Running on Empty
Not managing her stress and allowing fear to rule her life has caused Dani* to experience significant health challenges over the course of her life. Her challenges began when her older brother was killed by a drunk driver. Dani was just nine years old. She remembers her family ‘living in a place of loss’ after his untimely death.
* Her real name is used with permission.
Setbacks at Every Turn
Dani didn’t learn how to move through the stages of grief, so she did the only thing she knew how by burying it inside. A root of fear and low self-esteem began growing. A high school teacher told her not to take any harder classes because she wouldn’t pass them, causing Dani to feel stupid. Her mom’s adage of “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone,” caused Dani to bottle up her feelings instead of expressing them.
Depression wrapped its suffocating arms around her. Her struggles became numerous and went unresolved. To say she was stressed is putting it mildly.
In her late thirties to early-forties, Dani found herself experiencing fatigue to the point that she would sleep all the time, her muscles felt like lead and food allergies began to occur. Frustrated with her health, she began seeing a doctor who diagnosed her with hypothyroidism. Her treatments included: avoiding all the foods that were causing allergic reactions, chiropractic adjustments, and taking natural thyroid hormones.
Delayed by Detours
A couple of life-changing events caused Dani to doubt her self-worth, her worth to the people in her life, and her worth to God. Add in a crumbling marriage. These detours in her path made her question why God would allow such pain in her life. Counseling taught her that God was freeing her from finding her worth in what she did, as well as expecting her needs to be met by her husband and her friends.
Understanding people loved her just for her – who she was and not what she did – was a difficult concept for her to grasp.
These emotional detours were difficult, but going through them brought her forgiveness toward those who had hurt her and restoration with her husband. Reflecting back, Dani says, “Even admist the pain and trial, I saw hope come out of the darkness.”
Running on Empty
Confronting those struggles caused Dani to experience some of the same symptoms of her earlier diagnosis of hypothyroidism, but to a higher degree. ‘Running on empty’ best describes her energy level during that time. Her inability to handle stress and her fragile emotions, coupled with a crippling feeling when asked to make even the simplest decisions, caused her to seek out the help of a doctor specializing in women’s hormone issues.
Her doctor, part of the Body Logic group of specialized doctors, evaluated her hormone levels and how her adrenal glands were functioning. Her doctor explained she had a stress related disorder called Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, which is caused by someone who undergoes frequent, persistent or severe mental, emotional or physical stress.
He compared her energy level to that of an 85 year old woman. Dani was 44 years old at the time. Her doctor prescribed a steroid that shut down the adrenal glands so her body could truly rest.
In addition to that treatment, he instructed her to completely cut out sugar and caffeine, eat healthy, drink adequate water, and begin light exercising. Dani also sought counseling again as she knew she had to learn how to effectively manage her stress.
Her husband was slow to understand the magnitude of her struggles. After reading a very insightful book about her condition, she asked him to read Dr. James Wilson’s book titled The 21st Century Stress Syndrome.
Running on Empty Again
Two years later, she experienced the same ‘running on empty’ feelings again. She reread Dr. Wilson’s book and took his recommendations seriously this time. Her health improved as she exercised regularly, ate healthily, and followed the wisdom of her doctor. Counseling gave her the tools she needed to manage her stress. Truly trusting in God helped her overcome her health struggles.
Filling Her Tank
Dani began researching schools to pursue a dream of becoming a Nutritionist. She found an advertisement on Facebook that would combine her knowledge of what unhealthy behaviors do to one’s body with the experience of taking care of oneself in a Health Coach certification program.
With her husband’s encouragement, Dani enrolled in the program and graduated with the designation of Health Coach, Drugless Practitioner. She’s now beginning to see clients with the hope to help them avoid getting sick in the first place. Her advice? “We all struggle with something emotionally. Never be afraid to get help to heal your mind and soul. Don’t go through life hating yourself, because God loves you. Knowing this is the most important truth to healthy living.”
If you are interested in consulting with Dani about her health coaching program, please visit her website Wellness Fingerprint.
It’s amazing to me how we can be so tired, but yet if we force ourselves to exercise, we gain energy. I’ve GOT to get back to it! Thanks for the reminder!
Her story reminds me too of the importance of healthy eating and exercising regularly!
“God freeing her from finding worth in what she did”. This struck me-so many of us struggle with this. I did at one time and then found the purpose in doing what I do and looking at my “career” as an extension of His love in my life and it became so fulfilling. I am going to hit her web site and check it out-stuck and the scale won’t move despite still working out to a frazzle! Can’t lose that belly fat-stress fat.
Dani lives near you! 🙂 She’d be happy to work with you.
Changing my diet has been the best thing that I ever decided to do to increase my energy.