Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome

The book opens with an overview of the function of the adrenals, and how they are prone to chronic fatigue given our hyper-stressed contemporary lifestyles. This is followed by a section on how to tell if you have adrenal fatigue, which includes a questionnaire, several simple at-home diagnostic tests that you can perform yourself, as well as thorough information on the availability (and usefulness) of different laboratory tests. The heart and soul of Wilsonýs book (and where you get a sense of this doctorýs caring ýbedside mannerý) is the lengthy section on the treatment of adrenal dysfunction, ýHelping Yourself Back to Health.ý This is the good news section. It includes detailed information and sage advice on multiple strategies for treatment, such as lifestyle, food, food allergies and sensitivities, dietary supplements, adrenal cell extracts, and replacement hormones. This section concludes with a suggested daily program for adrenal recovery, advice on what to expect on your road back to adrenal health, a very helpful list of questions and answers, and even a trouble-shooting guide if you discover that you still need help. The final section of the book is the most scientific; it details the functions of the adrenal glands. This section (as well as the entire book) is supported by helpfulýand often entertainingýillustrations.

I discovered through answering the bookýs questionnaire and performing two of the self-diagnostic tests that I probably do not suffer from this ailment (although Iýll bet that I have numerous friends who do). I do however suffer from migraine headaches, and since much of the book addresses general wellness, I read on with great interest. Most of Dr. Wilsonýs information and advice on lifestyle, food, food allergies and sensitivities (for me, especially this one), and dietary supplements, is material we can all benefit fromýthe infirm and the healthy among us alike. For the millions of people who do suffer from adrenal fatigue, there are several aspects of the book that I imagine will be most welcome. Foremost will surely be the confirmation that yes, there is something identifiably wrong with you, and the clear beacon of hope for recovery that his program projects. Especially for those readers who are afflicted with adrenal fatigue but are not quite ready to give up on traditional western medicine, Wilson presents a very balanced picture of what you can and cannot expect from your physician, and plenty of good advice for how to negotiate the interface between traditional and alternative healthcare. Lastly, Dr. Wilson has created a website,[URL], that offers updated information and advice, including information on the availability of products and services sure to be of help to sufferers from adrenal fatigue.

Comprehensive, yet very friendly; empowering and very hopeful, this book is certain to help a lot of people.


The Alternative Book on Stress   August 25, 2005
Hussain Abdul-Hussain (Washington,DC USA)
157 out of 158 found this review helpful

The different books on stress on the market offer different visions on the causes of stress and the ways to fight it. Adrenal Fatigue offers a revolutionary different approach saying that the main reason behind stress is the stress of the body's adrenal glands, two peanut-sized glands on top of each kidney, that are crucial for regulating the body's temperature, hormones, mood and energy.
The book does not only offer a diagnosis but rather offers a complete lifestyle plan that is supposed to make the body relax and restore its energy. The suggested program is around three months long and includes changing one's diet by decreasing the intake of junk food and increasing that of organic food and vitamin supplements. The book is also strict on the importance of organizing eating and sleeping hours.
Even though the book suggests an alternative lifestyle that might sound harsh to many, its insight is very relieving for stress sufferers and if those manage to implement half of the book's suggested plan, they would notice an improvement in their health, restoration in their energy and reduction in their stress levels.
Even though in terms of style the book is sometimes needlessly long and in other times dry and written in a medical style, it offers self-tests as a means of diagnosis and these tests also determine the levels of stress among those who take them.
So far, this is the most convincing, cohesive and well-designed books on stress that brings together alternative medicine, diet and other tips that would certainly help doing away with stress.


At Last - A Doctor Who Knows It's Not All in My Head!   March 12, 2002
Jane F. (Mesa, AZ USA)
223 out of 233 found this review helpful

When I read this book I laughed and I cried because I finally found something that made sense out of how bad I've been feeling for the past few years. I got more practical help and more hope from this book than from all the fruitless visits I've made to various specialists. One thing that was great about Dr. Wilson's book is that it was so clear and easy to read. The illustrations and the anecdotes from his patient files were entertaining and a lot of them touched me personally. This book is like an ideal visit to a trusted doctor who takes the time to help you understand what's wrong, why it happened, how you can get better and how to prevent it happening again. While reading the book I thought of at least a dozen people I know who have symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue. In fact, when I look around, I think just about every adult and teenager would find something useful in this book. It's not just about "dealing" with stress, it's about keeping the stress we all live with from harming us. I hope there are some doctors out there who will read it too.


Adrenal Fatigue Book Restoring My Health   October 13, 2005
Fox Walker (Eastern Seaboard)
70 out of 71 found this review helpful

I'm usually skeptical of health self-help books. I bought this one after reading an article describing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and realizing that the writer could have been interviewing me. My father was diagnosed back in the late 1960s with some sort of adrenal gland malfunction, making me more willing to research the syndrome, its symptoms, and most importantly for me, its correction. I have found the book to be an excellent help. Background info tied my symptoms to a nasty bout of pneumonia; the health questionnaire was detailed enough to be of genuine assistance; and the chapters on recovery were candid and thorough. I am following the book's advice and am beginning to feel more like my "old self"--more physical stamina and energy, more mental clarity. I recommend the book highly.


Re: Dr. James Wilson's "Adrenal Fatigue" book   November 3, 2004
Kathy (Three Hills,Alberta,Canada)
65 out of 67 found this review helpful

After reading this book through almost twice...a rare thing for me to do, unless the book contains a wealth of useful information applicable to my own life, I believe Dr.Wilson has identified a very real syndrome in our society. More of us need to read this book, & realize that the awful heaviness, the feeling of plodding through quicksand for most of the day, the supreme effort it takes just to keep going ...in short the fatigue we are feeling isn't just "laziness", or "all in our heads". I was also impressed with the fact that Dr. Wilson gives you the names & amounts of supplemental nutrients to try taking, in order to support your adrenal glands. He lets you know that you can also buy them via his website, but he leaves the choice up to you. After having the book for just 2 weeks, [on loan from the local library], I have heard from 5 people who want to know where I got it ,& how they can get a copy, as they realize something is wrong in their exhausted lives. I know of many more who would benefit from it,& I intend to let them know. The small detail of adding more salt to my diet has already made a big difference in how I feel. Thank you Dr. Wilson, for your extensive research into a subject that many are pooh-poohing as not REAL. I'm not crazy, lazy, or depressed...I have adrenal fatigue.