Are you constantly feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or “on edge”?

Do you struggle with anxiety, sleep issues, irritability, and constant, unexplainable fatigue no matter how much you sleep or how much coffee you drink?

These are all clear signs that you’re suffering from a dysregulated nervous system, and it can be healed with the right knowledge, practices, and mindset for recovery.

Nervous system dysregulation is a serious condition that reduces your quality of life by causing increased stress, irritability, and anxiety. It can even cause difficulties with digestion, sleep, and relationships.

Don’t worry. There’s hope.

Science has proven that understanding your condition and learning how to heal your nervous system can drastically improve your quality of life by:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Helping decrease the symptoms of depression
• Improving your daily mood
• Helping you get deep, restful sleep
• Reducing chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue

Some people even see results immediately just by learning a few simple techniques to soothe their nervous system (we’ll show you them in this article).

Here at The Cabin Sydney, we’ve helped countless people heal their nervous systems and lead happy, more meaningful lives. In this blog, we’ll explain how your nervous system works, what causes dysregulation, and some simple tips you can do from home right away that will help.

Ready to heal? Let’s get started.

What is a Dysregulated Nervous System?

A dysregulated nervous system is a common condition characterized by an imbalance between the two parts of your autonomic nervous system (ANS): your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system.

According to the World Health Organization’s page on “Mental Health Disorders”, more than 300 million people worldwide are currently living with anxiety disorders related to nervous system dysregulation.

In a well-regulated nervous system, these two parts are in harmony, which results in an appropriate stress response, better emotional stability, and healthy physical functions such as heart rate and breathing. 

But when your ANS is dysregulated, your nervous system fails to properly respond to stressors, return itself to a state of relaxation, or regulate homeostasis. This keeps you in a constant state of “fight or flight”, which is why you’re always on edge, unable to focus, struggling to sleep, and constantly anxious. Some patients of ours even suffer from stomach aches, headaches, and heart palpitations due to this condition. 

Here’s a good analogy that will help you visualize your condition better…

Imagine your nervous system like driving a car. When you’re going the speed limit, it’s easy to steer it any way you need to. You can stop, start, turn, park, or whatever else you need to do without much issue. This is “normal life”.

But when you have a dysregulated ANS, it’s like keeping the gas pedal down to the floor at all times – imagine trying to drive around all day like that! You’d crash for sure.

What Are The Symptoms of a Dysregulated Nervous System?

Symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system cover a range of physical, behavioral, and emotional health issues. These symptoms can make ordinary, everyday tasks feel exceedingly difficult. Things like meeting friends, getting groceries, going to work or school, or even just expressing your feelings or opinions can feel difficult when your ANS is not properly regulated.

It’s important to understand that these symptoms of dysregulation are not a character flaw. You are not a “bad person” for experiencing these symptoms. They are a physiological response to life experiences that you are not in control of (more on the causes of ANS dysregulation in the next section).

In fact, toxic stress has been found to impair the development of impulse control, judgment, and self-esteem, according to one study entitled “Neurobiological and Systemic Effects of Chronic Stress” published in the National Library of Medicine by McEwen, Bruce S. So, remember: it’s your condition – not you!

10 common symptoms of a dysregulated nervous are:

• Persistent tiredness and low energy levels, despite adequate rest
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Muscle tension and pain
• Digestive issues
• An elevated or irregular heart rate
• Increased susceptibility to infections and illnesses
• Persistent feelings of worry, fear, or panic 
• Mood swings and emotional instability
• Difficulty concentrating and memory issues 
• Depression
• Inability to stay calm or still
• Exaggerated responses to minor stressors

Expert Tip: At the Cabin, we’ve found that simply understanding your condition and being mindful of how your body responds to triggers helps reduce the severity of these symptoms. This is NOT something you’re doomed to suffer with your whole life – it’s a condition that can be treated.

What Are The Causes of a Dysregulated Nervous System?

A dysregulated nervous system can be caused by a variety of interconnected factors such as childhood trauma, genetics, certain medical conditions, and even lifestyle choices. These factors also vary from person to person, which is why we prioritize holistic care tailored to each individual who attends The Cabin.

