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Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism?
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You don’t need a doctor for vagal nerve therapy. Mine just told me to use this book
It has all the info and (gentle) exercises you need. It’s often used in conjunction with limbic nerve therapy which you can also DIY.
Stress limits your parasympathetic nervous systems ability to come online, leading to low heart rate variability. I posted this to another thread, but I think it may help you too:
Here’s what’s helping me:
I’ve realized that my parasympathetic nervous system has no clue how to activate, therefore I’m constantly in sympathetic nervous system “fight or flight” mode.
I’ve been doing really simple vagus nerve exercises outlined in this book. I know, it sounds hokey, but my HRV has increased to around 50 each night, where before I was in the 20s or 30s. I also have a whoop band, and my resting heart rate is also now lower at night.
I have some past trauma that I think messed up my autonomic nervous system. By training my parasympathetic nervous system to activate, I’ve had more HRV success than years of working out, eating right and sleeping well have given me (though I do still do all these things).
I also have a pdf of this book if you’d like it.
I skipped straight to the exercise instructions. Since they’ve worked so well, I’m now going back to read the reasons why they work.
Also, these exercises are super easy to do anywhere. Takes just like 30 seconds, so I highly recommend trying this to see if it works for you. :)
I have the same issue—an HRV that’s consistently lower than it should be. Here’s what’s helping me:
I’ve realized that my parasympathetic nervous system has no clue how to come online, therefore I’m constantly in sympathetic nervous system “fight or flight” mode. Therefore, my HRV is low because I’m never switching to the parasympathetic side.
I’ve been doing really simple vagus nerve exercises outlined in this book. My HRV has increased to around 50 each night, where before I was in the 20s or 30s. I have a whoop band, and my resting heart rate is also now lower at night.
I have some past trauma that I think messed up my autonomic nervous system. By training my parasympathetic nervous system to activate, I’ve had more HRV success than years of working out, eating right and sleeping well have given me (though I do still do all these things).
I also have a pdf of this book if you’d like it.
I skipped straight to the exercise instructions. Since they’ve worked so well, I’m now going back to read the reasons why they work.
Also, these exercises are super easy to do anywhere. Takes just like 30 seconds, so I highly recommend trying this to see if it works for you. :)
It would probably be best to find a subreddit asking a physician but I’ll venture an educated guess. My guess would be your ibs is causing misfiring in your vagus nerve (chiropractors call it dysafferentation). Basically that nerve impulses that shouldn’t be firing together are sending mixed signals. You could look into the polyvagal theory, a quick amazon search suggested this book on the topic https://www.amazon.com/Accessing-Healing-Power-Vagus-Nerve/dp/1623170249 .
You can find the PDF in my profile somewhere, if you want to
There's already some great suggestions in the comments, to add to them - learning to stimulate the vagus nerve and engage the parasympathetic nervous system (Check out the book called Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve for information and exercises).
Breathwork - what worked for me was the 21 Day Awakening Protocol by Soma and the Wim Hof Method. There's growing evidence to indicate engaging psychedelic experiences is a key to resolving trauma and developing new ways of being - breathwork can engage them, without being so overwhelming as substances can feel, especially if you're already in survival mode. Especially combined with journalling/undergoing therapy to explore the emotions and experiences that come up.
Look into ways to rewire the default mode network - meditation and breathwork are some ways, as are many already mentioned in other comments.
Learning to surround yourself with safe, nurturing, compassionate and healthy loving people - explore your attachment style, learn what a secure attachment looks like and begin to model those characteristics. This can begin with a counsellor or therapist and expand as you become more comfortable and safe within yourself. Co-regulation is what we as children needed, but did not receive, so it's something we have to learn to healthily regulate our emotions and mood states. This is a journey to unlearn what you've learnt to survive in the world so far, so it takes a long time. The results are worth it.
In another comment you described what's got you into survival mode - I have been through complex developmental trauma, compounded by religion and while I can't say it's been an easy journey, I can tell you it's worth every step through resolving grief, anger, shame and pain, and a at the end of it, through the healing a new, peaceful experience is possible. You are worthy and capable of so much more than it may feel like right now.
I have a vagus nerve stimulation device and I don’t feel like it really works very well but the physical exercises and cranial sacral therapy has been a game changer for me so don’t stress out if you can’t find or afford a machine
For videos-
My favorite : https://youtu.be/LnV3Q2xIb1U Another by the same creator (but just google vagus nerve stimulation exercises)
Also ice packs on your chest- It sounds Excruciatingly uncomfortable but it’s incredibly relaxing if you just take deep breaths with the ice pack on your chest
This is some interesting information about reducing the stress response. He’s using physical movement as example but I think the side to side eye-movement that you do when you’re moving,is the real mechanism for reducing stress in the physical movement. So reading or just laying in bed and moving your eyes side to side can be helpful. https://youtu.be/xZVw-9ThmSM
This is the only book you should get on the topic. There are exercises in the back. You might be able to find it at your local library this is what led me to get cranial sacral therapy as a part of my treatment plan
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1623170249/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_SA022SCDCQYEAX21GKXT
Check out these papers :
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Potential Adjunct Therapy for COVID-19
- The Vagal Autonomic Pathway of COVID-19 at the Crossroad of Alzheimer's Disease and Aging: A Review of Knowledge
Even though these discuss hospitalized patients, the vast majority of long haulers have discussed symptoms that may be attributed to damage to the vagus nerve.
Something that a large number of us were reporting in months 1-3 of long hauling, was the diminished ability to yawn.
Some resource that helped me were :
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What my experience has taught me is that there is no single cause of post acute sequelae of covid/ long covid. It's a combination of different factors.
Dr Zandra Palma discusses these in her YouTube video
These factors patterns are :
- Lung Injury
- Immune regulation
- Mitochondrial Injury
- Endothelial Injury
- Neuronal Injury
IMO this is not an exhaustive link. I would personally add MCAS/Histamine intolerance and SIBO to the list too.
Something to be aware of is that most of the writing on it is trauma-related - but for me, it has been helpful for both mental health and digestive issues.
https://www.stephenporges.com/
Personally the thing I use the most is bilateral stimulation audio - Jorge Henderson Collazo has some excellent tracks available on Youtube and Insight Timer. (Bilateral stimulation is one of the techniques used in EMDR therapy, but is helpful for other things as well and doesn't have to be done in the context of therapy. It engages the parasympathetic nervous system and affects the vagus nerve.)
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