Your Physical Reactions Through the Lens of Polyvagal Theory
You are sitting outside on a beautiful Summer day. The sun warms your skin as you sit and try to enjoy the nature around you. Something feels off – your hands are tingling, your stomach feels unsettled, and you can’t seem to sit still. What is going on? You should feel calm and happy, but you are on edge.
Does this situation sound familiar? It can be difficult to make sense of our bodies and their reactions. The way we feel does not always align with how we think we should feel, and we oftentimes we end up stuck in discomfort. This is not an uncommon experience. Thankfully, we can make sense of these reactions through Polyvagal Theory, and work our way back towards a restful state.
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal theory, created by Dr. Stephan Porges, aims to provide a foundational understanding of how our bodies autonomically interact with the world around us. More specifically, polyvagal theory explains three polyvagal circuits within our nervous system that shift and change based on our perception of safety. These three states are called Social Engagement System, Mobilization, and Immobilization. We will come back to these shortly! But first, to understand polyvagal theory, it is important that we define the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. Let’s explore how these biological functions aim to protect us both physically and psychologically.
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
The main function of your Sympathetic Nervous System is to respond to real or perceived threats in your environment, protecting you from danger. This system activates in your body unconsciously, based on instinct. Your SNS sends signals throughout the body, creating the “fight or flight” or mobilization response process in order to best prepare you for an actionable response to threats.
You can thank your SNS for:
increasing blood pressure
enlarging pupils to improve vision
storing energy in the liver
relating airway muscles to increase oxygen supply.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS)
The function of your Parasympathetic Nervous System is to control your body's autonomic functions in times of rest or stillness. It interacts with the sympathetic nervous system by allowing your body to return back to “normal” functioning and optimize the “rest and digest” functions in our body, like blood flow to vital organs. The PSNS is home to your vagus nerve, which stems from the brain through your throat and chest into the abdomen. In this way, it is connected to various internal organs like the heart and lungs.
You can thank you PSNS for:
lowering heart rate
increasing rate of digestion
feelings of arousal
making and releasing insulin
Polyvagal Theory in Action
Now that we have a basic understanding of the two systems, let's look closer at how polyvagal theory can help us respond to threats in our environment with a visualization.
Take a second to imagine you are on the beach. It's a beautiful day and you are there with two of your favorite people. How are you feeling?
Safe, calm, and connected – your Social Engagement System is activated. Your ventral vagal nerve is letting the rest of your body know you are safe and in optimal biological functioning, with decreased defensive responses.
Now imagine you are swimming in the water, when you notice a shark fin sticking out of the water nearby. Fortunately, you are close to shore, and you run to the beach safely.
Your body has now detected danger, activating your sympathetic nervous system – you are in Mobilization. You may notice increased heart rate, increased adrenaline, or feelings of anger and panic. This is your body’s first reaction in order to regain safety.
Continue to imagine that you are swimming, but this time far out in the water. You are no longer close to shore and you see a shark fin next to you. There is no quick escape route.
In this case, your body has detected a threat to survival. Because there is not an option to fight or flee, your body enters freeze mode or dorsal vagal shut down. You are in Immobilization. Here your PSNS system is reactivated in order to increase blood flow to vital organs and conserve energy, helping you to survive the experience. In this stage, we may become dissociated or feel hopeless. Your body is doing its best to protect you from any further pain or suffering.
Now that we have demonstrated how polyvagal theory helps us to understand our subconscious states, let's explore how it shows up in our daily lives in a more practical way.
Polyvagal Theory in the Treatment of Trauma and Chronic Stress
When we have experienced trauma in the form of a single event, complex relational trauma, or chronic stress, our bodies and brains become reliant on our autonomic nervous system reactions for survival. For example, if you grew up experiencing emotional abuse and neglect, it may be necessary for you to rely on the freeze response to help cope with the reality of living with toxic shame. The body and brain are working hard subconsciously to protect you from that experience, even if you are not experiencing the abuse anymore. But why? If I’m in a safe, secure relationship, shouldn’t my body recognize that? Oftentimes, when your nervous system becomes accustomed to threatening or unsafe situations, it becomes hyper-vigilant. It subconsciously re-engages the survival tools it needed in the past, even if those tools aren’t helpful anymore . In short, what once was adaptive for survival is now unhelpful, and can create a barrier between you and an opportunity to notice the safety in your current environment.
Shifting our Subconscious Reactions
While re-regulating our nervous system can be challenging, Dr. Stephan Porges and other polyvagal experts have found several tools that support “down regulation”.
Identify Polyvagal State
We can begin to connect to our nervous system by acknowledging the physical cues that connect mobilization or immobilization states. Begin by taking a deep breath: is your heartbeat steady, fast, or slow? Do your shoulders feel tense or relaxed? Take a second to notice your breath: is it steady, shallow, or constricted? Taking time to explore how your environment impacts your physical body is a great way to explore triggers for activation. If you notice that you're in a mobilized (or immobilized) state despite being in a safe environment, here are some tools to re-regulate:
Cold Exposure: activate the vagus nerve with acute cold exposure. You can do this by splashing ice cold water on your face or placing an ice cube on the inside of your wrist.
Singing/Humming: the vagus nerve is directly connected to the throat so you can activate the nerve by humming your favorite tune softly. If you’re feeling bold, try singing your favorite song out loud. If you’re lucky, this might make you smile too!
Connection and Laughing: research has shown that connection to other people and engaging in laughter has a direct correlation to lower cortisol levels. So, put on your favorite comedy special and allow yourself to laugh out loud or call a safe person who makes you smile.
Are you struggling with the aftermath of a complex traumatic experience? While managing your physical and emotional states after trauma is difficult, there are effective tools available that will support you as you process and heal. To find out more about our approach or to connect with a therapist that is right for you, contact us for a free phone consultation. Our team of therapists are licensed, experienced, and specifically trained in treating betrayal trauma, complex trauma, addiction, and rebuilding relationships.
About the Author
Anna Grace Drage is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate and Certified Trauma Professional. Anna Grace helps clients explore relational patterns, past and current traumas, attachment wounds, and negative self-talk.