We hope that realizing these factors are mostly outside of your control will reduce self-blame and encourage you to seek appropriate treatment.

Trauma

Trauma is the most common cause of nervous system dysregulation, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine by Sherin, Jonathan E., et al., in September 2011 entitled “Post-traumatic stress disorder: the neurobiological impact of psychological trauma”, psychological trauma results from witnessing an event that is perceived to be life-threatening or to pose the potential of serious bodily injury to yourself or others.

The most common types of trauma that can cause nervous system dysregulation are:

• Sexual abuse
• Domestic abuse
• Childhood abuse or neglect
• Adverse early life experiences
• Being a victim of or witnessing acts of violence
• Medical issues
• Natural disasters 
• Losing a loved one

The often profoundly unpleasant symptoms of PTSD dysregulate your nervous system further as it becomes increasingly overwhelmed. These symptoms include flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, withdrawal, avoidance, numbness, and depression.

Medical Conditions

Chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or autoimmune disease can affect the nervous system and contribute to dysregulation. 

For example, the Mayo Clinic’s page on Diabetic Neuropathy states that diabetes has a direct effect on the autonomic nervous system. In as many as 50% of patients, diabetes causes digestive issues, numbness, pain, and even issues with your heart. All of these symptoms contribute to anxiety or other harmful symptoms of a maladaptive nervous system.

Chronic medical conditions can both cause and be exacerbated by nervous system dysregulation. By that, we mean that the stress and physical toll of managing a chronic illness can lead to further dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, creating a cycle of worsening symptoms.

The good news is that many patients actually feel relieved when they learn that their medical conditions may be causing their nervous system issues. Once you understand the underlying causes, you can seek treatment and begin healing.

Chronic Stress

Stress caused by financial obligations, overwork, or family commitments can cause problems with your nervous system over time. You may also suffer from internal strains caused by negative self-talk, perfectionism, self-doubt, guilt, shame and imposter syndrome.

This is not just a mental issue – it’s physiological. Here’s a quote from a study published in the National Library of Medicine by Tsigos, Constantine, et al., entitled “Stress: Endocrine Physiology and Pathophysiology” that proves this point:

“Highly potent and/or chronic stressors can have detrimental effects on a variety of physiologic functions, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, and immune competence, as well as on behaviour and personality development.”

It’s clear: Science has proven that prolonged feelings of stress cause physiological changes in your body that directly lead to nervous system dysregulation.

Here’s a little more on the science behind how stress affects your nervous system…

Your body produces a chemical called cortisol, which is a bit like your alarm system. This is your built-in “fight or flight” mechanism that keeps you on high alert.

It’s a system we’ve evolved over millions of years of evolution. If you met a grizzly bear in the forest while foraging for food, cortisol would kick your body into high gear so you could get to safety as quickly as possible.

Chronic stress causes your body to constantly produce cortisol because it thinks it’s always under threat (even when there are no grizzly bears around). This disrupts your ANS and leads to dysregulation of the parasympathetic nervous system – remember, that’s your “rest and digest” system. When your cortisol levels are too high, it’s impossible for your body to rest. This leads to insomnia, anxiety, digestive issues, pain, and even impaired immune function.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse causes severe nervous system dysregulation. 

According to the American Addiction Centers, alcohol and/or drug use leads to various conditions involving the central nervous system, including everything from headaches and strokes to seizures and cognitive disorders.

And worse, drugs and alcohol exacerbate all of the underlying causes of negative nervous system issues. 

That means if you already have anxiety, stress, mental health problems, medical conditions, or sleep issues, addiction to substances makes them exponentially worse. Not only that, but substance abuse will make it impossible for you to heal your dysregulated nervous system. 

If you have substance abuse problems, quitting drugs and alcohol is the most immediately beneficial action you can take to heal your dysregulated nervous system. Putting an end to substance abuse improves sleep, helps your brain restore cognitive functions, returns neurochemicals to normal levels, and reduces inflammation. Most of our patients here at our clinic report that they feel better than they ever have in their lives not long after they quit using.

