients,” says Barrow, who zeroes in on the source of many women’s physi- cal and emotional issues. “Impossible attempts to be all things to all people, in addition to being physically fit, beau- tiful, successful in work, an outstanding parent and forever young, are Hercule- an demands on the body and psyche.” Barrow, a member of the American Psychological Association, offers an analogy: An owner of a prize race- horse, who has invested her entire life’s savings, home and youth to prepare it for running a race in which her future will be determined, never starts the day by forgetting to feed the horse or by giving it a cup of coffee. “Women neglect their own needs and sacrifice their physical and mental health for the needs of others,” observes Barrow, who cautions that this unconscious behavior is often used to seek an outpouring of love and reciprocity from those who are being nurtured. “This sets up a pattern of expectation and disappoint- ment when others don’t sacrifice to meet their needs,” she notes, emphasiz-

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