Understanding Your Nervous System

“Polyvagal theory is the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risks of living.” -Deb Dana

Polyvagal theory is a theory that Stephen Porges created when he was studying heart rate variability. Deb Dana made it palatable for lay people, and importantly for therapists. Poly means many. Vagal is referring to the vagus nerve that runs through out the body. Vagus means wanderer. This theory posits that our autonomic nervous system has three pathways with origins in our evolution as mammals. The three pathways of our nervous system in hierarchical order are the dorsal vagal, sympathetic, and ventral vagal.

Before digging into the pathways and further explanation of polyvagal theory, let me share why it is important, especially for trauma survivors. Understanding our nervous systems allows us to befriend our nervous system, understand our responses, and be more resilient. This is an important tool to feel safe. By safety, I mean safe in your body, safe with your thoughts and emotions, and safe in your environment and in your relationships. When we can recognize our different nervous system responses, we are better able to flexibly shift in and out of those responses. Being able to shift and regulate our nervous system allows us to be curious, compassionate, and most importantly, connect with ourselves and others.

Dorsal Vagal

The dorsal vagal system first appeared 500 million years ago. This is also sometimes referred to as hypoarousal and is our shutdown system. In dorsal vagal, we are immobilized, disconnected, hopeless, going through the motions, and often, numb. For people who were traumatized as children or have been trapped, this response is probably familiar. When you can’t fight back and you can’t run, the way your system protects you from something overwhelming is by shutting down. Basically, the body registers that playing dead is the safest option and the body starts to shut down.

In the classic, fight/flight/freeze response, this is freeze. If you are in dorsal vagal, the task is to get unfrozen. Our body has to register that the threat is gone and it is okay to come back to life. There are some things that could help get you unfrozen. Movement can help, noticing the here and now can be helpful, and doing something that helps cue you in to safety can also be helpful. Last, but not least, dorsal is also associated with stillness and rest. We need this response to go to sleep, for example. We can choose to be in a dorsal vagal state which is different than having an automatic, protective, trauma response that makes us feel immobilized.

For each of these states, I encourage you to give it your own name and list out how you know you are in this state. One exercise, again from Deb Dana is to write this out: The world feels…., I feel…., People feel…. Doing this and giving it your own name allows you to clue in when you having a dorsal vagal response and then choose things that will help you feel more regulated.

Sympathetic

This part of our nervous system showed up around 400 million years ago and is commonly associated with fight or flight or hyperarousal. This is our take action system. In sympathetic, we might feel overwhelmed, anxious, angry, defensive, impulsive, and hypervigilant among other things. Much like the dorsal vagal response, this is quite helpful for resolving a threat and it is a protective response. If you have experienced traumas, sometimes people get stuck in overdrive in the sympathetic nervous system. The gas pedal is always on with no brake and it is hard to relax or feel safe.

In this state, the task is to learn how to feel safe, calm, and relaxed. Again, it will be helpful to give this your own language and understand your own responses when you are in the sympathetic state. Some ideas for things that can help you regulate are getting grounded, mindfulness, paying attention to your breathing, and looking for cues that you are safe right here, right now. Much like dorsal vagal can also be stillness or rest, sympathetic can be a positive state in that it can help you take action and move forward. We need this response to get out of bed.

Ventral Vagal
This is the most evolved part of our nervous system, showing up around 200 million years ago. This is our system of safety and connection. In Dan Siegel’s language, this is our window of tolerance. According to Dr. Siegel, the window of tolerance is our zone of optimal arousal where we can face challenges head on. It is also sometimes referred to our rest and digest state, meaning we can relax, we can eat, and our body can digest. Using the language of ventral vagal, this is where we feel safe, okay, engaged in life, connected to others, and we are able to be curious and compassionate.

Ventral vagal is where we feel regulated and are able to connect to ourselves, others, and our environment. It would be impossible to always be in this state and it isn’t necessary. Dorsal and sympathetic states are neccessary for our survival. The key with all of these states is to recognize what state you are in, to not get stuck in any one state, and to be able to flexibly shift between states.

The Body Keeps the Score

Bessell VanderKolk is a famous trauma researcher and wrote a book by that title. It is dense, a great account of the neurobiology of trauma, and of the various therapies available for trauma. When we experience trauma, like a pandemic where we feel powerless, helpless, and are aware of an ongoing threat, the body registers this and unresolved trauma gets stuck in the body. All three of these nervous system states help us survive and help us move through every day life.

However, it becomes a problem if our brain and body get stuck in dorsal or sympathetic. Survival responses are meant to be brief, temporary, and self protective. When we stay in a survival response, it is an ongoing stressor to the brain and body, can suppress the immune system, cause mental health problems, and long term physical health problems. In response to a threat, it is important to get activated or play dead if there is no escape. In the absence of a threat, we need to be able to feel safe and connected to other people, which is also for our survival. Humans are wired to connect.

Feeling Safe
Now that you have a basic understanding of your nervous system, the work is to feel safe enough to feel engaged and connect with others. There are two other important terms in polyvagal theory, which are neuroception and coregulation. Neuroception is perception without awareness and how we pick up on cues of safety and danger. Coregulation is being in relationship with another person who helps us regulate our own nervous system. Therapists are often helping our clients regulate and feel safe through coregulation. We can regulate and feel a sense of well being by resolving cues of danger and actively experiencing cues of safety.

If you are in your sympathetic nervous system, there might be some urgency in knowing what to do and what specific coping skills to use. Understanding your nervous system is the coping skill. When you can recognize that you are stuck in a trauma response, in a particular nervous system state, you can begin to change it. When you can register that you are not currently being threatened and there are signals of safety around you, that is the skill that will help you feel well, resilient, and connected.

As in most cases, I also recommend therapy to help you learn how to feel safe in your body, with your thoughts and feelings, and with others. Therapy can be an amazing coregulating experience that gives you the opportunity to learn how to feel safe and connected. If you are interested in therapy and learning more about regulating your nervous system, feel free to book a 15 minute consultation to see if we are a good fit. If we aren’t, I know many lovely therapists and can recommend you to someone else. Speaking of the nervous system, it is important to feel safe in therapy :)