The body and mind are not as distinct as you think.
Research shows that they are deeply linked and that accumulated life experience impacts physical and mental well-being.
Your nervous system affects your mental health, and by the same measure, your mental health affects your nervous system, both positively and negatively.
Let’s examine how this works and how you can heal a dysregulated nervous system.
The Link Between Your Physical Nervous System and Your Mental Health
“Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present”. — Trauma researcher Bessel Van Der Kolk
When we’re children, in all ways, we are our most vulnerable. We are processing the world for the first time, and the data we’re taking in is building our conception of the “truth” about ourselves and everyone else.
It is also the time when our bodies and brains are developing, forming the neuronal connections that become more rigid as we age.
Traumas experienced in childhood, also known as ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) shock a developing nervous system. Traumas, whether they be short-term, long-term, complex or direct, can alter the course of a healthily developing nervous system.
Those who’ve experienced trauma often say things like they’ve been “anxious for decades.” A dysregulated nervous system becomes chronically sympathetic, which is the aspect of the nervous system that alerts you to danger, aka., the “fight or flight” response.
You’ve experienced terror, danger, and abuse (short-term or long-term), and now part of your nervous system becomes locked in that state, hypervigilant to cues that remind you of the events that impacted you.
Possible Manifestations of a Dysregulated Nervous System:
Trauma and poor mental health are expressed differently among individuals, but here are some common ways that a dysregulated nervous system manifests:
- Risky Behaviors:
Nervous system dysregulation can result in an individual seeking the chaos that led to their trauma in the first place. In a way, it becomes their comfort zone, as if they do not know how to feel without it.
This can look like seeking out toxic relationships, thrill-seeking, substance abuse, and even workaholism. Extremes paradoxically become what makes them feel regulated, at least temporarily.
- Autoimmune Disorders
Research shows that ACEs may be a contributing factor for chronic disease as an adult.
According to Dr. Annie Tanasugarn of Psychology Today, ACEs are a risk factor for…
“…diseases such as asthma, depression, fibromyalgia, headaches, allergies, diabetes, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.”
- Hypervigilance
Dysregulated individuals may show signs of hyper-reactivity or hypervigilance, which means they may consistently react with anger or fear toward any perceived threat, or they may feel constantly on edge and never fully calm.
- Cognitive Function Issues
Poor mental health, regardless of the cause, negatively impacts cognitive functioning.
A mind that is constantly on edge can create problems with perception, thinking, reasoning, memory recall, problem-solving, concentration, and decision-making.
- Lethargy
A dysregulated nervous system does not always look like hypervigilance. It can also manifest as an “out of it” feeling, emotional numbness, and a sense of being disconnected from the present.
- People Pleasing
Because trauma is linked with low self-worth, dysregulated individuals are often people pleasers. They make a habit of putting others’ needs before their own, not in a noble way, but in a validation and approval-seeking way. Tending to their own needs evokes fear, tension, and traumatic memories.
How to Heal a Dysregulated Nervous System
- Vulnerability
“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.” — Bessel Van Der Kolk
Trauma researcher Bessel Van Der Kolk stresses that human connection — being seen, heard, and acknowledged — is central to healing trauma. In being truthful and vulnerable with others, we relearn how to connect and end up shifting our perceptions in the process.
We gain a renewed understanding of how to relate to others and ourselves by sharing the tender aspects of our lives, and as a result, heal both our minds and our nervous systems that have been conditioned to be mistrustful of those around us.
Practicing vulnerability can be difficult, and should be done only if it feels safe. Otherwise, a therapist, a loved one, or a close friend are the best people to practice being vulnerable with.
- Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal theory provides more direct, in-the-moment techniques for regulating your nervous system.
It posits that our nervous systems are regulated by both conscious and unconscious behavior, and that the ideal nervous system state is one where we feel calm, connected to others, and able to take on challenges.
Dysregulated states include the sympathetic state (irritated, anxious, reactive) and the dorsal vagal state (lethargic, depressed, going through the motions).
To move past these dysregulated states toward an ideal state, different strategies must be employed.
If you want to calm down in a sympathetic state, you can…
- Practice forms of conscious breathing like Vipassana meditation.
- Ground yourself in your environment by taking stock of what is happening in the current moment. This can involve picking a color and counting every object you can see around you that matches that color.
- Walking out into nature.
- Playing relaxing music (whatever that means for you).
If you want to get out of a dorsal vagal state, you can…
- Touch your thumb to each fingertip, starting at the index. Increase the speed of this to start bringing your mind to a low level of engagement that can help you get moving.
- Play music that uplifts or excites you.
- Find a simple physical task to complete, i.e., grabbing a drink, stretching, washing a dish.
Activities like watching TV or relaxing do not help the dorsal vagal state, especially if your goal is to feel more motivated and active.
The key is to pick a simple activity that brings you up and build momentum from there.
The nervous system can be healed, even if it’s been dysregulated for years. It just takes a willingness to adopt new habits and express who you are at your authentic core.