What Are The Treatments for Nervous System Dysregulation?

We use several treatments at The Cabin to effectively heal a dysregulated nervous system. These treatments can be used alone, though some people find that a combination of these methodologies is most effective in healing their nervous system.

Tip: We’ve found that using one of these treatments coupled with a support group of people suffering through the same issues helps our patients the most. Talking with counsellors and others who’ve healed their nervous systems drastically improves therapeutic outcomes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works by changing your thoughts about a situation, which in turn influences your behaviours and situation outcomes. For example, you may have the belief that you need to succeed in life for people to love you. This leads you to work all the time, causing nervous system dysregulation and burnout.

Therapists can help you to challenge these dysfunctional beliefs. Doing this allows the person to decrease the amount they work, which will, in turn, help to heal their dysregulated nervous system.

The therapist will work with the client to challenge the unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour and help the client to create new, more helpful ways of thinking and behaving.

Healing Through Tension, Stress and Trauma Release

Tension, Stress and Trauma Release (TRE) is a system designed to unlock the psoas, a muscle that stores much of the trauma in the body. This trauma can cause nervous system dysregulation.

TRE sessions are guided by a trained TRE facilitator, who guides participants through a series of positions that stress the psoas. These positions often cause the psoas to begin shaking, releasing body trauma.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

When someone suffers a traumatic event, it can become trapped in the body, leading the body to feel that the event is continuing to happen. This puts tremendous stress on the nervous system and can cause hypervigilance, or lead the body to shut down.

EMDR allows trauma sufferers to change their relationship to the trauma they experienced, so it becomes less troubling to them.

Introduce Safety

It is challenging to heal in an environment that causes you to be sick. The nervous system tends to stay activated until you feel out of danger.Being at ease and feeling safe is a crucial component of healing a dysregulated nervous system. Long story short: It is essential to be in an environment where you do not feel threatened if you want to heal.

This is one of the reasons why it can be so beneficial to attend a centre away from home when you are healing from addiction, trauma or mental health problems. Getting away from the stresses and triggers of home can greatly accelerate the healing process.

At The Cabin, we understand the importance of feeling safe. The Cabin Chiang Mai our residential rehab centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, offers clients a tranquil experience where they will feel at ease, facilitating the restoration process.

Reduce Stress

Not all stress is unhealthy, and there are certain times when a little stress can provide us with the focus we need to function effectively. But when stress becomes chronic and overwhelming, it has a severely negative impact on our nervous system.

Stress can come from many directions:

• Lack of sleep
• Major life changes (e.g., relocation, divorce)
• Academic challenges
• Environmental factors (e.g., noise, pollution)
• Uncertainty about the future

• Work pressure and deadlines
• Financial strain
• Relationship conflicts
• Chronic health issues
• Traumatic events
• Lack of sleep
• Major life changes (e.g., relocation, divorce)
• Academic challenges
• Environmental factors (e.g., noise, pollution)
• Uncertainty about the future

Eliminating some of these stresses from your life plays an integral part in healing your nervous system.

Of course, it is not always possible for you to remove challenges from your life. Most people need to work to earn money, and stressful life changes sometimes occur without our control. And while we cannot always control what happens in our lives, we can control our reaction to it.

This is where cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful. Changing your reactions to stressful events will cause your perceived level of stress to decrease, which will, in turn, allow nervous system rejuvenation.

7 Effective Ways to Heal Your Dysregulated Nervous System

Now that you know the underlying causes of nervous system dysregulation, it’s time you learn how to heal it with some simple tips that have proven to induce calm and relaxation. The good news is that it is 100% possible to “re-regulate” your system and get back to that “safe and social” feeling rather than a constant state of hypervigilance. 

Many of these techniques can be practised right at home, and some even provide immediate relaxation.

1. Mindfulness and Acceptance

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware of where you are and what you’re feeling – not living in the past or worrying about the future. When you become more aware of your emotions, it’s much easier to manage them without becoming overwhelmed.

