The nervous system helps all parts of the body communicate with one another and is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Down the spinal cord are nerves that spread all over our body. These nerves communicate with our brain for our body to function.
Why is this Important?
This system plays an important role in our overall mental and physical health. The nervous system is constantly trying to keep us in balance. When we experience injury, trauma, and illness this system finds ways to adapt in order for us to survive.
Highly Sensitive Individuals often have a system that is over-functioning, under-functioning, or switching between the two. Some symptoms of a dysregulated system can include restlessness, irritability, skin and gut issues, insomnia, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, or headaches Research has also shown that the earlier in life a traumatic event(s) happen the more dysregulated this system can be. This often occurs because the event(s) happen when this system is developing.
Many people have been to multiple health professionals and have been unable to find an answer for these symptoms. Having a dysregulated nervous system can lead to some possible mental health diagnoses like anxiety, depression, OCD and PTSD. This can also lead to physical diagnoses such as high blood pressure, IBS, or autoimmune disorders.
When looking to support our mental health, it is important to understand the role that the nervous system plays in our overall health. Through understanding this, we can target treatment towards helping our nervous to become more regulated.
This is a very brief overview of a complex system. Many therapists trained to support trauma have some understanding of the role this plays in treatment. Most first line treatments focus on helping with emotional regulation before moving into complex work.
In future posts we will explore strategies that can help with nervous system regulation.