What You Should Know About Nervous System Regulation in Therapy
Stress is ubiquitous in our society. In Rhode Island, more than one-quarter of residents report experiencing high levels of daily stress. This stress comes from a variety of everyday factors, including the political climate, demanding jobs, and personal health challenges.
Beyond being an unpleasant experience, stress has whole-body impacts. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the science behind chronic stress and trauma, common symptoms of nervous system dysregulation, and evidence-based ways to regulate the nervous system through mind-body healing.
Chronic Stress and Trauma
Chronic stress has a variety of impacts on physical and mental health. Chronic stress has been linked to a host of issues, including gastrointestinal distress, inflammatory immune responses, accelerated aging, depression, and anxiety.
The current scientific model of how chronic stress causes these problems centers on the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS has two main branches: a parasympathetic branch associated with relaxation and recovery, and a sympathetic branch that activates the fight-or-flight response in stressful situations.
When we face a threat, the body increases its heart rate and temporarily dials down its digestive, immune, and reproductive functions to redirect energy toward survival. When the threat is gone, the nervous system typically returns to its restorative, parasympathetic state.
However, under chronic stress, the nervous system may become trapped in fight-or-flight mode. In time, this activation of the sympathetic nervous system can produce hormonal and physiological changes that reinforce stress and negatively impact health. These changes include epigenetic changes that alter gene expression and can even be passed down to offspring.
Trauma impacts the ANS in a similar way. Traumatic memories can produce chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Even if the stress associated with the initial traumatic situation has passed, traumatic memories are not processed in the same way that normal memories are. Instead, they retain their stressful, emotionally charged nature, and they are easily triggered by stimuli, producing chronic stress.
The Mind-Body Connection
The link between stress and the nervous system is an example of the deep connection between the mind and body. Accordingly, mind-body therapies utilize the continuous dialogue between the mind, brain, body, and behavior.
Mind-body therapies include well-known methods such as meditation and mindfulness; biofeedback; and movement practices like yoga, tai chi, and qigong. Other mind-body therapies involve applied relaxation, therapeutic touch, Reiki, guided imagery, and laughter therapy.
Taking advantage of the mind-body connection, mind-body therapy can treat a variety of illnesses. For example, in the case of a chronic illness like fibromyalgia, mind-body therapy can reduce pain and fatigue.
Conversely, mind-body therapies can also help with mental health conditions by decreasing the nervous system dysregulation that drives chronic stress and trauma. Because a major component of trauma is nervous system hyperarousal, sometimes talk therapy alone does not provide relief from trauma-related symptoms. It is in these cases that mind-body therapy can be particularly transformative.
Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation
When your nervous system is frequently in fight-or-flight mode, it can have a variety of physical and mental symptoms. Some common indicators of nervous system dysregulation include:
Chronic pain, including migraines, tension headaches, and body pain,
Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia and frequent waking,
Cardiological symptoms such as dizziness and fainting when standing,
Digestive system issues such as nausea, constipation, and acid reflux,
Emotional dysregulation, including anxiety, and
Executive function issues, such as problems with attention and memory.
Along with all of these symptoms, a dysregulated nervous system also leads to high susceptibility to mental stress, which only feeds into the problem. As a result, nervous system dysregulation goes hand-in-hand with mental health challenges like anxiety, as well as depression, which may occur due to trouble with emotional regulation.
Self-Directed Nervous System Regulation Techniques
If you’re noticing any of the signs of nervous system dysregulation in your own life, there are several accessible, evidence-based techniques for nervous system regulation that you can practice on your own:
Breathwork, and especially deep breathing, signals safety to the nervous system. You can use a variety of different deep breathing practices, such as breathing with a long exhale.
Gentle movement, including yoga or walking outside, is also a useful strategy. This type of movement can reduce levels of stress hormones and anchor attention in the present moment.
Immersion in nature promotes nervous system regulation, providing rapid decreases in stress and leading to a more positive mood.
Social connection, especially with people who provide calming support, can also help reduce stress levels.
Mind-Body psychoTherapy
If you believe you could benefit from professional support to work through chronic stress and trauma, there are also a variety of mind-body therapies that promote nervous system regulation in clinical settings. Dyad Psychology's team often integrates these techniques into their practice.
Emerging research suggests these mind-body therapy methods may help people take a broader perspective on their typical ways of thinking. By decentering unhelpful thought patterns, people can have more flexibility in how they react to experiences, which increases emotional regulation.
Alongside techniques such as meditation and gentle movement, one prominent form of mind-body therapy is somatic experiencing therapy (SE), commonly used to treat trauma. In SE, clients will draw their attention to internal sensations, including sensations within their musculoskeletal system and inside their body. SE works indirectly with traumatic memories and relies on physical sensations rather than examining cognitive or emotional experiences.
Working with these sensations can increase nervous system regulation as clients develop tolerance and acceptance of them. Moreover, clients will be guided in anchoring themselves to body parts or memories that they associate with positive or comforting feelings.
Conclusion
Chronic stress and trauma are closely linked to overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system, and nervous system dysregulation has a wide variety of symptoms. While nervous system dysregulation can feel overwhelming, there’s a path forward. For some people, this path may involve doing nervous system regulation techniques on their own. For others, the professionals at Dyad Psychology can utilize mind-body therapies to further the healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between standard stress and a dysregulated nervous system?
Standard stress is a temporary reaction. A dysregulated nervous system is stuck in an active stress response long after the threat is gone, which has physical and mental health impacts even in a safe environment.
How can mind-body therapy reduce stress?
Mind-body therapy can help signal safety to the nervous system, allowing for parasympathetic nervous system activation. In addition, it can enhance decentering, which promotes emotional regulation.
What should I expect during a somatic experiencing session?
Unlike in traditional psychotherapy, an SE session focuses heavily on what is happening physically inside your body. You will not be forced to recount the details of your trauma; instead, you will focus on bodily awareness and finding sources of comfort within the body.