The Weight of a Strand of Hair: When Your Nervous System Turns Against You

Imagine a single strand of hair, so light it's almost imperceptible. For most of us, its gentle touch on our skin goes unnoticed. But what if that minuscule weight, that feather-light contact, felt like a searing burn or a crushing pressure?

For millions living with chronic pain and certain autoimmune conditions, this isn't a hypothetical nightmare, but a daily reality. This seemingly impossible scenario sheds light on the profound impact of an overactivated autonomic nervous system, where the body, in an attempt to protect itself, inadvertently turns against its host.

The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Unseen Conductor

Our autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the silent, unsung hero of our internal world. It’s the conductor of our involuntary bodily functions – heart rate, breathing, digestion, and temperature regulation – all operating seamlessly without conscious thought.

The ANS has two main branches:

• The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): This is our body's accelerator, responsible for the "fight, flight, or freeze" response. When activated, it floods our system with adrenaline and cortisol, preparing us to confront danger or escape it. Our heart races, muscles tense, and senses sharpen.

• The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is our body's brake, responsible for "rest and digest." It calms the system, lowers heart rate, aids digestion, and promotes relaxation and recovery.

In a healthy individual, these two systems work in a beautiful, dynamic balance, constantly adjusting to our environment. We encounter a stressful situation, the SNS kicks in, we deal with it, and then the PNS brings us back to a state of calm.

When the Alarm Bell Never Stops Ringing:

Chronic Overactivation

However, for many, this delicate balance is shattered. When the SNS is chronically overactivated due to prolonged stress, trauma, or underlying conditions, it’s like an alarm bell that never stops ringing. The body remains in a perpetual state of readiness, flooding the system with stress hormones. This constant state of alert has profound consequences, leading to inflammation, compromised immune function, and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli that would ordinarily be harmless.

Fibromyalgia: The Painful Whisper of a Hair

Consider fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, and tenderness. For individuals with fibromyalgia, the nervous system's pain sensors have been dramatically amplified. What might be a normal sensation for others—like the gentle pressure of clothing, a change in temperature, or yes, even the weight of a single strand of hair—can trigger intense, debilitating pain. Their nervous system, hyper-vigilant and overreactive, interprets these benign inputs as threats, leading to a cascade of pain signals. It's as if their internal alarm system has become so sensitive that it's triggered by the slightest breeze.

Trauma and the Overloaded Nervous System: PTSD and CPTSD

This phenomenon is not limited to physical pain conditions. Individuals who have experienced significant trauma, leading to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD (CPTSD), also demonstrate a nervous system profoundly altered by sustained stress. Their ANS has been overloaded to the point where what is "normal" for one person is far from normal for them.

Having lived in a state of perceived danger for extended periods, their nervous systems are constantly scanning for threats. This can manifest as:

• Hypervigilance: An exaggerated state of watchfulness, where they are constantly on guard, easily startled, and acutely aware of their surroundings. A sudden loud noise, a particular scent, or even an unexpected touch can trigger a full-blown stress response.

• Sensory Sensitivities: Similar to fibromyalgia, they might experience heightened sensitivities to light, sound, or touch, finding environments that others tolerate to be overwhelming or distressing.

• Emotional Dysregulation: The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences is often impaired, leading to intense mood swings, irritability, or feeling emotionally numb.

Their nervous system, having been in "fight or flight" mode for so long, struggles to return to a baseline state of calm. It's like a car engine constantly running at high RPMs, burning fuel quickly and risking damage.

Beyond Fight or Flight: The Other Trauma Responses

When faced with an overwhelming threat, our bodies employ a spectrum of survival responses:

• Fight: This is the impulse to confront the threat directly, to physically or verbally engage.

• Flight: This is the urge to escape the threat, to run away or remove oneself from the dangerous situation.

• Freeze: When fight or flight isn't possible, the body might "freeze." This can manifest as feeling paralyzed, numb, or disconnected. It's a primal defense mechanism where the body essentially plays dead, hoping the threat will pass.

• Fawn (or Appease): This response involves trying to please or appease the abuser or threat to avoid further harm. It's a survival strategy often developed in situations of prolonged abuse or neglect, where one learns to prioritize the needs of others to maintain safety.

• Flop (or Collapse): Similar to freeze, but can be a more profound physical and emotional collapse. It's a feeling of being utterly overwhelmed, unable to move or react, often accompanied by dissociation.

For individuals who have endured trauma, their nervous system has learned to default to one or more of these responses. In the aftermath of trauma, these ingrained patterns can continue to surface even in safe environments, making everyday interactions and stimuli feel threatening.

Finding Your Way Back to Balance

Understanding the profound impact of trauma and chronic stress on the autonomic nervous system is the first step toward healing. It’s not about "being too sensitive" or "imagining it"; it's a physiological reality.

Healing involves gentle and consistent efforts to regulate the nervous system, to slowly and safely teach the body that it is no longer in danger. This can include:

• Mindfulness and Deep Breathing: Practices that engage the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to calm the body.

• Somatic Therapies: Approaches that focus on the body's sensations and help release stored trauma.

• Gentle Movement: Activities like yoga, tai chi, or walking can help discharge pent-up energy and regulate the nervous system.

• Safe Social Connection: Building trusting relationships and feeling connected to others can provide a sense of safety.

• Therapy: Working with a trauma-informed therapist can provide tools and strategies for processing trauma and regulating the nervous system.

The weight of a strand of hair should be nothing. When it feels like everything, it's a profound signal from a nervous system crying out for support and re-regulation. By understanding these complex internal mechanisms, we can cultivate greater empathy for ourselves and others, and embark on a journey towards a more balanced and peaceful existence.

©Lisa King, MS, LPC, NCC