Excellent Catalyst for Personal Growth
Excellent Catalyst for Personal Growth
You may notice throughout my website, that I avoid using words that I feel are saturated in this profession.
Container term meaning the range of physical symptoms, cognitions, emotions and behaviours that are present when our Sympathetic nervous system is mobilising.
As we move onto our Sympathetic road, this can be fun and exciting. We may feel light, bubbly, fizzy, revved up ready to go, sometimes sexually energised. In this mood, we have a foot firmly in Ventral at the same time.
As we travel further into our Sympathetic road, we are moving into Fight or Flight. We are mobilised and ready to act. Our body has made the necessary changes to fight against or run away, and our behaviour may show this in many ways. When we are in medium mobilisation, we will have elevated blood pressure, dilated pupils, pale colour, increased heat or cold. We will be feeling anxious or irritated (usually both). Our frontal cortex (access to our wider picture) is usually accessible.
When we’re in full Sympathetic mobilisation, we are in ‘React to Danger’ mode and our symptoms are intense. Our frontal cortex may or may not be accessible. We can become defensive, argumentative, controlling or aggressive towards ourselves and others. We may pacify ourselves with food, medication (including alcohol and tobacco) or other behaviours.
Container term meaning the range of physical symptoms, cognitions, emotions and behaviour that are present when our Dorsal nervous system is mobilising.
As we move onto our Dorsal road, we can withdraw a little and feel like we just need to take a break from life and the world, part of us may be wounded and our wound needs tending to. At this stage, we have a foot firmly in Ventral at the same time. We are navigating our day-to-day responsibilities.
As we travel further along our Dorsal road, we can become disconnected and withdrawn. Our body has made necessary changes for us to hide and our behaviour may show this in many ways.
Container term explaining our mind and body’s intelligent response to us receiving one or more blows. A blow may be one, or a combination, of psychological, emotional, physical or spiritual.
Our nervous system responds in a style that gives us the best chance of survival; fully activating our Sympathetic or Dorsal systems (often a blend of both). This is the wisdom and intelligence of our body and our phenomenal human determination to survive.
Over time, if we repeat our survival response enough, this becomes our habitual style; our intelligent system is always working to protect us.
This means we may be reacting in a style that made sense in our past and does not fit our current situation. It is imperative therapy is safe, effective and individually tailored, so that clients can consistently reduce protective reactions from the past and focus on building a value-driven, meaningful life.
* 2018 Deb Dana from The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton
Container term that is used to identify psychological and emotional challenges.
I do not use the word ‘mental’, I use the words ‘psychological’ and ’emotional’ as these are the aspects we are referring to. I encourage clients to update their language, so they construct an encouraging, buoyant, taking-control-of-their-health attitude and style.
In a nutshell, our psychological and emotional health relies on us engaging in a lifestyle that, most of the time, supports and nurtures our mind, heart and spirit. In the same way our physical health relies on us engaging in a lifestyle that, most of the time, supports and nurtures our body.
When we have consistent struggles with our lifestyle, it’s advisable to engage in encouraging personal development / seek appropriate help.