Nervous System Regulation is a buzzword these days, with many influencers giving you examples where they compare receiving an email to facing a bear, leaving your body trembling and heart racing. And while they are correct, our nervous system can perceive an email as a threat, the impact of a dysregulated nervous system is bigger than a short term adrenaline rush.

Nervous System Regulation refers to the process in which the nervous system struggles to return to a calm and balanced state after experiencing a stressor. This can show up physically, mentally and in behaviour.

A brief introduction to the Autonomic Ladder

In my previous blog I gave an overview of the nervous system, where I explained the difference between the sympathetic nervous system (where fight or flight is activated) and the parasympathetic nervous system (where rest and digest is activated).

The autonomic ladder goes a step further, it was developed by Deb Dana, and was based on The Polyvagal Theory which was created by Dr Stephen Porges.

The idea behind the autonomic ladder is that we move up and down the ladder of nervous system states.

At the top of the ladder is Ventral Vagal, or the Social Engagement System. This is the baseline state where you feel calm and connected. In Ventral Vagal, you feel present, engaged and able to think and make decisions clearly.

In the middle is the Sympathetic Nervous system, this is where fight or flight mode is activated and where your nervous system perceives a threat and gets the body ready for action.

At the bottom of the ladder is Dorsal Vagal - this is where we see the freeze response and where people tend to shutdown. We tend to enter this state when the perceived threat hasn’t been resolved.

Moving between these states is completely normal and healthy, it is when we get stuck in sympathetic or dorsal vagal that dysregulation occurs.

What causes nervous system dysregulation

Nervous system dysregulation often occurs when the nervous system has been in sympathetic activation (fight or flight mode) for a prolonged period of time and doesn’t have enough opportunity to return to calm and safety.

When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, a number of bodily processes take place:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure to boost oxygen flow to muscles

• Dilated pupils to improve long-range vision

• Dilated airways to allow more oxygen intake

• Inhibited digestion to conserve energy for action

• Release of glucose for immediate energy

• Release of cortisol and adrenaline for activation

• Blood flow diverted to essential muscles

This is a lot of work for the body to undertake for every perceived threat we face.

When our nervous system is properly functioning, the nervous system will perceive a threat, get ready for action and then once safety is signalled, it will return to parasympathetic state. Dysregulation occurs when the nervous system has difficulty returning to a calm state after stress (rest and digest state) and this is often due to facing too many stressors.

If the nervous system continues to detect perceived threats over a prolonged period, the body will stay in this heightened state of activation which is where physical issues can arise. And while in this sympathetic activation, the nervous system is on higher alert for threats.

When we are in sympathetic activation, the bodily functions I mentioned above are all triggered, so if you can imagine those bodily functions constantly running for a prolonged period of time when you are facing stressors, you can see the wear it would have on your physical body.

Then add modern living to the mix, where processed foods, stimulants, blue lights, constant notifications, high mental load and pressure present regular “threats” to your nervous system and it becomes much clearer why we struggle with a dysregulated nervous system.

Symptoms of nervous system dysregulation can vary hugely depending on the person, the situation and what else is going on at the time. Learning your own symptoms and triggers can be extremely valuable in learning to regulate your nervous system.

Physical signs of nervous system dysregulation

Physical signs of nervous system dysregulation can be mistaken for other things, but they are also some of clear signals that you should listen to.

First, it is important if you experience any new physical symptoms you should consult with your GP or a medical advisor. Nervous system work can complement medical intervention well, and it is important to rule out any more serious causes.

Some of the more common physical symptoms people with a dysregulated nervous system face:

• headaches or dizziness due to blood pressure changes when the sympathetic state is activated

• muscle tension or pain, especially in the neck, shoulders and jaw - this area is where habitually hold tension during a stress response.

• stomach problems such as constipation, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome this is due to energy being diverted away from digestion in sympathetic activation.

• chest pain or a faster heartbeat - this is due to the nervous system increasing the heart rate and blood pressure when sympathetic state is activated.

• sexual problems including low libido, issues with sexual function and changes to menstrual cycle - in sympathetic state energy is diverted away from reproductive function providing more energy for the fight or flight response.

Mental Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation

The mental signs of a dysregulated nervous system are often put down to anxiety or stress and many women experiencing perimenopause also have these symptoms. Again it is always worth consulting with a medical professional if you have any new symptoms to enable them to look into it fully, nervous system regulation complements medical advice, it does not replace it.

