How Being An Empath Can Lead To Adrenal Fa-

tigue (With Symptoms of Insomnia And Exhaus-

tion)

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Hurricane Irma left with such tragic reminders of its devastating effects. Millions of peo-
ple were affected, their homes were damaged and their lives were forever changed. Ac-
cording the the latest estimates, around 75 deaths related to the hurricane were record-
ed. In Ocklawaha, the mobile home of the Nicklin family caught fire. After the power was
cut off, they relied on candles for light but unfortunately, one candle caught a drape and
started a fire. Matthew Aaron Nicklin, a 10-year old child, died because of the fire,
caused by the hurricane.

How did you feel after reading the story above?

When I read that story, as a mother, I felt grief and pain knowing that the child died at
such an early age and tragic incident. It is this shared emotion that describes what em-
pathy is. Remember that saying, Put yourself in their shoes to understand how theyre
feeling, thats exactly how empathy works. For an empath, just the mere reading of the
story above can lead to a change in his or her emotional state. In the same way, an ob-
servation of an actual situation, either positive or negative, can lead to changes in the
emotional state of the empath.

Differentiating sympathy, empathy and compassion

These three emotional states are sometimes used interchangeably. Sympathy is simply
feeling sorry for the situation of another person. When you sympathize with another, it
means that you understand the situation and that you feel bad for him or her. For exam-
ple, if you are watching the news and a death toll about Hurricane Irma was shown. You
would say, I feel bad that those people were affected so harshly by the hurricane. I
hope they cope with the situation in time.

As discussed above, empathy is being able to put yourself in another persons situation.
When you empathize with another, you are able to absorb what he or she is feeling.
Such emotional states like happiness, sadness, grief and even stress can be shared by
 the empath. For example, in the case
above, the empath would say something
like, I can imagine the devastation of the
victims. I actually feel grief and pain right
now for the families who lost their loved
ones.

Compassion is the action behind empathy

or sympathy. Its that desire to help or be
there for the person who is suffering.
Compassion usually occurs after sympathy
or empathy. Those who are compassionate
are always in the lookout for using their
abilities to reach out to others. For exam-
ple, the compassionate cant sit still after
watching the news and sharing the emo-
tions of the victims of the hurricane. He or
she would find ways to donate to the vic-
tims, despite their distance from his or her
home.

Characteristics of an empath

Take an introspective look into your life, do people always open up to you for their prob-
lems? Because of the absorbing nature of empaths, even strangers find them easy to
talk to and to offload their problems to them. Empaths are good listeners, perhaps an-
other reason why they are the go-to persons of people in stressful situations or prob-
lems. Because of their ability to share the other persons emotions, the empaths carry a
lot of baggage within themselves as well.
Do you find yourself overwhelmed with emotions in public areas? Merely watching a
drama series or cruelty in videos makes you overwhelmed and sad as well. These are
also signs that you might be an empath. In such situations, you cant control the in-flow
of emotions, whether positive or negative, usually the latter. Thus, you have probably
limited your interactions with the public. Or even avoided watching such shows that can
negatively affect your emotional state.

You dont just feel emotions, you can also feel the physical pain of another. For exam-
ple, your best friend is suffering from fibromyalgia. You suddenly feel her pain symptoms
even if you dont suffer from the same disease. Similarly, whenever someone close to
you is sick, you often feel the difficulties they are experiencing. This is the curse and
blessing of an empath, you just cant help but feel for others, even in times of diseases
and infectious disorders.

The role of the adrenal glands in the body

The adrenal glands are two very small organs situated just above the kidneys. As a part
of the endocrine system, the adrenal glands modulate the production and release of
certain hormones in the body. The adrenal glands work together with the nervous sys-
tem to ensure that the release of these hormones are within the required needs of the
body. If this release becomes unbalanced, too much or too little, thats when adrenal
gland disorders occur.

