The Nervous System
When we talk about the nervous system, we are talking about a physiological system designed to perceive information, process it, and respond in a multidimensional and complex world. When the nervous system is optimally functioning, it is fluctuating between periods of alertness and rest, finding a dynamic equilibrium that vacillates between sympathetic and parasympathetic tone in response to our environment. However, this equilibrium can be disrupted due to trauma, toxic stress, or other negative experiences. This disruption results in a dysregulated nervous system – a system that spends too much time in fight, flight, or freeze mode, or too much time in rest mode, fixated in either state instead of gracefully transitioning between them.
The Impact of Dysregulation
When the interface that orchestrates how we understand and respond to the world is dysregulated, our interpretations and perceptions are thrown into disarray. Our system is no longer able to appropriately interpret external stimuli, thus creating and perpetuating illness and disease states such as chronic stress, inflammation, depression, anxiety, and obesity to name a few. The vital work to do know is to discharge the traumatic stress being held in the body to return to optimal function.
Healing from trauma and regulating your nervous system is about recovering ownership and agency of how your body responds to the world. For many, this journey looks like developing a method to calm down and focus, learning to maintain that calm, being present and alive to the present, and being able to navigate the natural fluctuations of nervous system function with ease.
For specific resources and treatment programs to regulate your nervous system, you can read more here.
“The nervous system is all about orchestrating the complex physiologic symphony to maximize survivability.”
Dr. Allen Gee
