Visualize the scene; You are in a bank when armed robbers storm the building. All customers were forced to the floor and the doors were locked. You have never been so afraid in your life. Panic and fear mount and you think you are going to die.

You scan the frightened faces of your fellow hostages desperately and discover your best friend. Relief is immediate. You start to calm down slowly and focus on staying safe. You have just seen the theory of multiple cilia in action.

What is Polyvagal Theory?

Polyvagal theory focuses on the vagus nerve and how we feel safe in our environment.

Polyvagal theory was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. He says that to survive, humans have developed three technologies:

Freeze or play dead
Fight or flight
Social cues from our environment
Why do we panic?

We have an arousal system that alerts us to changes in our environment. The autonomic nervous system is the part of our nervous system that regulates certain processes in the body without our conscious knowledge.

You may have heard of the “fight or flight” effect. What you may not have heard about is that this excitation system consists of two parts:

Sympathetic Nervous System: Activates the body in preparation for the fight or flight response.
Sympathetic nervous system: restores the body to a state of calm and relaxation.
Both nervous systems work in different ways.

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) excites us with stress hormones secreted by the amygdala.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is activated by the vagus nerve which overpowers these stress hormones.

These systems usually work in conjunction with each other, just like a seesaw. They balance each other out. One raises the alarm and the other comforts us. But here’s the interesting part.

The sympathetic nervous system collects information through our senses and gives it to the parasympathetic system. He asks: Is this situation okay? Is there a risk? Because if there’s danger, I’ve got the adrenaline you need.

The parasympathetic system evaluates the information and uses past experiences to decide whether or not to turn off the vagus nerve. This allows the release of stress hormones to flood the body.

Polyvagal theory works in two ways:

It targets the sympathetic nervous system to prevent the release of stress hormones.
It activates the parasympathetic nervous system to override the effects of stress hormones.
The vagus nerve and panic
The main role of the vagus system in humans is to monitor the environment and closely monitor changes. It’s the enigmatic system that keeps our bodies on the brakes during fight or flight overload.

When the vagus system tells us that everything is okay, it brakes our heart, keeping it beating at a normal rate. Without this braking system, our hearts would beat out of control.

Only when the vagal system senses danger does the sympathetic nervous system become alert and the brakes are put on. Next, the amygdala releases stress hormones and our hearts beat faster, preparing us for anticipated danger.

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Why are some people susceptible to panic and phobia?

Let’s get back into that swing again.

On the one hand is the sympathetic nervous system, which is constantly on alert and prone to overreaction. To stop this overreaction, the parasympathetic nervous system places one foot on its side, keeping our body in check.

There are two things that can make a person vulnerable to panic: one is a traumatic memory that overloads the sympathetic side of the swing, and the other is an underdeveloped parasympathetic side that is weak and unable to control exaggerated reactions.

Now imagine if you had a painful memory and weak brakes? Every time you face a similar situation, you are prepared to panic.

Social signals and the theory of multiple cilia

We now know how important it is to form early connections with our caregivers. But research only reveals a link between those prone to panic and unhealthy attachments in childhood. It’s all about the parasympathetic nervous system.

Babies have no problem developing their sympathetic nervous system, the system that increases arousal. Most parents will know how easily a baby can go from whining to a full-blown crying fit (known as hyperarousal) in less time than it takes to get to bed.

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On the other hand, children cannot activate the parasympathetic nervous system, or calm themselves down on their own. This must be activated by loving caregivers.

Babies are naturally drawn to human faces, and for good reason. They learn to recognize their primary caregivers. Not only that, they are soothed and soothed by smiling faces, soft voice and loving touch.

The child will begin to associate certain behaviors with his or her caregivers. If the caregiver responds affectionately and calmly when the child is upset, he or she will expect similar behavior next time.

In other words:

The child feels sad: the sympathetic nervous system is activated
The caregiver responds positively: the parasympathetic nervous system is activated
If the caregiver consistently responds in a loving and soothing way, the child will develop a strong parasympathetic nervous system.
There are two interesting factors here.

Anticipation
imagination

If a child is constantly soothed, he will learn to expect that during hypervigilance, he will feel good. Over time, imagination alone will be enough to calm them down. This is a sign of healthy development of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Now imagine the opposite.

A crying child extends his hand to his mother in distress, but the mother leaves him or disciplines him. The child learns that overexcitement is something to be feared. As a result, the parasympathetic system does not develop.

As the child grows older, he or she will become fearful and hyperexcitable and will try to either:

Control every situation

or

Find a way to escape

This is how phobias begin.

But all is not lost. Even if you didn’t develop your parasympathetic nervous system in childhood, you can improve it now. There are several ways you can develop and activate your body’s natural calming process. All you have to do is activate the vagus nerve.

7 Ways Polyvagal Theory Can Help Eliminate Panic and Phobia

1. Slow down the rate of exhaled breath
   Lower vagal tones are associated with anxiety. High vagal tones indicate that our bodies can quickly return to a calm state after an overexcited event.

Our heartbeat speeds up when we inhale, and slows down when we exhale. The greater the difference between the heart rate on inhalation and the heart rate on exhalation, the greater the tone of the vagus nerve. So slow down your breathing when you exhale.

2. Yogic breathing
   Yogic breathing is about taking slow breaths, about 6 breaths per minute. Inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. Make sure to breathe from the belly up.
3. Wire wiretapping
   You may be familiar with tapping as a tool for reducing anxiety but not know why it works. Tapping activates the vagus nerve by tapping on nine different points on the body while simultaneously thinking about the traumatic memory.
4. Take a cold shower
   Immersing the body in cold water stimulates the diving reflex which in turn activates the vagus nerve. If a cold shower is a step too far, try splashing your face with ice water instead.
5. Gargling while exhaling
   Gargling is like a mini-exercise for the vagus nerve. Gargling activates the vagus nerve located at the back of the throat. By gargling, you are exercising these muscles.
6. Imagine a trusted friend
   Polydactyly theory focuses on comforting social cues that soothe and comfort us. Thinking of a good, non-judgmental friend with whom we feel comfortable and relaxed in times of stress can help activate the vagus nerve.
7. Think about a time when you felt loved
   Oxytocin production helps prevent stress hormones from being released in the first place. Many things can produce oxytocin, including sexual experiences, seeing a newborn, petting a dog, and hugging a loved one.