A Normal Response to an Abnormal Situation
Leah Burnett, M.A.
Victor Frankl has a quote that says, “an abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior”. My favorite way to apply this quote is when talking about the natural function of our nervous systems. Most of us have heard of the phrase “fight, flight, or freeze” when talking about the nervous system. This is also known as the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is activated whenever our body is in a state of overwhelm, or a situation that feels like more than we can handle given our current resources. As soon as the SNS is activated, adrenaline and cortisol are released and blood flows into our muscles to prepare our bodies for survival. In theory, this is actually incredible. Our bodies are adapting to what is believed to be a threat. In individuals with PTSD, what feels like a threat is not always a threat. One thing reminds the nervous system of a past situation, and next thing you know, your entire body is acting like it would’ve if that threat was right there in front of you even when it is not. And maybe there is still a threat that never went away. Regardless, something happens when the body enters a state of chronically being in survival mode. The nervous system is so good at its job that it can actually stay in a state of “survival” for a very long time. In polyvagal theory, this state is known as “hyperarousal”. There are people that come to therapy and their “normal” has become a feeling of unsafety, because that is the state that their nervous system believes it needs to be in to survive. Becoming stuck in a state of hyperarousal is often a result of one or more of these things:
- An acute stress or trauma occurs, and the body remains in fight or flight long after the event has passed
- Early childhood adversity or abuse, where hypervigilance develops to manage unpredictable environments
- Chronic stress such as work pressure, relational conflict, ongoing abuse, financial instability
Some of the most life-altering symptoms can occur when an individual becomes stuck in a prolonged state of stress or hyperarousal. These symptoms include: sleeping problems, anger outbursts, trouble concentrating, increased irritability, hypervigilance, difficulty feeling close in relationships, dissociation, self-destructive behaviors, digestive issues, chronic health conditions, abuse of substances, and intense feelings of guilt and shame.
In therapy, we can learn ways to get “unstuck” from this state and back to our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) through grounding exercises, trauma therapy, self-care, and more. It is important to gain the perspective that although we call it “mental illness”, there is often nothing “wrong” with the way the body has been reacting to being in a prolonged stated of stress. It is important to remember the nervous system’s job in our lives. I hope to challenge the perspective on mental health disorders that are often stigmatized by society. While there may be serious issues with people’s current way of functioning due to their nervous system dysregulation, the root might be that their nervous system was doing its best to navigate a situation that no person was ever truly meant to go through. This kind of compassion, in my opinion, is often the first step to finding healing.