Yes and no. The name ‘adrenal fatigue’ is confusing because it suggests that the adrenal glands slow down or simply stop working. This isn’t the case. What’s actually happening is that the hormone cortisol isn’t functioning as it should, and this dysfunction involves many other parts of the body (including the brain). The symptoms of adrenal fatigue are very real, but it’s probably more accurate to call that state ‘adrenal insufficiency’.