The term “adrenal fatigue” has been around since the middle of the 20th century at least, where it was actually found in medical manuals. However it eventually dropped out of those books and was relegated to a non-medical diagnosis. People with certain symptoms including extreme afternoon fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations, and frequent urination were said to have this condition when other diagnoses were ruled out. It is often not as severe in the fatigue area as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), but can fluctuate where people feel fine and then very fatigued in cycles.
Unfortunately, those with these symptoms are often told by medical doctors that the condition does not exist. This is exacerbated by the fact that most often these people have normal blood test results. The consequence is that the condition has become the domain of naturopaths and holistic practitioners, where Western medicine has mostly decided it is not a true diagnosis.
The Adrenal Fatigue Documentary addresses this issue by interviewing several MDs as well as holistic practitioners to find the true information underlying this mystery condition. The research involved has led the director, Stephen Weese, to rename the condition Stress Maladaptation Syndrome.
