I’ve been exhausted since 1999.
It was the year after I had graduated from University, and I was exhausted from burning the candle at both ends for too long, working, partying, and sometimes studying.
I’ve tried many things to overcome my seemingly ‘endless’ fatigue, however, nothing has worked. This is why I’ve somewhat come to terms with the fact it is something I need to manage through a lot of self-care.
However, when people you ‘trust’ tell you there’s a solution that has worked for others, like REALLY worked, it’s hard not to be tempted.
And that is exactly how I ended up down the rabbit hole of detoxing for my health and wellbeing, something which I found out the hard way only made me sicker.
A Miracle Cure
The miracle cure for my relentless fatigue involved a swag of supplements, a tonic, whey protein shakes, and a weekly detox to rid my body of toxins that had been stored up over time.
I’d never bought into this stuff before, but I was tempted by a ‘cure’ and threw caution to the wind.
What the hell – If so many people had seen results, people I trusted, then this could be it!
I knew I needed to be careful since I was taking antidepressants, because some supplements can interfere with them. But I did my due diligence, investigating the ingredients and chemical makeup of the supplements and found no warnings aside from the standard ‘consult your Doctor’ message (which I didn’t do).
I also knew I had to be careful not to get hooked on any side effects – such as weight loss. I’d suffered from body dysmorphia for most of my life, and losing weight was something I could easily become addicted to again.
The Detox
I started the ‘detox’ gently, deciding not to throw myself into it but to go gradually.
After a week, I felt a surge of energy. I was also feeling less fluidy, had a flat stomach and felt slimmer elsewhere. I could also see a glow in my face. My clothes were fitting better, and generally, I felt great – albeit hungry and with the constant need to pee. I was on to something – finally!
Learning to listen to your gut
After a few weeks, I was hit by extreme fatigue, chills, dizzy spells and increased moodiness. I initially associated it with a bout of gastro however it lingered on and got worse.
I consulted the ‘group’ I was part of, asking if anyone had experienced any side effects. The answer there was no.
I also asked the group leader about the program and antidepressants. Has anyone ever had any issues before? I was the only one experiencing any issues.
This was when I started questioning things even more as people started treating me differently as if something was wrong with me. As if I shouldn’t be asking questions.
The program gives you access to a private portal, so I delved more into the portal to see if I could find anyone else who had experienced any side effects. Again, nothing (of course!).
And then, I properly read the back of the supplement bottles. This is where I noted the warning labels advising that those with allergies/asthma avoid them. Hmmm. Interesting. After years of IBS, hay fever and asthma, a few tiny alarm bells started going off. This was when I decided to stop taking the supplements.
I started having the increasing suspicion something was messing with my antidepressants. On further analysis, I realised that the detoxing and the supplements were causing my body to flush out my meds faster than my brain could process, messing with my serotonin levels.
And then I hit Dr Google to ‘research’ my symptoms and the ‘program’.
Mostly I came up trumps.
But going as far as page 20 on Google presented results and a common thread, one not dissimilar to myself. This was where I started reading stories about the underhanded sales practices and the people who had been pretty sick.
How did I end up here?
After 20 years of feeling exhausted, I just wanted to feel better. I wanted hope. I wanted a future where I could see myself living an amazing life with energy, money and freedom.
But I was gullible.
I had allowed myself to be taken advantage of through underhanded sales practices, mistruths, multi-level marketing and FOMO. I felt manipulated.
It took me a few months to start feeling better – physically. It took me even longer to start feeling better mentally.
I’ve now gone back to basics – eating real food, drinking real drinks, exercising and everything in moderation. I’m also re-learning to love myself.
Before starting any detox, diet, eating plan, wellness kick – whatever you want to call it – do yourself a favour:
- Do your research
- Ask around (multiple people)
- Consult your GP
- Don’t take what someone, or what the company says, as gospel – as they simply may not know (or they will bullshit you because they’re in it for the $$$)!
- Don’t stop researching!
- Question everything
- Monitor how your body AND mind react
- Most of all, listen to your gut.
If something isn’t working for you, it’s okay. Listen to your gut. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. And don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
