questions on Cognitive disonance and Adrenal Fatigue S.

[Badmemories]

Just wondering about these 2 subjects.

On a site I was on I read to be sure and study Cognitive dissonance for healing... I did try and google it.and I did not understand how it might apply to me.

I am hearing how people who live with abusive (NPD, etc. people) have Adrenal Fatigue syndrome. Can anyone tell me if they have been to a DR> for that and what they did? How is it tested? and any other information?

Thank You for any information You might have!

[keepfighting]

Here is a good book on Cognitive Dissonance: http://www.amazon.com/Mistakes-Were-Made-But-Not/dp/product-description/0156033909

It's easy to read, really funny when you 'recognize' someone else in your life - and very enlightening when you 'recognize' yourself in it. Should be a must-read for any human being .

I don't know anything about Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.

[Badmemories]

Thank You for the response. I just ordered three books.

Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Who's Pulling Your Strings?: How to Break the Cycle of Manipulation and Regain Control of Your Life

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

I know all concentrating on relationships instead of Myself. OOTF helped me in Not taking the blame for what others are/have done to me, and OOTS is helping me to work through the past and make Myself well. 

I did put the book You mentioned on My wish list! I am broke now!

[keepfighting]

Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Who's Pulling Your Strings?: How to Break the Cycle of Manipulation and Regain Control of Your Life

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

Seems like you've got your work cut out for you! 

The part that was a real eyeopener for me in the "Mistakes were made..." book was the part about how people justify hurting others towards themselves so that they can still feel they are good and decent people. That question had been haunting me for very long (my uNPDf is a self proclaimed spiritual leader which - in my book - is incompatible with the cruelty he has shown towards us as his children)

[bee]

I have adrenal fatigue. It is not recognized by mainstream medicine. Only Cushing's syndrome is. Cushing's is when your body has almost completely stopped making cortisol.
James Wilson is a good place to start your research online. He also has a comprehensive book called Adrenal Fatigue. He has a couple ways to test yourself for adrenal fatigue, but if you really want to know where your body is at it would be best to take a 24 cortisol salivary test.
You can order one online. You get a box with plastic vials. You fill the vials with your saliva, four times throughout a 24 hour period. You mail the vials to the testing company that you ordered it from, and wait for your results. The test show your cortisol level throughout the day. It's helpful to have a medical professional explain the results, but not absolutely necessary, in my opinion.
If you go to a Dr. and they recommend a urinary cortisol test, it will tell you nothing. Cortisol naturally changes throughout the day. High in the am, and low at night. A urinary test will only tell you the average level.
I see a naturopath/acupuncturist to help me with recovery.
Adrenal fatigue results when the body can not keep up with the demand for cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that is produced by the body to deal with stress. PD people create a stressful environment, that's the connection.

[Badmemories]

@ Keep fighting
I read the pages Amazon provided on Cognitive dissonance in the book You suggested. I think I understand. So for me I think on one hand My Mother was a good Mother. I think How hard she worked to keep the house clean, and us children feed and clothed. I think about what sacrifices she made in her own life (she wanted to be a DR.). I think about how hard it was to keep 5 kids together in the 60's.

On the other hand I think about the abuse that Us children received... so I think this is  Cognitive dissonance. at this point in My thinking I don't know what to do with this information... .

@ Bee, I did look up the person You suggested. Did You find the using things to help your adrenal fatigue helped? I also have thyroid disease. I am still researching on this! Thank You for Your reply.

[Annegirl]

Good for you Badmemories,  I hope you find those books helpful and can enjoy having some good reads. I'm enjoying Pete Walkers book nearly finished but wish I was just starting.

[bee]

I did not use any supplements from Dr. Wilson. I just looked at his website, and it's changed a lot. It used to be mostly information. Bleah. Check to see if your library has his book.

I go to a naturopath, and follow her recommendations. But here are some things that are general that helped.

I made a list if people/things that are draining(energy robbers), making sure to be honest with myself. I was surprised that emotional things are far more energy depleting that physical ones. I used to think only doing things that were physically taxing could wear me out. I would be confused as to how I could be tired the day after having a Dr. appt. when that was all I had done. Accepting that people/emotions deplete my energy, and giving myself permission to limit them helped me.

Also, just plain resting. My naturopath suggested that I stay in bed until 9am everyday that I could, and to get as much sleep as possible. She also encouraged me to take naps, and to lie down as much as possible. That was difficult, as I was taught that these are things that lazy people do(argh! stupid brainwashing) , but it made a difference. My adrenals were pretty depleted, so it took a long time to recover. I was feeling a lot better after 1 1/2 - 2 years.

I would say the main thing is you have to figure out how to reduce your stressors so that you can rest your adrenals. In order to reduce your exposure to stressors, you have to admit to yourself what they are. Stressors/energy robbers can be physical actions, emotions, or people. And when you can't avoid them, cut yourself some slack. Know that you will be tired, and plan for it. When you have to deal with someone/something stressful, try to take something else off your todo list for the day.

Sorry I took so many words to express myself, hope it makes sense.

[Sasha2727]

Are adrenal fateque and hyperedrenalization interchangeable or is the fateque a by product of the hyperedrenalized body? I deff have the adrenalin junkie thing. It's odd because I hate being anxious yet reading about how the hyper edrenalozed person works it fits me to a t! Like compulsive doing things to get yourself ramped up! Any knowledge on this or how to slowly tapper yourself back to a brain that is balanced?

[Badmemories]

@bee,
Thanks For explaining this in detail to me. I thought some vitamins would help...
Well I certainly don't have much problem with sleeping... that freeze response You know! I am not sleeping as much now as I was, but I am still tired. I do take an Adderall type medication that does help but I hate the jag I get afterwards... so I don't take it as much as I used to! When I had a good medical insurance program I toke vyvance ?, and that did not give me those jags!

[spryte]

Adrenal fatigue - for me, was a crazy rabbit hole to go down. As bee said, it's not recognized by mainstream medicine, and because it's not there is SO MUCH misinformation out there about it.

The adrenals do get tired with all the chronic stress that we're under. But, the other thing that starts happening, which most of those websites don't talk about, is that our minerals get seriously out of whack - either through diet issues (we're not eating correctly) digestive issues (which are common with chronic stress) or the simple fact that there are certain minerals (like salt and magnesium) that our bodies actually dump when we are chronically stressed. Back last year, I was having serious, serious problems with physically "crashing" after stressful events. I've tried several different supplement programs that didn't work because the people suggesting them didn't know exactly what they were talking about. I've spent literally thousands of dollars the last couple of years trying to "fix" my "adrenal fatigue" - when I think a LOT of it was due to my anxiety (caused by my inner critic) and a depression that I didn't know that I had and several mineral deficiencies that would just get worse during a stressful event and my body would "dump" more of them. Magnesium has been really helpful for me.

I had a hair test mineral analysis done and have just started working with yet a third naturopathic doctor. He's more educated than the others that I went to, and more moderate in his approach (no massive doses of anything), so I'm kind of hopeful that it will help me improve some things. We'll see. I haven't started his supplement program yet.