Decode Your Fatigue

1. Radical Responsibility: Own Your Healing Journey

If you want the circumstances of your life to change, you have to be the one to change them.

Taking charge. The first step in overcoming fatigue is accepting radical responsibility for your health. This means acknowledging that while you may not be to blame for your condition, you are the one who must take charge of your recovery. This involves a shift in mindset from passive recipient of medical advice to active participant in your own healing.

Self-assessment. Begin by honestly assessing your desire to get better on a scale of 0 to 10. Then, list all the things you know you could do to improve your health, and honestly evaluate how much time you currently dedicate to those activities. This exercise highlights the gap between intention and action, revealing areas where you can take greater ownership.

Empowerment through action. Taking responsibility is not about blaming yourself, but about empowering yourself to make positive changes. It's about recognizing that you have the power to influence your health and well-being, even in the face of a complex and challenging condition.

2. Beyond Diagnosis: Decoding Fatigue's Root Causes

A diagnosis of fatigue is no diagnosis at all: fatigue is a symptom, not a condition in itself.

The limitations of conventional diagnosis. Traditional medicine often struggles to explain fatigue, leading to diagnoses of exclusion like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). These labels, while validating, don't address the underlying causes of your fatigue. A diagnosis of exclusion means it’s a diagnosis in the absence of any known cause.

Investigating underlying factors. True healing requires decoding your fatigue by identifying the specific factors contributing to your energy depletion. This involves exploring various systems and potential imbalances within your body, rather than simply accepting a generic diagnosis.

Empowerment through understanding. By diving deeper into understanding what's truly going on for you, you're a step closer to plotting your path to recovery. This intricate and challenging path, when you start to find real answers, will also become an exciting one.

3. Mitochondria: The Key to Cellular Energy Production

Ultimately, the energy source keeping your body alive is ATP.

Cellular energy currency. Fatigue is fundamentally linked to the inefficient production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of your cells. Mitochondria, the powerhouses within your cells, are responsible for generating ATP from the food you eat.

Mitochondrial dysfunction. When mitochondria aren't functioning optimally, your body struggles to produce enough energy, leading to fatigue. This can manifest as post-exertional malaise (PEM), where even mild activity leads to prolonged exhaustion.

Supporting mitochondrial health. While directly fueling mitochondria with supplements can be helpful, it's often more effective to address underlying factors that impair their function. This includes calming the nervous system, optimizing digestion, and reducing overall stress on the body.

4. Mind-Body Connection: Stress and Energy Production

When your body’s under stress, you make less energy so your body can protect itself.

Stress and cellular danger response. Stress isn't just a feeling; it's a biological response that directly impacts your energy production. When your body perceives danger, your mitochondria prioritize danger signaling over ATP production, conserving resources for survival.

The cell danger response (CDR). The cell danger response (CDR) is the evolutionarily conserved metabolic response that protects cells and hosts from harm. It’s triggered by encounters with chemical, physical, or biological threats that exceed the cellular capacity for homeostasis.

Calming the nervous system. Calming the nervous system allows the body to shift out of the cell danger response and reprioritize energy production. This can be achieved through practices like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness, which help regulate the autonomic nervous system and promote a healing state.

5. The Fatigue Map: Genetics, Personality, and Loads

Fatigue is almost never caused by one single factor.

Multifactorial nature of fatigue. Fatigue is rarely caused by a single trigger but rather a combination of factors that overload the body over time. These factors can be categorized into genetics, personality patterns, and loads.

The fatigue map formula:

• Genetics + Personality Patterns × Loads = Impact on Bodily Systems
• State + Stages × Sequence = Healing Impact on Bodily Systems

Understanding the interplay. By understanding how these factors interact, you can gain a clearer picture of how you became fatigued and develop a more targeted recovery plan. This involves identifying your genetic predispositions, recognizing your energy-depleting personality patterns, and addressing the various loads that have burdened your system.

6. Energy-Depleting Psychologies: Personality Patterns

The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.

Personality's impact. The way you approach life can significantly impact your energy levels. Certain personality patterns, or "energy-depleting psychologies," can contribute to chronic fatigue by placing unsustainable demands on your body.

Five key personality patterns:

• Achiever: Defining self-worth by accomplishments
• Perfectionist: Striving for flawless execution
• Helper: Prioritizing others' needs above your own
• Anxiety: Experiencing constant worry and fear
• Controller: Attempting to manage every aspect of your environment

Breaking free. Recognizing and addressing these patterns is crucial for creating a sustainable path to recovery. This involves cultivating self-awareness, setting healthy boundaries, and learning to prioritize your own well-being.

