Understanding Anxiety and Depression through the Nervous System

Key Points

• The nervous system plays a direct role in anxiety and depression.
• Autonomic nervous system can get "stuck on" or "stuck off."
• Many people aren't aware they're trapped in these states but can change once they identify it.

Polyvagal Theory

• Three states: Safety (ventral vagal/parasympathetic), Activation (sympathetic/fight/flight/freeze), Overwhelm (shutdown/dorsal vagal/parasympathetic).

Healthy Nervous System

• Not calm all the time but adaptive and accurate.
• Can respond to danger quickly and restore safety.
• Experiences a broad range of emotions like calm, love, stress, joy, excitement.
• Can easily return to calm after stress.
• Functions well in sleep, eating, healing, and relaxation.

Modifiability of the Nervous System

• Nervous system is like a muscle; it can learn, develop, change, and adapt.
• Chronic stress can be unlearned through correct exercises and practices.

Regulation Feedback Loop

• Brain uses body sensations to determine if everything is alright.
• Pain or malfunction sends danger signals, while calm sends relaxation signals (bottom-up approach).
• Calming the body also calms the mind.

Unhealthy Nervous System States

Sympathetic Dominance (Hyperarousal)

• Fight/flight/freeze response is always active.
• Increased sensitivity to perceived threats.
• Symptoms: Jumpiness, jitteriness, upset stomach, cravings for carbs, rapid heart/breathing, constant movement/busyness, difficulty concentrating.
• Often results from trauma, chronic stress, worry, or poor self-regulation.
• This state makes it hard to relax or have fun.

Parasympathetic Dominance (Hypoarousal)

• Body goes into shutdown mode, conserving energy.
• Results from overwhelming threats or chronic stress without support.
• Symptoms: Sluggishness, fatigue, numbness, slow metabolism, longer recovery times, cognitive impairments like brain fog, poor memory, and problem-solving.
• Looks like burnout or depression.

Retraining the Nervous System

• Requires:
  1. Self-care to restore physical resources (sleep, nutrition, medical support).
  2. Activation (physical movement).
  3. Sustainable problem-solving approaches.

Trauma's Impact

• Trauma is deep learning in nervous system marking dangerous or stressful events for quick reactions.
• Causes automatic reactions to perceived threats based on past experiences (e.g., war experiences, abusive homes).
• Rigid trauma responses can affect health, happiness, and life enjoyment.

Treating Anxiety, Trauma, and Depression

• Not just about thoughts; must address the body and nervous system.
• First step: Become aware of nervous system state (known as interoception).
• Explore what anxiety, hyperarousal, and hypoarousal feel like in the body.
• Learn and apply grounding techniques and parasympathetic activation.

Resources and Next Steps

• Free course on grounding skills for stress, anxiety, and trauma available.
• Complete online course available for breaking the anxiety cycle in 30 days.