Mindfulness practices include deep breathing, journaling, being kind to yourself, gratitude, and practising being aware of your senses.

It may seem odd at first, but empirical research has shown that mindfulness works to regulate emotions and improve wellbeing. One 2011 study published in the National Library of Medicine entitled “Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health” concluded that training in mindfulness may induce positive psychological effects such as improved well-being, reduced emotional reactivity, and improved regulation of behaviour.

One of the most effective mindfulness techniques for nervous system regulation is acceptance. 

Acceptance means accepting that you are having a feeling without passing judgment. When you’re suffering from a dysregulated nervous system, it’s common to have negative thoughts about your situation such as:

• Why am I like this?
• What’s wrong with me?
• I wish this would go away!
• I want to feel good!

• I wish this would go away!
• I want to feel good!

The goal here is to stop wishing for pleasant feelings to avoid the “negative” feelings. Instead, practice acceptance. This is how you feel in the here and now, and that’s 100% OK. When you accept your experience for what it is, it leads to better physical, social, and mental health outcomes.

2. Improve Your Sleep (Learn How to Get Deep Sleep)

Improving your sleep is a highly effective way to heal a dysregulated nervous system because it gives your body the deep rest it needs to repair the autonomic nervous system and restore balance. This balance will help regulate your emotions, reduce anxiety, fight fatigue, and improve emotional reactivity.

People suffering from autonomic nervous system imbalance often struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep due to racing thoughts, hyper-vigilance, restlessness, and disrupted sleep cycles leading to fragmented sleep. So, you might be asleep, but you’re not getting deep, restorative rest. And when you don’t get enough rest, your body can’t repair itself and struggles to perform normal daily functions. 

If you find it difficult to fall asleep, wake up frequently during the night, and can’t return to sleep, then try these 5 tips to get more deep rest:

• Establish a nighttime routine such as meditating, journaling, or even cleaning your room before going to sleep
• Avoid screen time for at least one hour before bed
• Avoid stimulants or large meals at least 2 hours before bed
• Wake up and go to sleep at roughly the same time every day
• Exercise daily but avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime

3. Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to calm the nervous system quickly because it automatically triggers the relaxation response in your body. The relaxation response is a state of deep rest where you’ll experience a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, a calmer mind, and a better overall state of well-being. Also, breathing deeply delivers more oxygen to the brain, which helps energize your body and mind as well as improve brain function.

Here are the 3 best ways to practice deep breathing and heal your nervous system imbalance:

• The 4-7-8 Technique: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale completely through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this cycle 4 times. This technique helps reduce anxiety and can be particularly useful before sleep to promote relaxation.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Lie on your back with one hand on your chest and the other on your rib cage. Breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through pursed lips. Practice this for 5 minutes 4 times per day.
• Equal Breathing: Sit up straight so you can breathe in deeply. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale out your mouth for equal amounts of time. If it helps, count as you’re doing it. Some people start with 5 seconds and work up from there.

4. Vagus Nerve Stimulating Exercises

The vagus nerve – or vagal nerves – control your parasympathetic nervous system (remember: rest-and-digest system). This system counteracts your overactive sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight). If you’re constantly feeling on edge and anxious, activating your vagus nerve can trigger feelings of calm and relaxation.

This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to restore balance to your ANS, and you can do some simple vagus nerve exercises anywhere at any time.

Here are the top exercises to stimulate your vagus nerve and calm your nervous system down:

• Eye Exercises: Focusing your eyes on a nearby focal point then shifting to a far away focal point has shown to help reduce stress and anxiety. Also, just simply relaxing your eyes by closing them or using an eye pillow helps too!
• Vocal Exercises: Ever wonder why musicians say that singing soothes the soul? Because it really does. Your vocal chords connect to your vagus nerve, so activities like singing, chanting, or even just gargling or laughing can stimulate your nervous system and bring balance to your ANS.
• Neck and Shoulder Massages: Any type of rubbing on your neck or shoulders helps stimulate the vagus nerve and induce calm and relaxation. When you’re feeling anxious, rub both sides of the back of your neck for a minute or two.