7. Unburdening the Body: Identifying and Addressing Loads

It’s the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Cumulative effect of stressors. Loads represent the various external burdens and events that overload an individual in the years leading up to their becoming fatigued. These can be physical, emotional, or environmental in nature.

Types of loads:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Traumatic events during childhood
• Adult trauma: Stressful life events like divorce, job loss, or bereavement
• Environmental toxins: Exposure to mold, chemicals, or pollutants

Creating space for healing. Identifying and addressing these loads is essential for creating an environment where your body can heal. This may involve seeking therapy, making lifestyle changes, or removing yourself from toxic situations.

8. The Healing State: Calming the Nervous System

In other words, when your body is calmer, you get more energy.

The importance of parasympathetic activation. For your body to heal, it needs to be in a healing state, characterized by parasympathetic nervous system dominance. This allows your body to prioritize rest, repair, and energy production.

Maladaptive stress response. Chronic stress can lead to a maladaptive stress response, where your nervous system becomes stuck in a state of fight-or-flight. This impairs mitochondrial function and hinders your ability to heal.

Cultivating a healing state. Calming the nervous system can be achieved through various techniques, including meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and spending time in nature. The key is to find practices that resonate with you and incorporate them into your daily routine.

9. Digestive Power: Optimizing Nutrient Absorption

You’re not just what you eat, you’re what you absorb.

The gut-energy connection. Your digestive system plays a crucial role in breaking down food into the raw materials your mitochondria need to produce energy. If your digestion is impaired, your body won't be able to absorb the nutrients it needs, leading to fatigue.

Common digestive issues:

• Leaky gut: Increased intestinal permeability
• Gut dysbiosis: Imbalance in the gut microbiome
• Food intolerances: Immune reactions to certain foods

Supporting digestive health. Optimizing your digestion involves addressing underlying imbalances, such as gut dysbiosis, and adopting a diet that supports nutrient absorption. This may include eliminating food intolerances, increasing fiber intake, and incorporating probiotics.

10. Hormonal Harmony: Balancing Energy Reserves

The more fatigued we become, the more they depend on stimulants to keep them going, and then the more deeply fatigued they become.

Adrenal glands and energy regulation. Your adrenal glands play a key role in regulating your body's energy reserves. When under stress, they release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to provide a temporary energy boost.

The adrenal stress cycle. Overreliance on stimulants like caffeine and sugar can lead to adrenal fatigue, where your adrenals become depleted and less able to respond to stress. This creates a vicious cycle of energy crashes and dependence on stimulants.

Balancing hormones naturally. Balancing your hormones involves reducing stress, removing stimulants, stabilizing blood sugar, healing your gut, and supporting your circadian rhythms. This allows your adrenal glands to recover and function optimally.

11. Immune Support: Reducing Systemic Overload

The cell danger response (CDR) is the evolutionarily conserved metabolic response that protects cells and hosts from harm.

Immune system and energy expenditure. Your immune system is a large and demanding bodily system for your body to run. This means it uses up a lot of your body’s resources, i.e. your energy. So where chronic, low-level immune activation exists, we can expect to see a resulting fatigue.

Common immune system overloads:

• Viral infections: Epstein-Barr, Ross River, COVID-19
• Toxic mold: Exposure to mycotoxins
• Lyme disease and coinfections: Bacterial infections from tick bites

Reducing immune burden. Supporting your immune system involves addressing underlying infections, minimizing exposure to toxins, and adopting a diet and lifestyle that promotes immune balance. This may include incorporating immune-boosting nutrients, managing stress, and prioritizing sleep.

12. The Practitioner Partnership: Managing Your Care Team

You have to be inspired toward the potential we all have to heal.

The importance of collaboration. While self-care is essential, working with skilled practitioners can significantly enhance your healing journey. A good practitioner can provide guidance, support, and specialized treatments tailored to your unique needs.

Choosing the right practitioner. Look for practitioners with experience in treating fatigue, a holistic approach, and a willingness to listen to your concerns. Trust your intuition and choose someone you feel comfortable working with.

Managing your care team. Be an active participant in your care by preparing for consultations, asking questions, and communicating your needs clearly. Remember, you are the captain of your ship, and your practitioners are there to support you on your journey.

Last updated: March 17, 2025