How Adrenal Support Can Impact Mental Health in the Military
Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP)
The F4CP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building awareness regarding the benefits of chiropractic care.
According to a 2021 meta-analysis study, depression affects a whopping 23% of active-duty military in the United States. Research also shows that depression after service affects approximately 20% of our Veterans. Those percentages translate to over four million service members.?
Mental health, including anxiety and depression, is a prominent issue in our armed forces both for those currently in service and for Veterans who are back at home. Though civilians most often think of military stress coming from being in combat, it is important to realize that military service men and women are unique in that they are subjected to a variety of different stressors throughout their careers including repetitive trauma both physically and emotionally. These may include but certainly are not limited to:
Ongoing fears and anxiety associated with all of the above also need to be considered.? In addition, many service members are required to undergo multiple relocations and the hardships of prolonged separations from their support networks, spouses and families. Such isolation requires family sacrifices and may come with the guilt and worry of not being present and missing important family milestones which can be immense. All of these stressors, and more, can take a cumulative toll on the adrenal glands of the body.
Understanding the Adrenal Glands
There are two adrenal glands in the body. About the size of a walnut, one can be found sitting on top of each kidney. Though small, these endocrine glands are mighty. Human beings literally cannot live without them and the variety of hormones that they produce. In addition to producing our sex hormones (androgens and estrogens), they also produce hormones that aid in regulating metabolism, immune function, blood pressure and other essential functions. DHEA is another important hormone normally released by the adrenal glands. It is required for the production of our sex hormones and together these aid in a person’s sense of peace and well-being. In times of prolonged stress, DHEA levels plummet.
An equally crucial role for the adrenals is that they are responsible for the stress response system in the body known as ‘fight-or-flight.’ When you perceive a threat, a complex reaction system is put into motion throughout the body. A portion of your brain, the hypothalamus, sets off an alarm through a combination of the pituitary gland, nerves and hormonal signals that will affect the adrenal glands and ultimately all body organs and structures. This signal prompts the adrenal glands to release a ‘surge’ of hormones that includes adrenaline and cortisol. Many of us can relate to feeling that surge of adrenaline after an event like a car accident, when told a loved one has died or after other events that we perceived as traumatic or created great stress.
Adrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine) serves to increase heart rate, blood pressure and energy supply. Cortisol (the primary stress hormone) focuses on increasing glucose in the blood and brain (for energy and thinking) and increases the availability of substances that aid in tissue repair. Cortisol also serves to diminish non-essential body functions...things that would not be needed immediately in a fight-or-flight situation. These include functions such as immune response, digestive system activity, reproductive activity and growth processes. All of these things are done to focus the body’s energy on getting through the perceived threat.
This complicated natural system also communicates with the regions of the brain that control the mental health aspects of motivation, fear, mood and having a sense of well-being. Typically, the system is naturally self-limiting; when a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal and it will be business as usual. This is how the body is meant to work. This is not how it works, however, for many of our military service members.
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When Stress is Prevalent
What is important to understand is that when stressors are always present, such as with many military situations, then the fight-or-flight reaction stays in the ‘on’ position. The effects of ongoing high cortisol levels become extremely hard on the body because the fight-or-flight response is only meant to be needed occasionally. For military patients that have gone through extenuating circumstances, such as with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or that come home with major life-altering damage (traumatic brain injury or an amputation for example) the adrenal stress may be even more pronounced.
Long-term activation of the stress response system and overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt processes throughout the body and put you at an increased risk of symptoms/health problems such as:
Adrenal stress also acts in stages. You may have high cortisol levels at first, but then cortisol will bottom out over time. When the body is first under stress, cortisol surges. As stress continues, the adrenal glands continue to try to keep up. However, the state of ongoing production can only last for so long. When the adrenal glands become fatigued and can no longer keep up, cortisol levels in the body then become very diminished. These differing levels of cortisol in the body can affect symptoms that you may be having over time. The goal is to support the adrenal glands before they become completely exhausted.
How Chiropractic Care Supports Military Mental Health
It is important that service members realize that there are physical and mental aspects of stress. How they are feeling is not ‘just in their head.’ Adrenal function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is connected to nearly all body systems and can affect energy levels, sex hormones, muscle aches, metabolism, mood, motivation and so much more.?
Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) understand the complexities of stress and its effects on the HPA axis, the function of the adrenal glands and the body. Chiropractic clinics also routinely work with lab testing and other specialists depending on the patient’s needs.?
For physical aches and pains, DCs utilize targeted adjustments to optimize joint function and can provide physiotherapy modalities for musculature to help break spasms and pain cycles. As an effective drug-free approach to pain, chiropractic strives to help military members avoid the risks of potentially harmful or addictive painkillers that can compound their current health concerns and add to stress.
In support of mental health, including energy issues and mood, DCs can recommend stress reduction techniques, lifestyle choices, exercise plans and nutritional advice specifically targeted to support the healthy function of the adrenal glands. Select nutritional supplements can also help supply the body with what it requires as the glands work to regain their natural balance. Your DC is a critical member of your military health team and strives to naturally help get members of our military back to enjoying and living their best life.