The adrenal glands can be subdivided into two main parts for each side. The cortex is
the outer part of the glands and modulates the release of the necessary hormones for
the functioning of the body. The three main hormones modulated by this part are corti-
sol, aldosterone and androgens. Cortisol is an important hormone because it regulates
glucose levels and suppresses the immune response of the body. Aldosterone has a
role in blood pressure regulation through sodium excretion. And androgens are further
converted into testosterone or estrogen to be used by the reproductive areas of the
body.
On the other hand, the more medial part of the adrenal glands is called the medulla.
The hormones produced by this part of the adrenal glands are not really vital unlike the
hormones produced by the cortex. These hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline, are
essential for stressful conditions. Both are known as the fight or flight hormones, as they
induce increased heart rate, vasodilation and increasing plasma glucose levels. The dif-
ference is that noradrenaline is a selective hormone to beta receptors while adrenaline
is a non-selective hormone, acting on both alpha and beta receptors.

How does being an empath relate with over-stimulation

of the adrenal glands?

Recall the characteristics of an empath above. What have you noticed? Empaths are
constantly exposed to external stimuli and most of the time, they are negative ones. Be-
cause of this continuous and constant onset of stimuli, the empath doesnt have time to
rest, emotionally and physically. Like a dry towel, in the beginning, the water doesnt
make the fabric as heavy if the exposure isnt too long. But if you expose the towel in a
basin-full of water, it gets heavier and harder to carry.
Similarly, the empath has to keep up with the emotions he or she is absorbing from the
environment. If the stimuli arent too plenty, the empath can recover easily. But with
constant exposure to depressing stories, painful emotions and negative situations, the
adrenal glands can be over-stimulated. Like an over-exposed towel to the water, the
load becomes heavier to carry for the empath. This can then lead to a variety of symp-
toms termed as adrenal fatigue.

The stages of adrenal fatigue and their symptoms in re-

lation to empaths

The signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue vary depending on which stage the empathy
is on. We can identify four stages for adrenal fatigue and Fawne Hansen, a wellness
coach had put up a very simple explanation for these phases. Her website is linked
above so you can gather more information about adrenal fatigue. Below is our version
of the stages of adrenal fatigue in relation to empaths, including the signs and symp-
toms of each.

Stage 1 - The Alarm Phase

Lets say that the empath is beginning to be constantly exposed to negative emotions in
the environment. The stress induces an increase in the levels of the hormones pro-
duced by the adrenal glands. The fight or flight hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline
would have increased levels during this time. The hormones produced by the cortex like
cortisol and sex hormones would also be increased. These signs can be tested by labo-
ratory tests using saliva or blood samples.

The empath still has that burst of energy, thanks to the released adrenaline and nora-
drenaline by the glands. Because the blood flow is directed towards areas that might
need it like the heart and circulatory system, the empath experiences some indigestion
issues. The stomach and intestinal system are mostly affected because they receives
less of the necessary hormones to make it work properly. The burst of energy might re-
sult in less optimal sleep during night time as the hormones keep the empath awake in-
stead of sleepy.

Stage 2 - The Deep Alarm Phase

As the empath goes into his or her few days of constant exposure to negative emotions,
the deep alarm phase of adrenal fatigue begins. Hormones like adrenaline, noradrena-
line and cortisol are still elevated. But theres an unusual pattern as the sex hormone
levels begin to decrease. Why? Because the body senses that the empath needs more
of the previous hormones so their production is increased by the hypothalamus instead.
In laboratory tests, a decreased level of sex hormones but increased levels of the other
hormones means you have entered the second stage of adrenal fatigue.

The empath can experience heightened alertness during the day. Productiveness might
not be as affected during day time but theres this feeling of tiredness or exhaustion.
Since the empath has a mildly addictive personality, this is the time when reliance on
stimulants such as coffee and other caffeine products might be seen. By evening time,
the empath experiences that the surge of energy is only for a short-time. Alone, the em-
path gives in to that fatigue, a major symptom of the disorder.

