The Polyvagal Theory Explained

Have you ever been in a particular situation or environment where you experience a sudden surge of anxiety or uncertainty, yet everyone around you seems calm and collected?

In these moments, it can be challenging to understand why you feel this way, especially when you compare your responses to others—a common habit among humans!

For many, the above may result in a form of self-gaslighting where you ignore or deny these unpleasant feelings, chalking them up to paranoia or being broken in some way.

Humans constantly look for safety and danger cues in their environment—we do this unconsciously, a process that forms part of our innate survival responses.

As newborns, we relied on our caregivers to provide the basics, such as food, love, nurturing, and warmth.

During these crucial developmental phases, we learned to interpret specific cues from those who cared for us as a means of survival.

For instance, we became attuned to their tone of voice, facial expressions, and other visual and auditory cues.

Our nervous systems are more likely to remain regulated if our early experiences with our primary caregivers are positive.

However, if, for whatever reason, there is an attachment rupture or other issues during the developmental phase, our young nervous systems can become dysregulated, leading to various complications and challenges throughout our lives.

For those who have experienced trauma, the question their brains and bodies are constantly asking is, am I safe right now or in danger?

Questions like this can be incredibly beneficial, especially in times of perceived threat or actual danger.

For instance, if you are being chased by a wild bear in a forest, it makes sense for your brain to start asking serious questions about your safety to help prepare you for any harm that may come your way.

In the above context, the safety versus danger question is not just helpful; it’s life-saving!

The Polyvagal Theory, a comprehensive framework developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in 1994, is not just an academic concept. It’s a vital tool for understanding these survival responses.

Here, we will explore this theory in more detail.

The Polyvagal Theory explained

The Polyvagal Theory provides a biological framework for

understanding how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) supports resilience, health and social behavior.

It allows us to understand how humans respond to stress and trauma and how our autonomic nervous system regulates physiological states, influencing behavior, emotional regulation, and social connection.

The Polyvagal Theory is particularly relevant in understanding trauma, stress responses, and how we connect to others socially.

Porges explains that our autonomic nervous system is categorized into three subsystems, including:

• Sympathetic nervous system (SNS): Prepares the body for ‘fight or flight’ responses.

• Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS): Facilitates’ rest and digest’ functions.

The parasympathetic nervous system has two branches relevant to Polyvagal Theory. They include the following:

• Ventral vagal complex (VVC): Associated with social engagement and calming responses.

• Dorsal vagal complex (DVC): Linked to immobilization and ‘shutdown’ responses.

Let’s revisit the example of you being chased by a bear.

Here, your brain activates the sympathetic nervous system response or ‘fight or flight’ to help you escape the wild animal hurling towards you.

For instance, depending on what your brain considers the most appropriate response, you may fight off the bear or flee the situation.

It’s important to note that there are a variety of responses to threats, and you may engage in other responses if your brain decides that fighting the bear or running away is impossible.

For instance, in a desperate attempt to calm the animal, you may befriend the bear (fawn response).

If befriending doesn’t work, which is likely given the animal in question, you may become immobilized and engage in the freeze response (part of the dorsal vagal complex response).

Here, you may pretend to “play dead” to help you escape this critical situation. This immobility eliminates auditory and visual clues that would otherwise provoke aggression (Baldwin, 2013).

If all else fails, your brain may decide there is no other feasible option but to go into total shutdown, where you faint or blackout, which is also part of the dorsal vagal complex response.

Your brain is constantly working to protect you. This includes deciding which responses are the safest or most appropriate given your immediate environment or situation.

 

The primary principles of The Polyvagal Theory

To help you understand why you respond to stress the way you do, we have outlined the three primary principles known as ‘hierarchical responses’, which are integral to Polyvagal Theory.

These principles include:

• Social engagement system (ventral vagal): This is the most advanced nervous system response designed to encourage social connection and a sense of safety.

• Mobilization (sympathetic activation): If the social engagement system can’t handle the stress in our environment, we move into this stage, where our ‘fight or flight’ response kicks in.

