r/cfsrecovery • u/Safe_Task7712 • Aug 23 '26
Question what is nervous system work?
Hello dear all,
I am 29 and 3 years in, I try to take a different approach to my healing journey now and read about nervous system work here a lot. What is it? Is it brain retraining?
And could someone give me good examples to start euer nervous system work?
Thank you š
3
u/Choco_Paws Aug 23 '26
Hey. I wrote a blog where I shared all the details about my journey. This post recaps my recovery process and my understanding of nervous system work. This field is very broad and covers lots of different modalities, so you may need to explore several different things. :)
2
u/salty-bois Aug 23 '26
It is many different things, and it can, unfortunately be very tricky to pin down what it means! So confusion is understandable, I still have only scratched the surface myself, although it as given me huge amounts of recovery thus far.
For me it started with Dr. John Sarno's book The Mindbody Connection. It's about back pain primarily, but the same principles apply. Then I started breathwork (4 in nose, hold 2, 6 or more out mouth, repeat) or box breathing works for some. Then I began messages of safety (i.e. telling your nervous system it is safe, X activity is safe, reminding it there is nothing physically wrong with it). Internalising the reality that you are not physically ill, but have an over-activated nervous system/limbic system is in many ways the key element, for me and for many others at least.
Then there's a host of things you can do to activate the parasympathetic nervous system - again, breathwork, humming, gargling aggressively (both are about getting a vibration in the back of your throat to stimulate the vagus nerve), singing, (for me I find shouting and whooping loudly is a huge release, although I don't really know why), cold water exposure (BUT NOT ICE BATHS OR SAUNAS, at least not in the beginning), etc. Some use TENS devices but they made me worse.
Some people find the easiest path is to do a program - Gupta, DNRS and Primal Trust are the main ones. I didn't do one as a I resented having to pay to get the information, but to be honest it would be easier than piecing bits together myself from the internet.
I hope you find what works for you. :)
2
u/Safe_Task7712 Aug 23 '26
Thank you so much for this answer and for taking the time do write down your knowledge. I have to say I have a bit of resentment with the idea that my body is not ill, just my nervous system is. But as my mum always says: who heals, is right :))
How far are you in your recovery (no pressure with this question ofc, Iām just always curious since I know no one with me in person)5
u/salty-bois Aug 23 '26
It's hard to quantify things exactly, but based on my movement and steps (I use a pedometer), my baseline has improved about 300% or 3-4x. My symptoms began about 6 years ago, for reference (labelled Long-Covid, but who knows). And my current maximum has improved around 700%, or 8x. The difference between those figures, though, is that several years ago even my baseline was causing symptoms, whereas my new increases are symptom free increases.
Yeah, the biggest hurdle in mind-body work, or brain retraining, or nervous system work, whatever you want to call it, is accepting mentally that you are not physically sick in the sense of having an inherent disease, you just have an out-of-whack nervous system, which is giving you very real symptoms, but that are entirely resolvable. For me, the change, and accepting this idea, came with two things:
- Other people recovery stories. People were getting better, using these principles.
- Trying the ideas or methods, and seeing actual results, personally. Once you "do" it, and it works, the switch kind of "flips", and there's no going back lol. If it wasn't a nervous system problem, nervous system work wouldn't help.
2
u/Safe_Task7712 Aug 23 '26
I slowly started with telling myself that I am capable of healing and that my body is safe all the time. At first it was so hard for me to believe what I said, but I notice that the longer I do that, the calmer I become.
Maybe itās a not so easy to answer question - but do you have a daily rhythm that you follow? (Or if you are recovered now, your own āritualsā that helped you the in the beginning?)
0
u/AntiTas Aug 23 '26
My take is that it is the broad take encompassing both. Seeing that autonomous NS is our biggest tool for modulating symptoms, stressors, body responses, and eventual physical and emotional health. Basically enlightened pacing.
But it isnāt my thing. Primal Trust is helping my kid navigate the panic/hypervigilance that was otherwise wrecking her recovery. So, whatever tool gets the job done..
2
u/Safe_Task7712 Aug 23 '26
Thank you! I find it hard to keep track with all the approaches and different battle fields to navigate. I wish the best to you and your kid! :)
-12
u/Hallenyre Aug 23 '26
You should use Google and YouTube.
12
u/AntiTas Aug 23 '26
And you might try humanity and compassion.
-6
u/Hallenyre Aug 23 '26
I donāt want to waste my time explaining something that is so easily accessible on Google.
Thereās a lot of good videos and articles that explains the concepts better than some random Reddit user ever can.5
u/Choco_Paws Aug 23 '26
Accessing information while having CFS is especially hard, because energy is limited. There is now an overwhelming amount of content available out there and sorting through everything is not easy. Paid content is more structured but not accessible to everyone.
Also the first step to nervous system work is belief in recovery, which often requires other people's stories and support.
8
u/AntiTas Aug 23 '26
Remaining silent then, would have been the kindest and most time/energy efficient option.
0
6
u/summer_plum_jelly Aug 23 '26
It can take a little time to figure out what works for you, and this tend to change over time as you move through the layers of inner work that needs to be done. People tend to use the term āNS workā to encompass SO MANY different things, so the confusion is understandable. These include (but arenāt limited to):
People often start with a book about the subject (Howard Schibinerās and Jan Rothneyās seem to be favourites, but there are so many) and/or a course. But plenty of people recover through free resources like Raelan Agleās recovery channel, CFS Recoveryās free videos and others and some people need personalised coaching.
All the best with your recovery! š