Breaking Free

My health has been the dominating factor in my life. Anyone who knows me knows my life revolves around one word, Cortisol.

Whether its me managing my own cortisol, or advocating for better cortisol care options through my non profit, Adrenal Alternatives Foundation, Cortisol is my life.

Recently, the foundation hosted this huge event for Disability Equality and Adrenal Awareness. It was an incredible event and it showed me just how important the work is that we are doing. It showed me that so many people are suffering, and that we could help.

But working and living on the front lines of cortisol deficiency has taken its toll. I began to feel suffocated by my purpose, which was also ironically my fate. My symptoms are a constant battle, and I was constantly battling for those who suffered just as I do.

I was suffocating within the weight of my own fate, and watching the world crumble around me was only feeding the stress on my empathic soul.

I knew I had to break free, because it was breaking me.

I think the concept of stress is really wrong in modern society. We think of stress as one solid event that makes us angry or causes excess emotion, but we don’t realize how we are literally bombarded with stress constantly.

It wasn’t until I made a conscious effort to eliminate EVERY stressor in my life that I discovered how truly smothered we are with stress. Chronic stress is parallel to American life.

The news constantly shows us disturbing images of disasters and suffering. It plays us voice recordings of ailing humans and hurting children. It tells us of death rates for diseases. It warns us of wars happening all around the world. It speaks of crime rates, murders and financial hardships.

The internet is full of opinionated cold people who expel negativity, hate and strife, shielded from the consequences of their words from the safety and protection of a computer screen.

Social media is filled with the realities of other’s lives, which can be both good and bad. People post about their joy, their sadness and record their human experience.

Even within our daily conversations, we discuss the problems in the world. We discuss the hot topics like covid-19, the war in Ukraine, the horrible impact of inflation on gas prices and the costs of food.

This is what we are constantly bombarded with.

Consciously, we may think this is just reality and the way that it is. This is life right?

But subconsciously, all of these images, sounds and conversations are being stored. They are being processed and held inside us. Your subconscious records everything, all the time, all your life.

You may not think you are stressed, but your body is like DUDE! There’s a pandemic and a war and we cannot afford gas!

Chronic stress is undetected and unrecognized.

I would have told you before, “Oh no I’m not stressed” because we get conditioned to what we think is just “normal.” We are taught to give 100% of ourselves every single day and just roll with the punches.

It wasn’t until I backed away from the “norm” that I was able to break free.

As someone with a body that literally cannot handle stress [my body doesn’t produce the stress hormones] I can tell you that stress is the BIGGEST factor in health. It’s not exercise, it’s not diet, it’s the body’s ability to handle stress and restore itself.

I believe there is a reason that restoration has the prefix of REST.

I quickly realize my body didn’t know how to not be stressed. I definitely got worse before I got better.

My migraines consumed me. My pinched nerves inflamed. My intracranial pressure rose. My stomach absolutely shut itself down and I suffered gastroparesis.

I wracked my brain to figure out WHY this was happening? I was supposed to be getting better! Why was I getting worse?

I prayed. I begged GOD for answers and I researched.

I believe GOD guided me to acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine.

Out of desperation, I went to a local holistic clinic and got needles stuck into me. To my surprise, it was the miracle I’d been asking for.

The very first session, the practitioner placed a needle in the top of my head and it felt like someone hit the “snooze” button in my body. Instantly, my body calmed and I felt like I was on drugs. This scared me! I told the practitioner, am I supposed to feel like I’m on drugs? His response, “You are on drugs. Your body is making it’s own.”

I felt calmer that evening than I ever have EVER before in my life. So, I decided to go back again….and again…..and again……. and scheduled to go consistently twice a week.

Now, mind you, I have been trained by western medicine. My positive reaction to acupuncture didn’t make any sense! This was pseudoscience! Surely this was a placebo effect? I obsessively researched to try to find the answer as to why acupuncture was so magical.

My migraines were decreasing. My energy was increasing. I was sleeping!

Upon my research, I discovered that magical needle going into my head had a name, Bai Hui. In traditional Chinese Medicine, Bai Hui is the point in the body used in acupuncture to “calm the Spirit.”

Naturally, I started researching more and more into Chinese medicine. I discovered that system of teaching recognizes the endocrine system, specifically the adrenals way more so than Western medicine did.

I have found more healing and more information about my own condition in a month of acupuncture than I ever did in my years in modern endocrinology.

Am I cured? No. But for the first time since being diagnosed, I feel like I’ve broken free.

I feel like the disease isn’t chained to my soul. I feel like I can live.

I feel like I’ve discovered the secrets to overcoming adrenal disease. So I will share them with my readers.

1- Eliminate Stress.

Get off the internet, take the apps off your phone.

If you want to keep social media, only get on it periodically.

Delete any source or person of stress and unfollow ANYTHING that is even remotely stressful.

2- Turn the TV off.

Media is full of things that empaths don’t need to see. I don’t want to see people suffering. I don’t want to hear children crying. I don’t want to see problems I can do absolutely nothing about.

3- Change your focus.

Focus ONLY on the things that bring you joy or that you can personally change or help. Love your family, love your friends and help them if they need it, outside of that do NOT focus on it.

4- Fill your Ears with good.

Only listen to positive things. This includes music, audiobooks and conversations.

5- Speak Life.

We have become conditioned to talk about our problems and the problems of the world. When we stop, it is amazing how much healing and vitality enters our souls!

6- Befriend your own mind.

Negative thoughts, worrying and personal degradation are messengers to your body. Sad thoughts, fear and anger LITERALLY send signals to your body to produce certain hormones. Take it from someone with adrenal disease, you want to keep those suckers happy.

Negativity is Poison. Don’t allow the poison inside you.

7- Stop living in debt.

Ok most disabled people are broke [haha meeeee] So, I don’t mean financially here, I mean learn to budget your energy and emotions just as vigilantly as you do your money. We are conditioned to think that we start out every day with 100% go to sleep and then wake up again with 100% when even in normal, non sick people this is not the case.

Somedays we give our all, and some days we have nothing to give. Learn to budget your energy and respect your body.

8- Eliminate the vampires.

There are some people who are life energy vampires. They complain, they tear you down, they are unstable and some are even quick to blame you for their issues. These people have no place in the life of someone with a chronic illness. If someone cannot respect your life, they do not have a place in your life.

That may sound harsh, but it is critical to health and survival. A normal, healthy individual that loves and supports you will respect boundaries and support you. If someone does not, why would you want someone like that in your life anyway?

True love heals. Selfish love hurts.

People will SHOW you what you mean to them. Watch actions, don’t just hear words. Words lie, actions don’t.

9- Practice Peace

Peace in life is the greatest accomplishment. It is what every single human should strive for. What is having a lot of money worth if you’re not at peace?

What is having the perfect body worth without peace?

In this crazy world how can you make your own peace?

Fill your mind with thoughts of gratitude, memories of joy and hope for the future.

Make your home [or even just your room] your sanctuary. Put up pictures of good times. Decorate with things that make you smile. Paint your favorite colors.

Play positive vibes in your home. Solfeggio Frequencies are HIGHLY recommended.

Do not allow negative energy into your home.

[I literally have a sign in my foyer that says the rules of my house. Leave your shoes and bad vibes outside 😀 ]

10- Believe.

I honestly think half the reason I am doing better, is because I believed I could. My theme for 2022 was

“Believe, even if you don’t.”

We have to BELIEVE in ourselves. We have to BELIEVE we can experience Joy. We have to BELIEVE our lives are worth living, so they will be.

Am I cured? No, but I believe I have healed.

Wishing you hope, healing & happiness.

Love,

Win