You stayed in war footing too long and it comes to this. If you crossed this particular branch of the Rubicon too many years ago to remember, then lets remind ourselves of the difference. By the way, there is no reason way we can't maintain the Optimum Health band until the day we cross the final great water. The myth that we lose this vitality with age is just a story we tell ourselves to rationalize the disappointment of the sluggishness of dyscompensation. This is not yet a symptomatic stage, rather it is a diminution of the strong positives seen in the Optimum phase. The biochemistry and body begin to become habituated to a less powerful performance. The toxic load is creeping up, maintenance is not keeping up. Hormones are being routed away from joy and sexual expression to Stress. The body must prioritize and less critical life support systems get short shrift. The body, in Stephen Covey terms, is dealing with the urgencies and beginning to let the important long-term concerns slip.

In the Dyscompensation stage, Instead of waking up in the morning full of ginger like we do most every day in the Optimum phase, we feel "kinda OK". Instead of springing back from a cold or a big upset, or an all-nighter, we kinda just troop on. Trooping heading for a trudging. Some of the brightness of the colors is lost, some of the wonder of feeling sensual and strong in our bodies bursting with that dynamic energy kids have. Instead of greeting the morning like a sunny spring possibility our day is muted.

Next step downhill: [ Dysfunction ] Next step uphill: [ Compensation ]