OVERVIEW
– The nervous system controls all of our cognitive and bodily functions, and when it becomes dysregulated it contributes to a number of mental, emotional, and physical health issues.
– A dysregulated nervous system causes us to unconsciously perceive danger even though we are safe. This keeps us living in a state of tension and protection and causes us to misperceive reality.
– Dysregulation is mostly a result of chronic stress and unresolved trauma, but can also occur from toxins, infections, and pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
– Our subconscious mind controls our Autonomic Nervous System; this is why it’s crucial to resolve our limiting subconscious beliefs.
– We can regulate our nervous system through a variety of exercises, lifestyle, and dietary changes.
I remember the days when my nervous system was dysregulated. Insignificant things would irritate me, I would find it nearly impossible to reason my way out of an argument and found it difficult to think straight and communicate my feelings. I felt attacked, judged, and blamed, and I didn’t feel like the other person was hearing what I had to say.
My best friend, on the other hand, had a completely different experience, and when her nervous system became dysregulated, she withdrew and shut down. Everyone experiences nervous system dysregulation differently. Some of my clients get migraines, others experience low back pain, anxiety, digestive issues, or insomnia. Ultimately dysregulated nervous system can lead to mental issues such as depression and ADHD, and to a variety of chronic illnesses.
I feel lucky because I unconsciously managed “my” dysregulation through a healthy diet and exercise. But even a seemingly healthy coping strategy can be unhealthy, and I became obsessed with dieting and over-exercising in order to cope. I didn’t realize I was just coping instead of thriving. I didn’t realize I could be living a stress-free life, have a career that was so fulfilling it didn’t feel like work, and have an authentic loving relationship. I only started seeing that as I healed the unresolved stress of my past, moved out of denial, and started to live in a state of a relaxed nervous system.
We all manage stress differently in order to avoid or numb the pain or discomfort associated with it. Some people cope by turning to alcohol, overeating, or recreational drugs, while others try to cope by overworking, overexercising, shopping, or constantly appeasing others while suppressing their own needs. Through my own healing and the years in my practice, I realized that it doesn’t matter whether the coping strategy seems healthy or not. What matters is to get to a place of inner peace and self-acceptance so that we no longer need coping strategies. I am passionate about helping my clients get to this very place.
We carry so much tension we don’t even realize it!
The first time I realized people don’t understand what true relaxation is, was during my time at the student chiropractic clinic. As I held a reflex hammer and my patient’s arm to check their triceps reflex, I instructed them to relax. “I am relaxed,” my patient said, but I could barely feel the weight of their arm, which meant they were actively holding their arm up in the air. So I said, “Please let me feel the weight of your arm”. The client agreed but failed to do so. When I let go of their arm it was rigidly hanging in the air in the same position in which I was supporting it. “I am relaxed!” the client repeated…..
Dysregulation basically means the inability of our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) to switch between its sympathetic and parasympathetic modes accordingly. In a dysregulated state our body perceives danger even though we are safe. This most commonly occurs due to unresolved stress or trauma from the past. Much like our subconscious mind, our nervous system remembers all our experiences and gets alarmed when an unresolved stressful or traumatic memory gets triggered shifting us into a protection mode, which can look like a fight or flight, or freeze response. On some occasions, the nervous system can be affected by toxins such as mold, heavy metals, or drugs, and by viral and bacterial infections, especially by pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
The invisible wounds of our childhood
Our nervous system is the most vulnerable during our childhood. This is because during this time our brain and our nervous system are still developing, and because during this time we rely on our parents and caretakers to provide a feeling of safety and teach us how to cope with the world around us. If we grow up with emotionally unstable or unavailable parents, or if we are constantly experiencing criticism, our brain and nervous system can become stuck in a maladaptive dysfunctional state. Additionally, the prefrontal cortex, which is the seat of logic and reason, is not developed.
This means that as children we are unable to fully understand the overwhelming situations we experience, which shifts the nervous system into a state of protection and creates limiting core beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. These beliefs become so deeply ingrained in our psyche that they form who we THINK we are, and if they are negative or limiting they cause lingering stress and tension in our lives. This is why identifying the subconscious limiting beliefs that are connected to dysregulation can be challenging to do on our own. To start healing these invisible wounds we need to become more aware of ourselves, our triggers, and our reactions.
Self-regulation – The role of the Vagus nerve
The Vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. Healthy Vagus nerve helps to promote relaxation and a feeling of safety. In dysregulation, the Vagus nerve is often affected, which can cause us to feel stressed or agitated, or shut down or numb.
We can practice exercises that will help to re-balance this important nerve. Some of these are deep diaphragmatic breathing, neck and shoulder relaxation exercises and stretches, singing or humming, listening to relaxing music, stretching the psoas muscle, washing our face and hands with cold water, or taking a cold shower or bath.
Addressing our diet to heal our Vagus nerve is essential too. A good place to start is to eliminate processed foods, sugars, sweeteners, and alcohol, and introduce whole foods, such as organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains, eggs, fish, and good-quality meats. Optimizing the microbiome of your gut is also crucial and I recommend introducing live fermented cultures from raw sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and natural organic yogurt.
If you find yourself dysregulated here are some tips on how you can quickly regulate and get more grounded:
1. Mindfulness. Realize when you are getting dysregulated. As soon as you get triggered or start getting emotional, take a breath and say to yourself “I am getting dysregulated” – this will help you to step back and separate yourself from your inner experience of nervous system overwhelm.
2. Take a few deep belly breaths through your nose. Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps you relax.
3. Take a step back – remove yourself from the situation that triggered you, excuse yourself, find a private space, say you need to use the bathroom, or say you need to calm down before you continue the conversation.
4. Go for a walk. Walking helps to integrate the left and right hemispheres of the brain and stimulates the release of feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain.
5. Wash your hands and your face with cold water. If you don’t want to ruin your make-up, splash cold water on your neck.
Neuroplasticity and dysregulation
The brain has an incredible capacity to change and adapt throughout our lives. In long-term dysregulation, the connectivity in the prefrontal cortex is weakened and the neural pathways of the brain become shaped in a maladaptive way.
The good news is that we can improve our brain function with specific techniques and exercises, and support our brain health through lifestyle changes.
I highly recommend you try The cortices technique (link) and The Switching technique (link). These two simple, yet very effective exercises help to balance your brain, bring your nervous system into a regulated state and improve your stress resilience. For the best results practice them together at least once a day for a minimum of a week to see how you feel. These exercises have a cumulative effect on the neuroplasticity of the brain so the more you commit to doing them, the more you reshape the neural pathways of your brain and stabilize your nervous system. If you feel you have been dysregulated for a long time I recommend committing to doing them for a month.
To learn more about supportive lifestyle changes for brain health read my article Optimize your brain Health (link)
In my practice, I find it crucial to work bi-directionally by regulating the nervous system and identifying and resolving the subconscious limiting beliefs that are at the core of the client’s dysregulation. Regulating the nervous system helps us to feel safe so we can begin healing the inner wounds that dysregulated us in the first place.
As you heal your nervous system and overcome your subconscious limiting beliefs you will start to experience more inner peace, more self-awareness, and improved health.
Get in touch to begin your journey to self-empowerment and freedom.
With love, Dr. Alena
