Here's a list (compiled from about 10 different web-sites) of things that gave me some clues:
How it starts:
- A strong mind and strong will: check
- Adrenaline junky: check
- Fearless: check
- Long working hours: check
- Go-getter: check
- Stressful situations, i.e.:
- Moving house: check,
- Loosing job: check (x 14),
- Physical work to the point of exertion: check,
- Death of a family member: check,
- Depression or other mental illnesses: check,
- Divorce: check,
- Financial difficulties: check (numerous times),
- Loneliness: check
The body's bill after 15 years of this:
- Constant fatigue: check
- Constant infections, i.e. candida, sinusitis, flu and colds, sore throat, headaches, migraines, urinary tract infections, etc.: check all of those. Sick every week with maybe a day or two in between of good health.
- Struggling to digest red meat: check
- Cravings for sweets or starch: check (and they were things I didn't crave before)
- Cravings for salty foods: check
- Unmotivated: check
- Quickly out of breath: check
- Cannot do strenuous exercises because it leads to colds and flu or other infections: check
- Constant anxiety: check
- Sleeping more than 14 hours a day and still exhausted: check
- Allergies: check
- Symptoms of hypoglycemia: check
- Low blood pressure (usually due to lack of exercise): check
- Inability to adequately cope with daily life stresses: check
- Reduced work performance: check
- Loss of initiative and a sense of hopelessness: check
- Disinterest in sex, due to an excessive fight-or-flight response: check
- Disinterest in all aspects of one's life (feeling worthless): check
- Reliant on stimulants (painkillers, sleeping pills, alcohol, etc.) to cope with daily life: check
- Disinterest in one's appearance: check
- Psychological withdrawal, due to an excessive fight-or-flight response: check
- Inability to concentrate or 'spaciness': check
- Changes in appetite, often alternating between a ravenous appetite and no appetite at all: check
All these symptoms appeared over a long period of time but peaked into one big mess about 3 years ago. Not knowing what was going on I simply put it down to being pathetic.
Luckily, and thanks to God and a number of loved ones, I'm at a much happier place. I was also forced to make some drastic lifestyle changes, which I will share in my next blog.
