The Nervous System: You Didn’t Learn About In School
As humans, we have a complex nervous system that always operates in the service of our protection and survival. Our nervous system is responsible for the energy balance in our bodies and vital processes like breathing, digestion and our heart rhythm. The nervous system automatically and unconsciously scans the environment for clues and quickly shifts us through different states to keep us safe.
You likely learned in school that the Autonomic Nervous System is responsible for the unconscious, automatic, millisecond reactions in the body known as “fight or flight” just in case you come across a Sabertooth tiger. The Autonomic Nervous System was once believed to be simply a 2 circuit system: Sympathetic (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic (rest and digest) with 1 path in each circuit.
Research on the heart rates variability of vulnerable preemie babies in the neonatal intensive care unit by Dr. Porges revealed that the Vagus Nerve of the Parasympathetic circuit, actually has two branches or paths. He concluded the Autonomic Nervous System 2 circuit system in fact has THREE distinct pathways:
1 path in Sympathetic and 2 paths in Parasympathetic.
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana
The discovery of Dr. Stephen Porges in 1994 of Polyvagal Theory introduced a new understanding of our unconscious responses to each other and the environment via cues of safety and danger. Evolutionary biologists theorized that the development of this 3rd path, or ‘the social engagement’ ventral vagal state, allowed mammals to evolve for more pro-social activities, emotion, communication and co-regulation in the bodies & nervous systems within a community. The 3 states or pathways of the nervous system are: VENTRAL VAGAL, SYMPATHETIC and DORSAL. Below is a brief description of each as well as the common health conditions experienced of each nervous system state.
Learning what these 3 STATES of the Nervous System feel like for you is an essential piece to vibrant health and wellbeing.
Take my quick 7 question quiz to discover your Nervous System “Type” and map your nervous system FREE with this podcast episode.
80% of the information on Cranial Nerve 10: The Vagal Nerve travels from the body TO the brain; only 20 % travels from the brain to the body.
VENTRAL VAGAL: This is the place connection. In this place you are social, resourceful, empowered and able to respond to the ups and downs of life. In this place you have a sense of mental and physical wellbeing and the ability to respond to the needs, demands and triggers of life with intention. You have the vibrant energy you need for the day. You're organized & able to follow through. You're social, productive, calm and compassionate. You find joy & play in the to-do's and your relationships. You communicate clearly & intentionally, responding how you want to respond rather than reacting. Having a flexible nervous system that routinely returns to the ventral vagal after triggers, reduces chronic cortisol release in the body and Health benefits include a healthy heart, regulated blood pressure, a healthy immune system, good digestion, quality sleep, and an overall sense of well-being
SYMPATHETIC MOBILIZATION: This is the place of “fight or flight”. The place of stress, adrenaline and cortisol. It is often the place of anxiety, GI distress, hormone imbalance, insomnia, panic attacks. In this state, you are Ready to run or attack (verbally or physically). You are hyper-vigilant and anxious, external awareness on high alert. You feel defensive, guarded, frenetic, panic, irritable, snappy and jabby. There is a sense of urgency. Your energy is chaotic, it’s hard to focus or follow through and you’re easily flustered. You’re defensive, irritable, reactive and run high and hot. There is often drama and tension in your “to-do’s” and relationships. Health consequences can include heart disease; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; insomnia; weight gain; memory impairment; headache; chronic neck, shoulder, and back tension; diarrhea, fast digestion; and increased vulnerability to illness, hormone imbalances, anxiety and panic attacks, chronic pain.
DORSAL COLLAPSE: This is the place of shutdown or freeze. It is the place of last resort, think of a turtle pulling its head and limbs in for protection. It is often the place of depression, constipation, hormone imbalance, fatigue, brain fog and chronic pain. The hormonal and chemical responses to dorsal shut down cause you to feel checked out, closed in and too tired to think or act. You have very little energy. It is very difficult to form coherent thoughts. Emotionally you feel unavailable, unresourced, hopeless and disconnected. It is nearly impossible to be present in your life, work or relationships. The overwhelming sense is of collapsed, frozen and immobilized. The health consequences of this state can include chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, constipation, slow digestion, low blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain, hormone imbalances, sluggish thyroid, depression, immune concerns, chronic pain.
No state is wrong or bad. You are not broken if you find yourself stuck in one state more than the other. When our nervous system is resource and regulated, it flexibly moves between states like Sympathetic and Dorsal centering in the physiologic home of Ventral Vagal. Everyday our brain and nervous system can learn and rewire, creating a flexible system that centers in Ventral Vagal is the work we do in The Integration Experience. Join us!
By: Lea Durante, NP
