Notes for the Introduction of the Nervous System Healing Course

2023

Kristin Merizalde, BS of Sassy Holistics

Over the last few years, I’ve learned a LOT about the nervous system. I had been seeing so many people mention it a lot one year and it was really starting to click with me. We’ve seen a lot of clients over the years that tend to get stuck in their healing journey, and it seemed obvious that it was due to trauma for a large majority of them.

However, there weren’t many resources on how to really work on healing that trauma. I barely learned about it in any of my courses that I took over the last several years. It’s only been recently that holistic practitioners are talking about it more.

I took some time and dug into this topic. I finished a large section of the course Alchemical Herbalism with Evolutionary Herbalism, and they go over nervine herbs and the nervous system a lot. I was SO excited because this was clearly the missing link that many of us needed to hear about!

If you’re familiar with me or my story, you’ll know already that I’ve had quite a lot of traumas that I’ve been carrying around AND we have been healing from mold illness the last few years (something that really dysregulates the nervous system). Learning about the nervous system in depth has really helped me to understand how that trauma shaped me as a person- my personality, habits, and health have all been influenced by the trauma I experienced.

I started with nervine herbs for myself and within a few weeks I saw massive shifts in so many of my own issues. I had been healing and seeing huge shifts until the mold hit us, and for some reason this was just a huge divine intervention type of experience because it’s forced me to address SO many things that I was ignoring. Trauma and nervous system healing is one of the most essential aspects of healing, period.

Trauma can be different for everyone too. Your body keeps the score (as the book says!)- it doesn’t matter is someone else doesn’t think what you went through is traumatic or if you think others have had it worse. YOUR body will hold onto stress, negative emotions, and it will create dysregulation in the nervous system.

Healing the nervous system is an essential part of overall healing. Trauma creates dysfunction in our nervous system- we have to heal the nervous system in order to feel safe in our bodies again. The body gets stuck in the state that it was in when the trauma occurred, and it constantly burns through nutrients- you have to get out of this loop in order to see REAL healing take place.

Trauma is also not just one big event. Trauma can be anything that feels traumatic to you as an individual. Childhood abuse, losing a loved one, being in an accident, being bullied, and even the stress of a chronic illness itself can be traumatic. There is no shame in admitting that you have trauma to heal, so please try to work around the mindset of “I’m fine, other people have it worse.” Your body can’t process that thought- your body only knows what it has experienced itself.

After a decade in the natural health world, I have seen that this topic is one that many people prefer to ignore. But if you want to heal physically, you have to address the emotional issues as well. Those that work on mind, body, and soul see the best results in their healing journey.

Symptoms of nervous system dysregulation include: anxiety, OCD, reacting to many foods or other items, insomnia, memory issues, social anxiety, social media addiction, or you can have issues with regulating mood (anger swings, depression, feeling the need to argue with everyone you talk to, etc). Insomnia is a huge one- if you do not feel safe in your body then it can be hard to sleep at night. Lyme, mold, parasites, and other similar issues can keep ones nervous system in a state of stress.

Like I keep mentioning, it's about feeling SAFE in your body. Trauma will disrupt our natural state of being which is calm and safe.

Trauma is a huge cause of dysregulation. The Standard American Diet/Lifestyle can also cause this dysregulation. Many minerals are involved in nervous system health. Dealing with nutritional deficiencies and imbalances can influence your nervous system. Diet, medications, birth control pills, toxins, Lyme, EMFs, all of this can disrupt the nervous system.

The biggest problem is that many people are dealing with MANY of these disruptions all at once. Childhood trauma + eating mostly fast food + the stress of school + toxic relationships as you get older is all a recipe for nervous system dysregulation.

Some major points to understand:

• Your health issues are NOT your fault.
• Yes there are many layers to heal, but do not let this discourage you.
• Healing will take time. Healing the nervous system isn't just about taking something to fix it. It's about your diet, mindset, actions, and creating a truly safe space to heal.
• Your path can be completely different than anyone else's. Don't compare your progress to others, please.
• Patience, faith, love, and laughter are all essential for healing.
• Making MAJOR life changes might be needed- job change, ending relationships, moving.

Patience is essential when healing the nervous system, especially if you’ve been stuck for years. Please give yourself grace and lots of love.