The resistance phase happens when you get stuck in a state of stress, and you can’t recuperate. In the early stages of resistance, you have some adrenal reserves, and your body helps you to will power through this stressful time in your life. However, you may start to notice some symptoms being in a state of chronic stress. The blood flow focuses on the back of the brain and you aren’t able to think as critically or creatively. Your digestion, libido, and immune system are all suppressed because your body is in fight or flight mode.
Some signs of resistance phase stress are…
- chronic constipation or diarrhea
- insomnia
- poor sleep
- brain fog
- weak immune system (getting sick more often or unable to recover from a cold)
- body aches
- headaches or migraines
Recovering from the resistance stage requires more work than the alarm stage. If you notice these symptoms in yourself, it might be time to seek outside help.
Stress Reduction Tools
Massage therapy and acupuncture are two of the best stress-reduction techniques for immediate relaxation. Chiropractic is one of the most effective stress-reduction methods because you store stress in the body.
Chiropractic Adjustments Affect Your Nervous System
When you get adjusted, it causes biochemical changes in your body. It switches your nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic mode. An especially helpful chiropractic technique is adjusting or trigger point therapy while a patient is thinking about their stress. When patients think about stressors, it creates a physical response in the body.
By adjusting people while they are in that stressed state of mind, it relaxes their physical body. At the same time, they are still thinking about a stressful situation. Getting the nervous system in a parasympathetic state while thinking about the stressor allows people to physically deal with that stress in their life better. Next time they encounter the stressor, their body will have a different, more relaxed physical response, which in turn helps people emotionally.
Importance Of Sleep
Sleep is also a number one recovery tool for recuperating from the resistance phase. I tell my patients to get nine hours of sleep every night for 30 days straight, and I guarantee you will feel like a new person. Rest is the built-in restoration period for your body. If you cheat yourself of this vital time, your body won’t be able to recover from the resistance phase.
Supplements For Adrenal Recovery
Certain supplements can also be beneficial when recovering from the resistance phase and managing stress.
I often recommend herbs like ashwagandha, holy basil, and Rhodiola to my patients. You can take these supplements alone, but they work better in conjunction with each other.
Another great supplement to promote stress relief and well-being is 5-HTP. 5-HTP is the precursor for serotonin and melatonin, so it will not only help increase your serotonin levels, but it will also help regulate your circadian rhythm. It tends to make people sleepy, so I recommend taking it at night. Consult with your physician if you are on SSRI’s before taking 5-HTP.
How do you know if you are in the resistance phase?
Well, if you don’t have adrenal fatigue yet, but you are dealing with chronic stress, you are probably in the resistance phase.
You will know when you have reached adrenal fatigue. When you can’t get out of bed in the morning, go to work, or make breakfast for your family because you’re utterly exhausted, you have reached adrenal fatigue.
I can’t stress how important it is to recover from the resistance phase before hitting the exhaustion phase. Once in the exhaustion phase, you will need to seek help from a physician because adrenal exhaustion causes a host of other problems, and it is different for everybody.
Here’s To A Better Life,
Dr. Steve Puckette
