What is Nervous System Dysregulation?

People who struggle with nervous system dysregulation (NSD) often get labelled as having “anxiety”, “depression”, “ADHD” or other mood or behavioral disorders where SSRI’s or mood stabilisers are prescribed.

NSD can exacerbate symptoms of other conditions and changes within the body, including changes like menopause and conditions like thyroid dysfunction, gut health issues and auto immune disorders.

People who struggle with NSD may resonate with the symptoms of these mood or behavioral disorders (like anxiety disorder or ADHD) but they often feel like the diagnosis is not right. This causes them to feel reluctant to use prescribed medication and they end up suffering for far longer than necessary.

People who struggle with NSD are usually high functioning and highly capable. They often have a lot of responsibility and work high stress jobs or study high pressure subjects at uni. This history of being ‘high functioning’ often adds to the in congruent feeling they have about the labels they receive.

If the information in the article resonates with you, reach out because I would love to support you.

NSD is one of the many health imbalances that I have struggled with over the years, I understand it on a personal and clinical level and it is important to know that there is a way out.

What is NSD?

Nervous system dysregulation is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that develop after a stressful or traumatic event or after experiencing a prolonged period of stress.

Examples of traumatic experiences may include: an accident, a diagnosis, hearing bad news, losing a loved one, a relationship breakdown, a surgery, etc

Examples of times where people may be exposed to prolonged periods of stress include: studying, working a stressful job, pregnancy and raising young children (especially if sleep is compromised), caring for a loved one, grieving the loss of a loved one, abusive relationships, etc.

The stress and/or trauma does not need to be 'severe' for NSD to develop, in fact, often times, the smallest thing can be the 'final straw'.

Symptoms of nervous system dysregulation include:
​

• Feeling on edge, feeling anxious, feeling like something bad is going to happen
• Gut health issues like cramping, bloating, gastritis, food intolerance, IBS
• Sleep issues like inability to get to sleep or waking frequently throughout the night
• Hormone issues, symptoms of PMS or menopause may be exacerbated, thyroid function may appear to be slowing down without any changes in blood results
• Difficulty concentrating, brain fog, memory issues, feeling scattered, clumsy
• Lack of motivation, loss of interest in things that used to bring joy
• Feeling fatigued, wired but tired, difficulty relaxing, feeling like you have to keep busy
• Difficulty maintaining a healthy weight, unwarranted weight gain (especially around the mid section) or rapid and extreme weight loss
• Changes in appetite and cravings, hungry while also experiencing a loss of interest in food

The interesting thing about NSD is, symptoms often come to the surface long after experiencing a stressful event.

It may feel as if that stressful chapter is closed and life is good, then all of a sudden some or all of the symptoms mentioned above, begin to develop. This can leave people feeling confused and frustrated as they struggle to make sense of why their body is behaving this way.

NSD often presents as anxiety, panic disorder, insomnia, depression and ADHD. Medication for these diagnoses may provide some relief but they fail to address the true, underlying cause.

When I finally discovered that a majority of my symptoms were due to NSD, I felt a huge wave of relief. It was comforting to know that I wasn’t going crazy or losing my mind. What I was experiencing was an appropriate response to the level of stress I had experienced over the preceding years.

The approach to heal NSD is going to be different for everyone. Some people will resonate will all of the above symptoms, while others will find that only a few body systems are out of balance.

Treatment also depends on how much you are able to do throughout the healing process. For me, the fatigue, brain fog and lack of motivation was so severe that simply changing one or two things felt like an ordeal.

Steps towards resolution

Although treatment varies, there are a few things that most people will benefit from and I will briefly list them below.

1. Restore nutrient deficiencies

During prolonged periods of stress, our body burns through its resources. Diet is often something that is neglected during these times of stress and this combination leaves us completely depleted.

Nutrients like magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin c, B6 and more are usually completely depleted but it is not as simple as simply supplementing these nutrients and getting back on with normal life.

A dysregulated nervous system will often produce issues like low stomach acid, sluggish digestion and impaired detoxification. We must work on resolving these issues while supplementing with high quality nutrients that are specific for your body in order for them to have a positive effect.

My favorite way to begin replenishing these lost nutrients is with an Epsom salt foot soak (1/2 cup Epsom salt in 1 tub of warm water) this will slowly increase magnesium, once the body starts to show signs of healing we can accelerate the process with a supplement (if necessary).

The second thing I like to use is an 'Adrenal Mocktail'. Drink 1 mocktail daily to begin to replenish some of the lost nutrients. Ingredients are: 1/2 cup Nudie orange juice, 1/2 cup coconut water and a generous pinch of salt. This combo is rich in wholefood vitamin c, sodium and potassium. You could also stir in 1 tbsp of collagen for a little dose of protein. This is a great afternoon 'pick-me-up' for people struggling with mid afternoon fatigue.

2. Deliberate relaxation

NSD is often characterised by feeling like you are stuck in a constant state of flight and fight. When this becomes our 'norm' if often feels uncomfortable to relax and we may feel like we need food, alcohol or something else to unwind.

Part of the healing process is to find a method of relaxation that resonates with you. It could be meditation, hypnosis, drawing, painting, walking in nature, swimming, dancing, listening to music or taking a warm bath.

People who feel stuck in a state of flight and fight can often feel worse after relaxing and may feel better when they are constantly busy, but this is part of the problem. Running on stress can be somewhat addictive and it takes time to feel comfortable in a relaxed state.

Be persistent, try different activities and find something that helps you to relax and recharge.

3. Herbal Medicine and Bio Resonance

These are two of my favorite tools that both calm and re-energise the nervous system.

Both modalities are completely tailored to your individual needs, which means results are gentle, rapid and effective.

Herbal medicine and bio resonance can help to bring your major body systems (like your nervous system, digestive system, endocrine/hormone system) back into balance. When a gentle approach is used, these modalities are free from side effects. I use both modalities in clinic for a variety of issues on a daily basis with great success.

4. Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is a wonderful tool that communicates directly with your unconscious mind. This is the part of your mind that is driving a majority of the symptoms. When appropriate, I may suggest the use of certain hypnosis recordings to promote feelings of rest, relaxation and calmness. Not everyone with NSD will respond well to hypnosis, for some it can be irritating due to the discomfort they feel when they try to relax. As the nervous system begins to heal, I often encourage clients to explore hypnosis as it is a lovely and effective tool.

If you are ready to start seeking support to heal your nervous system and the associated symptoms, reach out because I would love to help you.

Whether you are looking to avoid medication or seek additional support to improve the way your medication works, there is much that can be done in both scenarios. 

My approach is completely flexible and I will meet you where you are at. Some people like to do everything all at once while others seek gentle and subtle change. Either way there is so much we can do to get you feeling like YOU again.

Use the link below to get started with an initial appointment. 

Work With Me