Understanding Your Nervous System
The First Step in Trauma Healing
By Victoria Cory
Have you even wondered how to start the process of healing from a traumatic event? Or maybe you find yourself in fight or flight mode and are not sure how to get out? Well, the answer is that we start with regulating the nervous system. We often think about trauma being something that impacts the brain, but it also has an impact on the body, specifically on the nervous system. Understanding how this connection works is key to understanding the healing journey, and how treatments such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can support this process.
What is the Nervous System?
The nervous system is your body’s command center, and it is made up of your brain, spinal cord and nerves. It controls the messages from the brain to the body to regulate processes like breathing and digestion, but also thoughts, memories, and feelings.
Here are the key players in your nervous system:
Central Nervous System (CNS): The brain and spinal cord.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It’s split into two parts:
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Activates the “fight or flight” response.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Controls the “rest and digest” functions, helping the body return to calm after stress.
Enteric Nervous System (ENS): Often referred to as the “second brain” in the gut, it’s responsible for digestion and can be deeply affected by stress.
How Trauma Affects the Nervous System
Trauma, especially when its overwhelming or prolonged, can dysregulate the nervous system and lead to disruptions in the normal functioning.
Trauma triggers the body’s natural survival responses, and our nervous system protects us by going into fight, flight, freeze or fawn mode. This response is important if you are in immediate danger, but if this system is triggered by sending an email, it is not helpful. Overtime, if the body stays in this heightened state due to continued trauma or stress, this can lead to chronic anxiety, hypervigilance, and difficulty relaxing.
The vagus nerve, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, can become weakened, making it harder for the body to switch from stress mode to calm mode. This dysregulation can lead to insomnia, digestive issues, chronic pain, muscle tension, memory problems, anxiety and depression, as well as other psychological, physical and cognitive symptoms.
The Importance of Nervous System Regulation in Trauma Healing
If the nervous system is regulated the body can return to a state of balance when it can begin to effectively process emotions, restore physical and mental health, and heal from trauma. This healing requires the nervous stem to shift out of survival mode and into a state of calm.
The benefits of working on nervous system regulation include:
Calm and control: When the nervous system is regulated, individuals feel more grounded, present, and in control of their reactions.
Improved emotional resilience: Individuals often experience improved emotional regulation, increased resilience, and a greater ability to cope with stress.
Physical benefits: As the nervous system becomes regulated, physical symptoms of trauma, such as insomnia or digestive problems, often begin to subside.
Reconnection with self and others: When the nervous system is no longer in survival mode, individuals can begin to rebuild trust, experience intimacy, and engage in fulfilling relationships.
EMDR and the Nervous System
EMDR is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals process and integrate distressing memories or experiences in a safe and supportive environment. It utilizes bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds, to stimulate both sides of the brain, which facilitates the natural healing process of the brain. The foundation of EMDR suggests that our brains are designed to naturally process and integrate difficult experiences. However, sometimes these experiences get “stuck” and continue to impact our thoughts, feels, and behaviours long after the event has occurred.
One of the first phases that we work on in EMDR is the preparation phase. We spend time learning coping skills and relaxation techniques that work to regulate your nervous system. This is imperative to do before diving into the stuck memories and experiences.
One of the ways that we work on regulation is by activating the vagus nerve. Here are a few ways to do this:
– Beathing: Deep Breathing or Diaphragmatic Breathing
– Sound: Singing, humming, chanting, laughter
– Cold Exposure: cold showers or splashing cold water on face
– Exercise: Aerobic exercise and weightlifting
– Meditation: Mindfulness practices
Healing from trauma is not just about addressing the mind – it’s about restoring balance to the nervous system and allowing it to function normally again. EMDR therapy can be a powerful tool in supporting the nervous system’s journey towards healing. If you are struggling with the effects of trauma, one of our EMDR trained counsellors may be a good fit for you to help you process, heal, and restore balance to your life.