The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Part 4
Part 4/4
Is Your ANS Negatively Impacting Your Health?
As scientists, psychologists, and researchers began to learn more about trauma and the impact it has on our lives, the CDC and Kaiser launched their own study of more than 17,000 participants. They were searching for a link between what they called “adverse childhood experiences” or ACE, like sexual abuse, neglect, poverty, hunger, and long term health and wellness. They determined that those who reported more than 4 ACEs, which was about 20% of participants, chronic illnesses like heart disease, cancer, drug abuse, stroke, diabetes, and more increased astronomically. Additionally, those who reported more than 6 ACEs would have their life expectancy decreased by nearly 20 years.
This study was monumental in our understanding of trauma and the ways in which it impacts our overall health in the long run. Essentially, it revealed that many of the physical and mental health symptoms that we experience might stem from a chronic dysregulated ANS caused by past or childhood trauma.
Why Does This Happen?
Well, when our ANS enters into one of its survival states, it shifts its focus away from balancing our systems for optimal health, to simply giving our body everything it needs to survive a dangerous situation. When our ANS gets stuck in those survival states, it forgets about optimal digestion, optimal breathing, and optimal heart health – instead, it merely is trying to keep us alive during a stressful situation.
Remember it is the Parasympathetic Nervous System that is responsible for ‘rest and digest’ but this guy isn’t getting a foot in the door when the ANS is on overdrive.
When this happens, physical and behavioural symptoms emerge, below are only a few:
Digestive Disorders
Autoimmune Disease
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic Pain
Migraines
Anxiety
Depression
Addiction
Sleep disorders
PTSD
Difficulty navigating close relationships
Understanding How Our ANS Works Can Make A Difference
Remember, knowledge is power, and knowledge gives us the ability to recognize when a situation is actually dangerous and when it isn’t. Although our ANS is automatic, we still have some control over recognizing when it is accurately warning us of a stressful or life/death situation, or when it is stuck in survival mode.
When we are able to regulate and recalibrate our ANS, we can become happier, healthier, and more empathetic to others, which are all the secret ingredients to living a pleasurable life.
Thanks for reading this 4 part series on the ANS and hopefully you have a better understanding of the role it plays in your overall wellbeing.
If you would like to learn more about how the ANS impacts your daily health and how NeuroPhysics Therapy can help you calibrate your system towards optimal health and wellness please get in touch.
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdIQRxwT1I0&t=2s