• Immobilization (dorsal vagal): When social engagement and mobilization fail to manage the stress or danger around us, we move to the primal stage of the dorsal vagal, leading to shutdown or dissociation.

 

Neuroception

The above responses can be beneficial, particularly in a crisis or period of severe stress.

However, for some people, particularly those who have experienced trauma, their brains are constantly in a state of hypervigilance, scanning for cues of danger, even when no harm or threat is present.

These individuals are especially attuned to what’s happening in their environment, even in the most innocuous circumstances.

For example, they may find subtle changes in other people’s facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice threatening or scary.

The above process is called neuroception, a subconscious response in which the nervous system constantly scans for safety or danger without conscious awareness, influencing which autonomic state is activated, i.e., social engagement, mobilization, or immobilization.

The net result of being in a continuous state of immobilization (freeze) or mobilization (fight or flight) is an individual who continuously struggles to feel safe and connected to themselves and others, all hallmark symptoms of unresolved trauma.

Social engagement

As well as explaining the self-protective role of neuroception in trauma, Porges also illustrates the positive influence of the ventral vagal complex.

As mentioned, this response cultivates social behaviors, human connection, and emotional regulation.

Porges explains how positive social interactions can help

promote a sense of joy, safety and calm, which can help facilitate recovery from the adverse effects of chronic stress and trauma.

He posits that specific therapeutic interventions that promote safety and social engagement, such as mindfulness and deep breathing exercises, can help individuals regulate their autonomic states.

One key to healing the nervous system is understanding how the autonomic nervous system responds to trauma and engaging in treatments that address these physiological states.

 

Treating trauma and healing the nervous system

Treatments centered around The Polyvagal Theory focus on helping you regulate your autonomic nervous system.

This treatment approach can help your nervous system move from a dysregulated state (i.e., fight, flight, or freeze) to a place of social connection and safety.

Nervous-system-informed treatments are designed to enhance vagal tone and support the healthy functioning of the ventral vagal complex, both components that contribute to feelings of peace, happiness, and healthy attachments to others.

These treatments include:

• Breathing techniques like resonance breathing and breathwork. These strategies can help promote relaxation and encourage vagal activation.

• Body-focused therapies such as somatic experiencing can help address and resolve any underlying trauma stored in your body by paying attention to your bodily sensations and reactions.

• Yoga and massage therapies can help promote peace and a sense of calm, cultivating a healthy regulation of your nervous system.

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) provides practical strategies that help you reframe any maladjusted thought and behavior patterns that may lead to a dysregulated nervous system.

• Art and music therapy offer a creative outlet to help you process your emotions and release any ‘stored’ trauma in your body.

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a pioneering trauma treatment that is particularly effective in helping individuals process and integrate traumatic memories, which can help to relax the nervous system and encourage healing and recovery.

 

How we can help

The Lighthouse Bali provides a highly personalized trauma program, available either as a follow-up to your mental health or addiction treatment program or as a standalone option, depending on your needs.

Our intensive trauma programs are expertly designed for individuals who have faced traumatic events or prolonged traumatic experiences.

The dedication and expertise of our doctorate-level trauma specialists make our programs truly transformative and life-changing.

Our in-house trauma specialist, Dr. Andre, collaborates closely with our clients to ensure they receive the most comprehensive and personalized care possible.

This partnership enhances the effectiveness of our trauma programs, providing a holistic and integrative approach to lasting healing.

Dr. Andre’s approach to recovery is rooted in integrative therapy, emphasizing the development of awareness and understanding of problematic behavioral patterns and healing the trauma that is often the result of prolonged suffering and emotional distress.

Her therapeutic approach is highly adaptable and is tailored to meet each person’s unique needs and symptoms, allowing her to create a bespoke trauma program to suit every individual.

Contact our friendly team today to learn more about our trauma programs or for a confidential chat.

Help and support are just a phone call away.

 

Helpful resources

1. Polyvagal Theory: How Our Vagus Nerve Controls Responses to our Environment, Verywell mind, Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP, October 25, 2023