Common mental signs of nervous system dysregulation include:

• difficulty concentrating

• struggling to make decisions

• feeling overwhelmed

• constantly worrying

• being forgetful

Behavioural signs of nervous system dysregulation

You might recognise some of these signs as being caused by exhaustion or overwhelm. Common behavioural changes you might see when your nervous system is dysregulated include:

• being irritable and snappy

• sleeping too much or too little

• eating too much or too little

• avoiding certain places or people

• drinking or smoking more

Signs of nervous system dysregulation in your relationships

For some people the most obvious signs of nervous system dysregulation show up in their relationships.

Earlier in this article, I talked about the autonomic ladder, at the top of the ladder is the ventral vagal state, this is where we are socially connected, engaged and present. When the nervous system senses a threat, we move down that ladder to sympathetic state meaning connection and engagement becomes more difficult. When we stay stuck in a sympathetic or dorsal vagal state for too long, one of the first signs of dysregulation may be seen in that difficulty to socially connect and engage.

This might show up as:

• Cancelling or avoiding social plans

• Struggling to engage in a way you usually would

• Snapping at loved ones

• Emotional disconnection

• People pleasing

Another really interesting concept is co-regulation. Co-regulation is the process of regulating our nervous system with someone else. It might be that the person you are with is very calm and soothing, and around them you are able to regulate and move back up to the ventral vagal state.

This concept is particularly strong when we think about how parents interact with children, children often look to a parent for co-regulation, when they are in a heightened emotional state, they will go to a parent for soothing. If the parent is also in a heightened state, the child will struggle to calm, if the parent is calm, the child will calm.

That concept also works for adults, you may have a friend who feels calm and when you are in crisis they are the first person you turn to.

Nervous system regulation techniques can be really useful to bring yourself to calm when a friend or loved one needs to co-regulate with you.

Keep an eye out for future blogs as I will be covering co-regulation in more detail.

What is the difference between an overactivated and a shutdown nervous system

An overactivated nervous system is where the sympathetic state is activated and possibly the nervous system is stuck in this state. When the nervous system enters sympathetic state, not only does the system activate, or become ready for action, but the nervous system becomes heightened to threats and becomes more alert. If the system stays in this state for prolonged periods, this becomes overactivated. This state is where the system makes energy available in all forms.

A shutdown nervous system is when the body enters dorsal vagal state, this is where the system conserves energy. In this state your system might feel disconnected, numb, exhausted and dissociated (feeling detached from your body and surroundings). The system enters this state when the threat doesn’t disappear once the sympathetic state is activated. If you think of the facing a bear analogy that is often used to describe the nervous system, when you see the bear, the sympathetic system is activated where your body prepares to fight or flee. If fighting or running away from the bear doesn’t work, and dorsal vagal is activated, this might look like “playing dead”, the heart rate slowing, breathing slows and engagement reduces.

Is nervous system dysregulation the same as anxiety?

While the symptoms can be similar, nervous system dysregulation and anxiety are not the same thing. Anxiety can be a result of the system being stuck in sympathetic state for prolonged periods, where the nervous system is constantly scanning for threats.

Anxiety is a diagnosable mental health condition, whereas nervous system dysregulation is a physiological state that can underpin other conditions including anxiety. That’s why nervous system regulation can be complementary to other treatments. By treating the condition and regulating the nervous system at the same time you are creating an environment where sustainable change can happen.

Anxiety tends to be a condition of the mind, where the mind is future thinking and sometimes experiencing intrusive thoughts, whereas nervous system dysregulation is where the body is stuck in a state of activation - when the nervous system is dysregulated you might find yourself in a “wired but tired” state but you have no idea why. Because of this difference, anxiety is usually treated with talking therapy and medication whereas nervous system dysregulation is treated with body based (somatic) practices and breathwork.

Can nervous system dysregulation be misdiagnosed?

Symptoms of nervous system dysregulation can often be misdiagnosed as other things, including perimenopause, anxiety or weight issues. But it can actually significantly contribute to many of these issues. Many people visit a medical practitioner with symptoms of other things but no matter how many tests they undergo or medications they try, the symptoms don’t lift. Often when all other avenues have been explored and discounted, nervous system dysregulation may be a contributing factor. Nervous system dysregulation is very difficult to diagnose because it is functional, meaning the issues do not show on tests and it is based on how your system is responding to its environment. However, nervous system regulation practices are non-invasive complementary to many physical and mental health treatments so are beneficial to everyone.

Nervous system regulation can show up in almost any part of our lives, and often the symptoms overlap with other things. Recognising the signs of nervous system dysregulation can be the first step in regulation, often the awareness can make a big impact.

If you are feeling not quite yourself, and want to explore whether it could be nervous system dysregulation, take my free quiz.