Anxiety…Anger…Depression…… What’s My Nervous System Got to Do With It?
RAELENE HURRY, MED, REGISTERED CLINICAL COUNSELLOR – VITALITY COLLECTIVE, SURREY THERAPIST
So often, clients I work with come to counselling because they have overwhelming emotions that negatively impact their lives.
It is common for people to believe that if they simply change their thoughts they should be able to change how they feel. There is truth to this; when we shift how we think about things we can positively affect how we feel and act. But big emotions are not just something we think about and talk about, they are actually attached to physiological sensations that are experienced in the physical body. Sometimes these sensations are uncomfortable or scary, which often leads to more worry, self-criticism, or the desire to push the emotion and the sensation away. Other times, we can be so disconnected from our physical bodies, sometimes due to traumatic or distressing events, that we don’t realize our legs may tingle, our arms may feel heavy, or there is a pain in our stomach. When we understand that our emotions are actually physical experiences and we learn to become more in tune with these sensations, we can build tolerance for uncomfortable feelings and we can actually alter our emotional responses.
The Physical Experience of Emotions
Do you know how it feels when your heart pounds in your chest, your breath becomes shallow and fast, your head is throbbing, your skin tingles and feels hot, and beads of sweat form in all the worst places? Maybe you start to shout or fight with others or you have the desire to run away. These are clues that your Sympathetic Nervous System is activated. Your Sympathetic Nervous System is a part of your Autonomic Nervous System and its job is to mobilize you. When its goal is to protect you because it senses danger, this is often called the “fight or flight” response. This keeps us safe in scary situations, but sometimes our brain interprets danger even when there isn’t really any and this creates problems, such as increased anxiety or dysregulation.
Maybe for you, it’s more common to feel a heaviness in your body, tired muscles, a numbness, an inability to talk or move, or a disconnection from your surroundings. Some may describe the emotions that arise from experiencing these sensations as depression, hopelessness, or isolation. These sensations are also an example of the Autonomic Nervous System doing what it thinks it needs to do to keep you safe. Sometimes becoming immobilized IS the best way to protect yourself in a very dangerous situation. We can also slip into that place when we aren’t actually in danger and we don’t know how to get out. According to Stephen Porges, this is an activation of the oldest part of our nervous system called the Dorsal Vagus State. His theory, known as the Polyvagal Approach, helps to provide us with a map of our nervous system that can be a powerful guide to helping us navigate our emotional responses.
Polyvagal Theory and Your Nervous System
So this part is a bit “sciencey”, but stick with me!
Subconsciously, your nervous system is always scanning for threats and cues of safety inside your body, outside in the environment, and between yourself and others through relationships (Deb Dana, 2018). This is called neuroception and directly influences our nervous system responses.
According to Polyvagal Theory, our nervous system is made up of three states:
the Ventral Vagus,
the Sympathetic Nervous System, and
The Dorsal Vagus
There are 2 parts of our Autonomic Nervous System that these states exist:
The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): (The Dorsal & the Ventral)
The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The main job of the PNS is to keep us regulated and to help us rest and digest food; it is like a brake pedal keeping us on track. When we are in need of protection because we feel trapped or in danger, the oldest state, the Dorsal Vagus state, immobilizes us. On the other hand, the Ventral Vagus state is the newest part of our nervous system; it is also called the social engagement system. This is where we feel safe and connected, where we grow and develop, where we restore our bodies and minds, where we can cope with challenges, and where we feel regulated.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) helps us fight or flee when needed, like the gas pedal in a car, but it is also the state that provides us with the energy we need to get up and go for a walk, run, or workout, or to complete the tasks required of us at home or work.
As you can see, we need all three states for healthy functioning, but when it comes to big emotions like anxiety, fear, anger, and depression, we may realize we are easily knocked out of a ventral state, into a sympathetic state and when that fails to protect us, we slip into a dorsal state. The more time our nervous system spends in a protective or survival state, the more it becomes our default state. Do you spend a lot of time anxious, angry and hyper-aroused? Do you spend most of your time depressed or withdrawn? This may be because it has become your default state.
These states are impacted by the largest nerve in the human body: the Vagus nerve. This is also called the wandering nerve because it starts in the brainstem and travels through the body connecting your heart, your lungs, your abdominal organs in one direction and your neck, throat, eyes and ears in the other direction. The Vagus nerve is the gateway between the SNS and the PNS. It’s known as the pacemaker of the heart; when your heart races in a sympathetic state and then is able to slow down and return to a calm, regulated pace (a ventral state), it is thanks to the tone or strength of the response of the Vagus nerve.
The great news is that you actually have the ability to control the responsiveness of your vagus nerve!
How Does This Help Me with My Anxiety, Anger, or Depression?
Recognizing the physical sensations in our bodies helps us to map our own nervous system. Creating this map is the first step to being able to actively take ourselves in and out of the three states. This exercises the brain to pause, notice, and experience our states in a safe way. Through neuroception, a therapist can help coregulate us through this process. This helps us build a tolerance to uncomfortable sensations and reduces the intensity of the emotions we associate with the physical experience. It is critical that we learn to look for cues of safety and learn to experience moments of safety in our bodies so we can begin to develop resilience.
We can also tone and strengthen our Vagus nerve through yoga, humming, splashing cold water on our face, slow diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, and relationship with others, so that when we feel overwhelmed and out of control with anger or anxiety, or stuck and depressed, we can actually utilize our Vagus Nerve to alter our state, and therefore, also our emotions.
A Polyvagal approach is a wonderful complement to many other types of psychotherapy modalities and can be a very practical way of learning to navigate intense emotions. If you are interested in actively utilizing your own nervous system as a resource for you, reach out to a therapist with training in this approach to learn more and see if it may help you.
Additional Resources:
https://www.stephenporges.com/
https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/resources (Deb Dana).
https://oppfamilychiropractic.com/educational/what-happens-in-the-vagus-doesnt-stay-in-the-vagus/
https://drarielleschwartz.com/natural-vagus-nerve-stimulation-dr-arielle-schwartz/#.Yjd3fJrML9E