5. Spend Time Away From Screens And Technology

Too much screen time overloads your brain and wreaks havoc on your nervous system and overall well-being. A study published in the National Institutes of Health entitled “Increased Screen Time as a Cause of Declining Physical, Psychological Health, and Sleep Patterns” states that high rates of screen time have adverse effects on sleep, self-esteem, physical health, and mental well-being.

If you’re spending most of your waking hours using technology, spending more time away from your phone can help reduce stress and restore balance to your immune system. Here are a few things you can do to spend less time staring at a screen:

• Take regular breaks from work to walk, talk to coworkers or friends, stretch, or meditate
• Take walks in nature away from your phone
• Set alerts to put the phone down and schedule a fun activity
• Block your favorite social media sites
• Join phone-free activities
• Track your screen time and set limits 
• Start doing hobbies that you find interesting like sports, hiking, reading, or meditation

6. Aroma Therapy

Did you know that your sense of smell has an effect on your stress response?

It’s true.

Have you ever passed by a coffee shop, smelled the aroma, and immediately felt more alert? What about smelling a delicious meal and feeling a rumbling in your gut?

Now you know why. 

Odors take a direct route to your limbic system. Particularly, the amygdala – one part of the brain involved in your stress-response. It’s the part of your brain that sends signals for fear and motivation.  

One study published in 2021 in the National Institutes of Health by Masuo, Yoshinori, et al., called “Smell and Stress Response in the Brain: Review of the Connection between Chemistry and Neuropharmacology” clearly states that “olfaction can affect emotions, higher functions, and the autonomic nervous system” and “certain smells suppress stress levels, which is supported by the evidence showing the effects of exogenous volatile components on the brain”.

The best aromas to calm your nervous system are:

• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Jasmine
• Citrus

• Jasmine
• Citrus

Or any smells you find pleasant. Here at The Cabin, we find that a nice coffee does the trick! 

Expert Tip: All of your senses affect your stress response, not just smell. Sound can also trigger both feelings of stress and calm. That’s why sitting in a quiet room and meditating is so powerful!

7. Further Education on Your Nervous System

Just like education is essential to recovery from addiction, learning more about your nervous system is essential to healing it.

Education on the topic such as self-help books, medical studies, support groups, or even reading more of our articles here on the Cabin’s website will help you make better decisions regarding your nervous system issues. One of our most popular articles is how to recover from burnout at work.

This article covers the vicious cycle that’s plaguing so many Australians today: stress causes burnout but burnout causes stress!

Education helps you learn new skills, accept your situation, treat yourself better, and hopefully, seek treatment from qualified professionals.

How Can The Cabin Sydney Help Heal Your Nervous System?

If you’re living with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, stress, fatigue, and pain, professional therapy is a proven way to balance your nervous system and live a happier life. We know that it’s a big step, but it really does work. You don’t have to continue to fight this on your own.

During each session, our licensed therapists can help diagnose your issues, provide tailored therapy, and provide vital emotional support and resources. We’ve helped hundreds of people in your exact situation re-regulate their nervous systems. Most report that they feel:

• Reduced anxiety and stress
• Improved energy levels and less fatigue
• A reduction in chronic pains
• Better overall wellbeing
• More emotional control throughout the day

• Better overall wellbeing
• More emotional control throughout the day

The Cabin offers two options for those looking for healing. An outpatient treatment centre here in The Cabin Sydney and The Cabin Chiang Mai.

In Sydney, we offer outpatient counselling services that will teach you coping strategies and provide the support you need to make a full recovery, regardless of which nervous system issues you’re facing.

At our centre in Chiang Mai, we support those who have severe dysregulation to recover from their nervous system conditions by providing a safe space that offers profound healing and serenity. We utilize various nervous system healing approaches, including TRE, EMDR and CBT.

For more information on any of the modalities we have discussed in this blog, or to arrange a consultation on how we can support your recovery from nervous system dysregulation, contact us today at +66 20 385 469.