What is anxiety and how can you regulate it?

All humans (and mammals) have a built in alarm system (called neuroception) that is constantly scanning the environment for cues of danger and safety, and that is a great survival mechanism! When we detect cues of danger, we experience anxiety, which is the way our nervous system uses to tell us "you need to do something to neutralize the threat and protect yourself". The problem is that sometimes, due to intense stress, traumatic experiences, or growing up in an emotionally unsafe home, that alarm may stop working accurately and detect threats where there are none, like a car alarm that detonates when there is a breeze. The result is hyper vigilance, anxiety, and often difficulty forming relationships and connecting with others (feeling safe is a pre requisite to human connection).

You have probably heard of the Vagus Nerve and its impact on physical and mental health. The Vagus Nerve is "the cable" that sends the information back and forth between the alarm system, our brains, and all of our organ systems. Traumatic and distressing experiences make our scanning system lose the capacity to detect safety in the environment so the Vagus Nerve only sends messages of threat or danger, causing us to be constantly on alert (anxiety), and reduces the activity of many organ systems to save that energy for fighting or escaping the perceived danger, causing digestive issues, a weaker immune system, etc. The Vagus Nerve also becomes more rigid, so it becomes harder and harder to return to a state of calm after a stressor has disappeared.

Some of the treatments for anxiety and nervous system dysregulation include medication, psychotherapy, mindfulness practices, and physical exercise like yoga.

Dr Stephen Porges, a Biologist and Psychologist, created the Safe & Sound Protocol that re trains the nervous system to accurately perceive the cues of safety in our environment (kind of a re setting of the alarm), so that the Vagus Nerve can send the correct information to our brains and organs, re establishing a harmonious balance.

Research showing excellent results has been published by Harvard Review of Psychiatry and over 100,000 people have already successfully done this protocol in over 70 countries. It can be done remotely in 10 days to 3 weeks, and at your own pace and time. I am a Certified Provider of the SSP and believe the better we can regulate our nervous system, the happier we are, relate to others, and perform.

Please go to www.safetyishealing.com to find out more and reach out if you have questions.