Understanding the vagus nerve is one of the most important parts of understanding trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and healing.
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body and is a major communication pathway between your brain and your organs. It constantly carries information between your brain, heart, lungs, digestive system, immune system, and other organs, helping your nervous system determine one important question:
When your nervous system detects safety, the vagus nerve supports a state of calm, connection, curiosity, digestion, rest, and healing. You are able to think clearly, regulate your emotions, connect with others, and respond flexibly to life's challenges.
When your nervous system detects danger, whether the threat is real or simply reminds your brain of a past traumatic experience, the vagus nerve helps shift your body into survival. This may involve fight, flight, or freeze/shutdown responses.
For many people living with trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD, the vagus nerve can become highly sensitive. It may react to reminders of past experiences rather than current reality. Everyday situations, certain facial expressions, conflict, loud noises, or particular tones of voice can trigger the nervous system into believing you are no longer safe.
This is why healing is about more than changing your thoughts.
You cannot simply "think" your way out of a nervous system that is trying to protect you.
Trauma-informed therapies, including EMDR, work by helping the brain and nervous system reprocess distressing memories so that the vagus nerve no longer responds as though the danger is happening right now. As traumatic memories become integrated, your nervous system learns a new message:
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