Learning About The Polyvagal Theory?Part2
Better Outcomes for Various Trauma-Informed Treatments- Part 1
What is the vagus nerve, and why is it important
The tenth cranial nerve is the longest in the body and works on the autonomic nervous system. The polyvagus theory aims to help people notice behavior and social skills when exposed to three external situations. The three external states are when the body feels safe when it is in danger and when it is experiencing trauma. The theory uses mindfulness to assist people in noticing the shifts in internal changes (T. T. 2023).
The vagus nerve regulates heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and digestion in response to individual experiences of the environment. When arousal is low, the vagus nerve communicates to the autonomic nervous system to move into a regulated state. People feel comfortable and safe. When feeling safe, individuals are most likely to engage in social behavior. As the arousal rises, the autonomic nervous system moves more rapidly, and people respond in a fight or flight mode. If the arousal moves to a terrifying state, the vagus nerve communicates to the autonomic nervous system to freeze(T. T. 2023).
The Evolution Polyvagal Theory
Charles Darwin was the first to acknowledge the vagus nerve; the tenth cranial nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves. The vagus nerve begins in the brain and moves through the neck and thorax to the abdomen. Darwin intuitively thought the vagus nerve was responsible for facial emotions and communicating feelings to others( Colzato et al., 2017).
At that time, information on neuroanatomy was limited. In 1994, Stephen Porges continued to study the polyvagal theory. He found that, as mentioned above, the theory's primary functions were to regulate emotional and social behavior and fear response.
Polyvagus Theory in Therapy
Dana, D. (2018) wrote a book for therapists using the explanations of the principles of Polyvagal Theory. This complex theory is written in a clear, articulate style, making it easy for therapists and clients to understand the concepts of the theory. The therapist can help the client notice the level of arousal and name one of the three states. Helping clients articulate their visceral feelings can enforce if they feel safe, moderately in danger, or at extreme risk. Practicing can help the person who has dealt with trauma get more precise about the experience. The important part is for the client to look around the environment and see if the outside matches the inside. I enjoyed reading this book because it was written clearly, and the treatment is understandable. It can help you learn about your trauma even if you are not a therapist. Many people who have experienced trauma push their feelings down and have panic attacks and depression. To learn more about polyvagal nerve treatment, see the following article.
Please refer to the article about the polyvagal nerve for more information on how it is used in therapy.
Polyvagal Theory a Psychotherapy for Treating Trauma and Other Anxieties!
Can People Feel Free of Anxst?
f
Many people struggle with symptoms of trauma for years. Because the symptoms go through the autonomic nervous system, they don't realize what they are responding to. When they start to put words to their symptoms, they discover old traumas are being triggered. They begin their way toward healing.
References
Stefan Chmelik, integrated healthcare expert, physician, inventor of the state-of-the-art sensory device Sensate, founder of BioSelf Technology and New Medicine Group, and a mindfulness mentor and clinical expert in the … YouTube
Colzato, L. S., Sellaro, R., & Beste, C. (2017). Darwin revisited: The vagus nerve is a causal element in controlling recognition of other's emotions. Cortex, 92, 95–102.
Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal theory in therapy: engaging the rhythm of regulation (Norton series on interpersonal neurobiology). WW Norton & Company.
Doody, J. S., Burghardt, G., & Dinets, V. (2023). The Evolution of Sociality and the Polyvagal Theory. Biological Psychology, 108569.
Hegarty, D. (2020). Polyvagal-informed trauma therapy: An overview. Inside Out, 91, 40–46.
Porges, S. W., & Dana, D. (2018). Clinical applications of the polyvagal theory: The emergence of polyvagal-informed therapies (Norton series on interpersonal neurobiology). WW Norton & Company.
Porges, S. W. (2003). The polyvagal theory: Phylogenetic contributions to social behavior. Physiology & behavior, 79(3), 503–513.
Puder, D. (2018). Polyvagal theory simplified. Psychiatry & Psychotherapy.
Porges, S. W. (2022). Polyvagal theory: a science of safety. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 16, 27.
T. T. (2023, August 17). What is the polyvagal theory? https://therapist.com/brain-and-body/polyvagal-theory/
Sign up on my email list, and feel free to ask questions that are troubling you. I will write an answer to you______________________________.
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts.
Thanks. Very helpful information here.