Stage 3 - The Resistance Phase

By the succeeding weeks, the body of the empath has adapted badly to the stressful
stimuli. Still notable in this third stage is the excessive levels of adrenaline, noradrena-
line and cortisol. The sex hormones continue to become depleted in levels too. But the
primary indicator that the empath has entered this stage is the decreased levels of
pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is the precursor for many sex hormones and it is synthe-
sized from cholesterol. With the constant need for the stress hormones, pregnenolone is
therefore converted to cortisol instead, termed as pregnenolone stealing.
So what symptoms could the empath exhibiting by this time? Remember that cortisol
doesnt just induce high glucose levels. It also works to suppress the immune response.
By the third stage, the empath could be experiencing inflammatory disease and infec-
tions. The constant action of the fight or flight hormones could lead to regular fatigue
and over-exertion. The depleted levels of sex hormones could cause an imbalance,
leading to infertility, dysmenorrhea and other disorders of the reproductive system.

Stage 4 - The Exhaustion Phase

The final stage is the worst part of adrenal fatigue. By this time, the empath has unusu-
ally low levels of all hormones. Depleted levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol
would begin to show up in the laboratory tests. Alarmingly low levels of sex hormones
would also show up in the laboratory tests. The electrolyte levels, blood glucose levels
and sodium levels begin to become imbalanced as well. The body is in the exhaustion
phase and the empath would experience symptoms such as the following.

Food cravings are not uncommon, especially to salty or sweet foods. As the body be-
gins to deplete its normal levels of glucose and sodium, the empath relies on external
sources of such nutrients to function properly. Speaking of functioning, the empath be-
gins to feel weakness. The interest for usual things like music and art becomes affected.
Symptoms of irritability, anxiety or depression can also be experienced by the empath.
The vicious cycle of food cravings and low energy levels continue until the empath just
goes into exhaustion.
What can an empath do to reverse the symptoms of
adrenal fatigue?

The best thing that an empath can do to stop the adrenal fatigue is to remove himself or
herself from the stressful stimuli. If work has become too much of a stressor to the em-
path, he or she needs to take a few days off from it. If the relationships around him or
her are the stressors, then avoid contact from these persons at least for a few days or
weeks. Because the empath is constantly absorbing the energies of those around him
or her, being away from these stressors can balance the hormone production of the
adrenal glands.

Take some time away, go on a nature trip or just stay in your own apartment. In this
2012 study, earthing has been found as a possible effective remedy for stress-related
clinical conditions. Earthing is simply being in closer contact with nature, usually the in-
dividual is tasked to go barefoot to connect with the elements of the environment. If you
dont have the luxury of time or money, your own garden or room can be your haven for
reducing stress of fatigue.

The empath also needs a healthy and balanced diet. Munch on carbohydrate-rich foods
like oatmeals, brown rice and sweet potatoes. Avoid artificially-laden sugar foods such
as candies, chocolates and ice cream. They might work well to induce energy in the be-
ginning, but they dont have the necessary nutrients that your body needs to function.
Instead, opt for fruits like grapes, oranges, apples and cherries, which are naturally
sweet but also have essential vitamins that your body needs.

Avoid caffeine and stimulants that can contribute to your insomnia. Let your body rest
when it needs to. If you must take coffee, do so during the earlier parts of the day. Hy-
drate properly to help flush out the toxins in your body. To get that much-needed sleep,
ensure that you undertake proper sleeping habits. No television to fall asleep, no gad-
gets that can induce cognitive arousal and no arguments that can lead to more stress.

Being an empath is something to be proud of

In this world where we are socially disconnected emotionally, empaths have a gift that
they need to nourish. However, it doesnt mean that they need to be constantly exposed
to stresses and negative emotions. Nurture that gift in the right way, dont let adrenal
fatigue get to you. In a room-full of people who cares mostly about their own emotions
only, we have the few empaths who care about other peoples emotions. Isnt that worth
preserving?
Are you a natural empath? Share your incredible, and sometimes exhausting, experi-
ences in the comments section below. Hopefully, this guide helped you determine your
natural gift and also avoid the consequences of it.