Maintaining a healthy nervous system is key to overall well-being, particularly for women managing chronic health issues. The nervous system is responsible for regulating our responses to stress, trauma, and emotional experiences. When it becomes overwhelming, it can cause imbalances that manifest as chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, and other health problems. One critical issue many women face is a state called functional freeze, where the body gets stuck in response to trauma. Fortunately, a somatic approach offers effective tools to help restore balance and support healing.
In this guide, we will explore the impact of the nervous system on health, how functional freeze affects women, and how the somatic approach can offer a path to recovery.
Understanding the Nervous System: The Key to Wellbeing
The nervous system is vital in regulating our physical, emotional, and mental health. It is responsible for processing stress, managing trauma, and maintaining balance in the body.
The two main branches of the autonomic nervous system are the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. When functioning correctly, these systems work together to help us manage everyday stress, recover from trauma, and maintain a state of homeostasis.
However, when stress and trauma overwhelm the nervous system, it can get stuck in survival mode, leading to various chronic health issues. This imbalance can cause a host of symptoms, such as:
Chronic pain (back, neck, and joint pain)
Anxiety
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
Digestive problems
Chronic fatigue
Emotional overwhelm
Case Study: One of my clients, a 45-year-old woman suffering from chronic back pain and anxiety, experienced significant relief after incorporating a somatic approach into her healing plan. By focusing on calming her nervous system and releasing trauma stored in her body, she was able to reduce her pain and regain her emotional stability.
What is Functional Freeze? Understanding the Body's Response to Trauma
Functional freeze is a survival response that occurs when the body encounters a traumatic event or a threat it cannot escape from. It is a state of immobilization where the nervous system is stuck in a state of freeze, often leading to long-term physical and emotional consequences. This is part of the fight, flight, freeze response that our bodies naturally engage in when faced with danger.
When trauma occurs, the body may respond by freezing as a way to protect itself. While this can be useful in the short term, remaining stuck in this response can have harmful effects, such as chronic tension, emotional numbness, and dissociation.
Checklist: Are You in Functional Freeze?
Do you feel emotionally numb or disconnected from your body?
Are you frequently overwhelmed by daily tasks?
Do you struggle to move forward in your healing process despite trying multiple treatments?
Do you experience chronic pain or fatigue without a clear medical cause?
Do you feel like you are on an auto-pilot most of the days?
If you answered yes to these questions, you might be in a functional freeze. Recognizing this is the first step toward healing.
Somatic Approach: A Path to Nervous System Healing
"Soma" comes from a Greek word meaning "body," so somatic means "of the body."
Peter Levine created the "Somatic experiencing" and brought the somatic approach to the mainstream. His work has been instrumental in understanding how trauma can dysregulate the nervous system and how somatic methods can help in healing.
A Somatic approach is a therapeutic approach that specifically targets the nervous system. It is based on the idea that trauma is not just a psychological issue but is also stored in the body.
By focusing on bodily sensations, a somatic approach helps individuals release stored trauma and restore balance to the nervous system.
A somatic approach works by gently guiding the body through incomplete survival responses, allowing the nervous system to process trauma without becoming overwhelmed. This approach encourages the release of trapped energy and emotions, which can otherwise manifest as chronic pain or emotional distress.
Peter Levine’s Contribution to Trauma Healing and Nervous System Health
Peter Levine is a renowned psychologist and trauma researcher who developed the concept of somatic experiencing. His groundbreaking work revealed that trauma is not only a psychological event but also deeply rooted in the body. According to Levine, trauma creates a state of "nervous system dysregulation," where the body remains in a state of hyperarousal or freeze, preventing it from returning to normal functioning.
Levine’s research has shown that the key to healing trauma lies in the body’s ability to complete its natural survival responses.
By working with the body rather than against it, a somatic approach helps individuals process traumatic memories and release tension stored in the nervous system. His insights have profoundly expanded even more our understanding of trauma and its impact on chronic health problems.
