Episode 31: Am I Tired, Or Is This Trauma? The Roots Of Fatigue with Dr. Evan Hirsch

Listen to Episode 31 with Dr. Evan Hirsch →

When Rest Doesn't Restore You

You wake up exhausted after sleeping ten hours. You rest all weekend but Monday finds you just as depleted. You take vitamins and improve your diet but the fatigue never lifts.

Doctors run tests that come back normal. They tell you to manage stress and get more sleep. You're already doing those things and nothing changes.

Why do you feel tired all the time? You might be asking the wrong question. The right question is: Am I tired, or is this trauma?

Dr. Evan Hirsch joins me today as a colleague physician and friend who recovered from chronic fatigue himself. His experience changed how he approaches exhaustion. We explore the roots of fatigue together.

The Question That Changes Everything

Most people ask "Why am I so tired?" when they're struggling with chronic exhaustion. That question keeps you searching for surface-level answers like sleep quality, nutrient deficiencies, or thyroid problems. The better question asks "Is this fatigue or stored trauma?"

Dr. Hirsch faced chronic fatigue as a physician working in traditional medicine. Traditional medicine had no answers for him despite his medical training and access to healthcare. His recovery came from understanding what was actually happening at the cellular level in his body.

Some exhaustion doesn't respond to rest, supplements, or lifestyle changes no matter how consistently you apply them. That's your first clue that trauma might be involved rather than simple tiredness. When medical workups come back normal but exhaustion persists, you need to look deeper at what your body is holding.

When trauma is stored in your cells, your mitochondria stay in defense mode rather than energy production mode. Energy production shuts down as a protective mechanism. This isn't regular tiredness that sleep can fix but a biological state where your cells can't produce energy normally.

How Trauma Creates Exhaustion

Your nervous system in chronic activation drains your resources continuously. Your body can't restore energy while staying on guard for threats. Fatigue becomes the inevitable result of a system that never fully rests.

The Biology of Trauma® reveals why some fatigue responds to rest while trauma-based fatigue doesn't. Your nervous system activation keeps your body in a state called the cell danger response. Your mitochondria prioritize defense over energy production. Your cells can't shift back to normal functioning while trauma keeps them activated.

If trauma is the root cause, rest alone won't fix the exhaustion you're experiencing. Your nervous system needs regulation to exit the defensive state. Your cells need to complete the danger response they're stuck in. Your body needs to receive the signal that it's safe to redirect resources toward energy production again.

Why rest doesn't help trauma-based fatigue makes sense when you understand the biology. Sleep provides physical rest but doesn't address the nervous system dysregulation keeping your cells in defense mode. You can sleep twelve hours and wake exhausted because your body spent that time on high alert rather than restoration.

The Path to Actual Recovery

Dr. Hirsch shares what actually worked for him when standard approaches failed. Addressing the trauma underneath the fatigue became essential. Supporting his biology at the cellular level while also working with his nervous system created the foundation for recovery.

Distinguishing trauma fatigue from other causes matters for effective treatment. Not all fatigue is trauma-based, and some exhaustion has medical causes that need proper diagnosis. But when medical workups come back normal, fatigue persists despite intervention, rest doesn't restore energy, supplements and lifestyle changes don't help, and you have a history of trauma or chronic stress, then trauma deserves investigation as a root cause.

The recovery path involves working with your Biology of Trauma® through nervous system regulation, addressing stored trauma at the cellular level, supporting mitochondrial function, creating safety for your cells to exit defense mode, and building capacity gradually rather than pushing through exhaustion.

Dr. Hirsch's personal experience as both physician and patient gives him unique insight into what works. His recovery wasn't about finding the right supplement or getting more sleep but about understanding how trauma was affecting his cellular energy production and addressing that root cause.

Understanding whether your fatigue stems from trauma changes your entire recovery approach. You stop forcing yourself to rest more when rest isn't the issue. You stop searching for the magic supplement when your cells can't use nutrients properly anyway. You start addressing what's actually keeping your body in a state of exhaustion.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People with chronic fatigue that doesn't improve with rest 

✓ Anyone whose energy hasn't returned despite medical intervention 

✓ Practitioners helping clients with unexplained exhaustion 

✓ Those with normal medical tests but persistent fatigue 

✓ Anyone suspecting their exhaustion connects to trauma 

✓ People ready to explore the cellular roots of fatigue

What You'll Learn

Listen to understand the difference between regular tiredness and trauma-based fatigue and why this distinction changes your recovery approach completely. Discover how stored trauma affects cellular energy production. Learn what Dr. Hirsch's recovery journey teaches about addressing the roots of chronic exhaustion.

Your fatigue might be your body's way of telling you about trauma it's still holding.

Listen to Episode 31 with Dr. Evan Hirsch →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

Please keep comments respectful and supportive. This is a community of people committed to healing. We welcome diverse perspectives and honest questions, but we don't tolerate personal attacks, spam, or content that could harm others on their healing journey.