Polyvagal Theory: How working with our body’s natural survival mechanisms can Improve Your Mental Health

Anyone who has ever experienced trauma, anxiety, panic, fear, sadness, depression, or dissociation knows the physical experience of being in such mental states. Our bodies and minds are awe-inspiringly connected and understanding more about how these connections work has led to developments in mental health treatments that creatively integrate both to provide relief. One such development is Polyvagal theory which explores how the brain and body communicate for survival. Below we will explore where this theory comes from, how it works, and more specifically how it informs treatments for various mental health symptoms to hopefully provide yet more tools for our mental health toolboxes.

What Even Is “Polyvagal”?

The term polyvagal alludes to the fact that as humans we have more than one vagus nerve. Poly = many and Vagal = vagus nerves. Specifically, we have two cranial [relating to the skull] nerves: the ventral vagal [towards the front] and dorsal vagal [towards the back].

Timeline of Theory Development

In the 1940’s and 1950’s researchers were discovering the connections between certain ‘arousal states’ or simply the activation of our fight/flight responses and where those signals to activate them originated in the brain. Later in 1991 more discoveries came in the form of noticing that we had different pathways that led to either a quick (pre-thought) fight/flight response almost like a reflex and a slower threat response that allowed our brains time to process the information (post-thought). But there was something unresolved in these findings which was that the calmer “rest/digest” arousal state and the survival “fight/flight” arousal state could not both be active at the same time. Between 1992 and 1994 Dr. Stephen Porges came to the realization that you can essentially turn off fight/flight by turning on rest/digest. Further developments have been made to the theory such as the inclusion of a freeze state and renaming ‘rest/digest’ to ‘social engagement system’ but for the purposes of this post we will stick with the basics to make it easier to remember. 

How The Vagus Nerves Work

These vagus nerves serve an important role in managing our threat response systems when in survival mode. This survival mode is what many know as the fight, flight, freeze response. When this response is activated, our vagus nerves serve as the information highway telling the body to do an assortment of things to get us ready to fight, run away, or freeze. Such messages can tell the body to increase your heart rate and breathing to send more oxygen to the muscles so you can fight or run to your fullest potential. On the opposite end of the spectrum messages can be sent to drop your blood pressure and it can happen so quickly that you faint (i.e. the freeze response). Importantly though, all of the messages just mentioned are going in one direction - from the brain to the body (top down); but what about the other direction (bottom up)? This is where polyvagal theory steps in and brings new insight.

Getting Vagus Activation To Work For Us

Of the main tenets of polyvagal theory is the idea that if we can activate the vagus nerves such that the body sends a signal to the brain it is time to rest/digest rather than fight/fly/freeze then we can in effect control our stress/anxiety response; or at least minimize the negative effects of an overactive threat detection system. By engaging in activities or sensory experiences that activate the rest/digest signals in the vagus complex we inhibit all those strenuous fight/flight/freeze symptoms when they are not needed. Below are just some of the ways we can tap into this system:

• Singing, Chanting, or Humming
• Box Breathing, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Extended Exhales
• Yawning
• Neck Stretching
• Gentle Shaking or Touching
• Rhythmic Movement
• Yoga
• Muscle Relaxation Exercises
• Ear Massages
• Sensory Stimulation such as Holding an Ice Cube

Each of these techniques can provide a sensory stimulus to that network of vagus nerve endings that lead to movement from fight/flight/freeze into a more relaxed and calm state. Even cooler though is that just like how the brain is able to change in that we can ‘teach it new tricks’ or ways of doing things (neuroplasticity); so too is the nervous system that houses the vagus complex. What this means is that over time with consistent practice we can adapt our nervous systems to be less reactive to previously perceived threats and develop a more robust relaxation response which shortens the fight/flight/freeze responses and allows us to feel more relaxed more of the time. For more information you can explore here and for more detailed instructions on using the above techniques you can explore here.

Beyond Fight/Flight/Freeze

Some individuals may feel their symptoms or mental health challenges are not related to any of this because they are not “extreme” enough to work with something as “major” as trauma responses given how they are spoken about in relation to fight/flight/freeze. For those who are dealing with anxiety or depression these tools are still just as valuable. For example, many people describe a feeling of chest tightness when anxious. Well, that is the same system at work; tightening your musculature to prepare to respond to threat. On the other end there is emerging research about the links between the over-activation of the freeze response and depression. Therefore using an approach that helps calm the nervous system out of freezing into a more present and calm state may prove effective in the management of certain depressive cases. 

Theory Limitations

Utilizing sensory activation of the vagus nerve, while effective for many, is also not capable of overriding other mental and physical systems that may be at work in your particular case. Whether symptoms are relating to your biology, or environment, or community; there are situations where more individualized treatment is necessary. It is always advised to talk with the appropriate healthcare provider to further explore where symptoms are coming from and build a holistic plan of mental health care that considers all aspects of your experience.

Centering Ourselves with Polyvagal Theory 

The vagus nerve complex within the human body serves as an information superhighway to activate our various survival mechanisms including fight/flight/freeze when threatened and rest/digest when safe. Through the decades of research we have found that there are ways we can influence this system toward any of these states through mental or sensory activation. This new direct line through our physiology can positively impact our mental health by helping to manage the primary and secondary effects of fear, panic, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and so on. Though these vagus nerve activation techniques are not a ‘one treatment fixes all’, they can provide both short term relief and long term adaptation, which makes it a worthwhile tool to add to any mental health tool box. 

At RAFT Counseling, we are here to support you in exploring the right treatment approaches for your needs and helping develop as many tools for your mental health toolbox as possible. If you or a loved one is in need of such support simply visit our website or contact us to get connected and on the path towards a more mentally well self.

Resources for Further Consideration 

• Porges S. W. (2009). The polyvagal theory: new insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine, 76 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S86–S90. https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.76.s2.17
• Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don't get ulcers: The acclaimed guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping (3rd ed.). Henry Holt.
• Stephen, P., & Eichhorn, N. (2017). The pocket guide to the polyvagal theory: The transformative power of feeling safe. New York, NY: Norton.