1138: Understanding the Sensitized Nervous System

The Anxiety Coaches Podcast

Gina Ryan

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's episode, Gina discusses how the nervous system can become sensitized and more vulnerable to everyday occurrences. Once the nervous system becomes sensitized, it is easy to fall into the fear-adrenaline-fear cycle and succumb to a chronic state of anxiety. Tips for how to recognize that this pattern has become established are included as are ways to break the cycle and return to peace and calm. Listen in and begin to break the cycle today! Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/ Thank you for supporting The Anxiety Coaches Podcast. FREE MUST-HAVE RESOURCE FOR Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety Anxiety Coaches Podcast Group Coaching link ACPGroupCoaching.com To learn more, go to: Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching What is anxiety? Find even more peace and calm with our Supercast premium access membership: For $5 a month, all episodes are ad-free! https://anxietycoaches.supercast.com/ Here's what's included for $5/month: ❤ New Ad-Free episodes every Sunday and Wednesday ❤ Access to the entire Ad-free back-catalog with over 600 episodes ❤ Premium meditations recorded with you in mind ❤ And more fun surprises along the way! All this in your favorite podcast app! Quote: The body is not a problem to be fixed, but a system to be understood. -Dr. Gabor Maté Chapters 0:26 Introduction to Sensitized Nervous System 2:16 Spectrum of Sensitization 6:27 Understanding the Fear-Adrenaline Cycle 9:29 The Impact of Chronic Stress 11:44 Tools to Calm the Nervous System 14:36 The Importance of Self-Compassion 16:02 Healing Takes Time 17:28 Conclusion and Reflection Summary In this episode, I explore the concept of a sensitized nervous system and how understanding it can aid in regaining mental and physical calm. A common question I receive pertains to the workings of the nervous system, particularly during times of anxiety or high stress. Today, I take a step back to provide foundational knowledge about nervous system sensitization, discussing its nuances and implications for individuals experiencing anxiety, OCD, and related conditions. I begin by defining nervous system sensitization, explaining that it results in a heightened state of alertness where even benign stimuli can evoke overwhelming reactions. This state can fluctuate on a spectrum—from mild sensitivity to intense overreactions. I share my personal experience of intense overreaction, illustrating how prolonged exposure to stressors can lead the nervous system to respond dramatically to everyday triggers. It’s crucial to understand that when the nervous system is in overdrive, physiological symptoms like heart palpitations, dizziness, and muscle tension are common manifestations that signal an overstimulated state. A significant aspect I delve into is the cycle of fear and adrenaline that perpetuates this sensitization. Each encounter with fear leads to an adrenaline surge, which subsequently prompts more fear, creating a self-reinforcing loop. Recognizing this cycle, often unacknowledged by individuals caught in it, is vital for breaking free. I emphasize that many people experience these bodily reactions without any immediate distressing thoughts or external triggers, leading to confusion about their sensations. #Anxiety #NervousSystem #SensitizedNervousSystem #StressManagement #ChronicAnxiety #FightOrFlight #Adrenaline #Cortisol #FearCycle #PhysicalSymptomsOfAnxiety #GroundingTechniques #BreathingExercises #ProgressiveMuscleRelaxation #SelfCompassion #AnxietyHealing #MentalWellness #Calm #Peace #Balance #ACP #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life.
0:23.1	Aloha.
0:24.2	Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches podcast.
0:27.6	I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan, and I am so happy to be with you again today
0:34.0	as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its
0:40.5	natural peace and calm. In today's episode, I'm talking about understanding the sensitized
0:48.4	nervous system. I get this question a lot about what is my nervous system doing and why does it do it that way?
0:58.1	Because when we talk about these things, we often don't have all the background information.
1:03.5	So I'm kind of taking a step back here and sharing about the nervous system
1:08.7	and how you can understand how it got to be sensitized and what that
1:13.0	means for you. So let's start by talking about the concept of nervous system sensitization,
1:21.5	what it is and why it's happening for those who are experiencing anxiety or high stress or things like that are under
1:31.4	the anxiety umbrella OCD and the like. The nervous system is in a state of heightened alertness.
1:41.9	In this oversensitized state, even normal stimuli can seem overwhelming. And the body
1:49.4	reacts as if it's constantly in danger. So here's one of the things I want you to hear. The nervous
1:58.2	system sensitization is our nervous system is responsible for stress.
2:07.0	And when it becomes sensitized, our body starts reacting intensely to things that
2:13.5	previously wouldn't trigger such reactions.
2:21.1	And then the spectrum, as mentioned,
2:24.9	the nervous system sensitization exists on a spectrum,
2:32.0	ranging from mildly sensitive to intense overreaction.
2:40.0	Now, mild sensitivity would be like feeling slightly uncomfortable or not being at ease.
	...

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