How a Somatic Approach Addresses Chronic Health Problems
The somatic approach provides a powerful method for addressing chronic health problems, particularly those related to trauma and nervous system dysregulation. Many women suffering from chronic pain, fatigue, and emotional distress may be dealing with unresolved trauma that keeps their nervous system in a state of imbalance.
How it Works:
The therapist helps the patient tune into their body’s sensations.
Through gentle awareness and mindfulness, the patient tracks these sensations and allows the body to complete the survival responses that were interrupted by trauma.
As the trauma is processed, the nervous system gradually returns to a balanced state, reducing symptoms like pain, anxiety, and fatigue.
Case Study: One of my clients had struggled with chronic migraines and anxiety for years despite trying numerous treatments. Through a somatic approach, we worked together to release trauma stored in her body. Over time, her migraines decreased in frequency and intensity until they finally disappeared, and she felt like herself again.
The Importance of Titration for Trauma Healing
Titration is a crucial concept in trauma healing, referring to the slow, controlled release of trauma from the nervous system. Rather than overwhelming the body by revisiting traumatic events all at once, titration allows individuals to process trauma in small, manageable steps. This method helps prevent re-traumatization and ensures that the nervous system can gradually move from a state of survival to a state of safety.
Titration is like peeling an onion—one layer at a time. Each layer of trauma is gently processed until the nervous system can fully return to balance. This slow approach ensures that healing occurs without overwhelm or flooding of traumatic memories.
Holistic Approaches to Supporting the Nervous System
A Somatic approach is a powerful tool that I use for healing chronic problems and supporting nervous system health. Here are some samples of somatic techniques that can help regulate the nervous system and improve emotional well-being.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and breathing exercises, can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress.
Movement Exercises: Gentle movement, can help release stored tension in the body and improve nervous system regulation.
Breathwork: Focusing on deep, mindful breathing helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and healing.
Self-Healing Mastery class: This class that I teach provides tools and techniques for nervous system regulation and trauma healing. Learn more here.
Integrating somatic techniques can create a comprehensive plan for healing chronic health problems while supporting the nervous system's recovery, allowing for deeper healing and improved well-being.
Taking the Next Step: How to Begin a Somatic Approach for Nervous System Health
If you’re ready to prioritize your nervous system health and start your journey toward healing, the somatic approach may be the right path for you. Here’s how to get started:
Find an experienced therapist: It’s crucial to work with a therapist who understands the importance of nervous system regulation and has experience in a somatic approach. With over 16 years of experience, I have helped many women heal from chronic pain by validating their experiences and guiding them through a gentle, titrated healing process.
Incorporate somatic practices into daily life: Simple practices like body scanning, mindful movement, and breathwork can support nervous system regulation in between therapy sessions. These tools are available inside my program, Be Healthy Academy
Prioritize nervous system health: Healing from chronic health problems takes time, but by focusing on your nervous system, you can create lasting change. Be patient with yourself and commit to the process.
The health of your nervous system is at the core of your well-being. By using a somatic approach, you can release trauma, regulate your nervous system, and start healing from chronic health problems.
Remember, healing takes time, and it’s important to find the right support system to guide you through the process. Take the next step by exploring somatic therapy and holistic approaches to prioritize your nervous system health.
Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Health and Break Free from Chronic Pain?
For additional support on your healing journey, join the Be Healthy Academy.
In the Academy, you’ll have access to resources, classes, and a community of like-minded women dedicated to healing and wellbeing.
Be Healthy Academy is a science-based program that offers accountability, pain science education, stress management techniques, ways to shift mindset, increase body awareness, techniques to release trauma from the body, and so much more 🧠💖🔥
Get Your Life Back!
References:
Healing Women’s Mental Health: Understanding the Nervous System and Somatic Therapy. Retrieved from UBH Denton
What Is Somatic Therapy? Retrieved from Verywell Mind
How to Calm Your Nervous System. Retrieved from [Healthline](https://www.healthline.com/health/mind-body/give-your-nerv)
Peter Levine Image form https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/about-peter
Other Images shared under Free Creative Commons License, from Wix and Freepik, or are from Ana's private gallery.
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