When life feels overwhelming, it is not just our thoughts that spiral—it is our bodies too. Racing hearts, shallow breaths, frozen limbs, or a flood of anxiety are not random. They are signals from the nervous system, the body’s built-in alarm system.
For people recovering from trauma, addiction, or chronic stress, this alarm system often gets stuck on high alert. That is where Polyvagal Theory and Polyvagal-Informed Therapy come in. By helping us understand and regulate the nervous system, these approaches create lasting pathways to calm, safety, and connection.
Polyvagal Theory & Therapy
When life feels overwhelming, it is not just our thoughts that spiral—it is our bodies too. Racing hearts, shallow breaths, frozen limbs, or a flood of anxiety are not random. They are signals from the nervous system, the body’s built-in alarm system.
For people recovering from trauma, addiction, or chronic stress, this alarm system often gets stuck on high alert. That is where Polyvagal Theory and Polyvagal-Informed Therapy come in. By helping us understand and regulate the nervous system, these approaches create lasting pathways to calm, safety, and connection.
What Is Polyvagal Theory?
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in the 1990s, Polyvagal Theory describes how the vagus nerve—the longest cranial nerve in the body—shapes our stress responses, emotions, and ability to connect with others.
Instead of seeing the nervous system as just “fight or flight,” Polyvagal Theory expands our understanding to three states:
- Ventral Vagal State (Safe and Connected): Calm, open, and socially engaged.
- Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight): Activated, anxious, ready to respond to threat.
- Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown/Freeze): Numb, withdrawn, or dissociated when the system feels overwhelmed.
Trauma, chronic stress, and addiction can trap people in sympathetic or dorsal states, making it hard to feel safe, present, or connected.
Why Polyvagal Theory Matters in Recovery
Understanding nervous system states gives clients and therapists a map for healing.
- Recognize their nervous system state in real time
- Use tools to shift into ventral vagal safety
- Build resilience and flexibility in stress responses
- Strengthen the capacity for healthy connection with others
How Polyvagal-Informed Therapy Works
Polyvagal approaches combine education, mindfulness, body awareness, and therapeutic relationship-building.
- Tracking states: noticing breath, posture, tone of voice, and energy shifts
- Grounding and breathwork: using the body and breath to signal safety
- Vagal toning exercises: gentle practices like humming, chanting, or cold-water exposure
- Safe connection: eye contact, tone of voice, and presence in therapy to co-regulate
- Integration with trauma therapies: enhances EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, or IFS
Polyvagal Theory and Trauma
- A combat veteran may stay in fight-or-flight, feeling constantly hypervigilant
- A survivor of abuse may collapse into freeze, feeling disconnected or numb
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy helps by teaching the nervous system to recognize cues of safety, supporting gradual transitions into ventral vagal states, and restoring trust, connection, and joy.
Polyvagal Theory in Addiction Recovery
Addiction is often a nervous system survival strategy—an attempt to self-regulate overwhelming states.
- Offering healthier regulation tools than substances
- Reducing stress triggers that fuel relapse
- Building nervous system flexibility for resilience
- Rebuilding social engagement for long-term recovery
Practical Polyvagal Exercises
- Extended exhale breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6–8.
- Humming or chanting: Activates the vagus nerve through vibration.
- Gentle cold exposure: Splashing cool water on the face or taking a brief cold shower.
- Grounding touch: Placing a hand on the heart or stomach.
- Safe connection: Talking with a trusted person in a calm, supportive environment.
Who Benefits Most?
- PTSD and trauma
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression linked to shutdown or withdrawal
- Dissociation or chronic numbness
- Addiction and relapse cycles
- Social anxiety or difficulty connecting
Polyvagal Therapy vs Other Approaches
- CBT: Focuses on thoughts/behaviors. Polyvagal focuses on states.
- DBT: Builds emotion regulation skills. Polyvagal adds body-based tools.
- Somatic Therapy: Overlaps but Polyvagal offers a nervous system map.
- EMDR: Trauma reprocessing, enhanced by Polyvagal grounding.
The Bottom Line
Healing requires more than insight—it requires safety in the body. Polyvagal-Informed Therapy helps regulate stress, reconnect with others, and build lasting resilience.
Taking the Next Step
At TruPaths, we connect individuals and families to recovery programs that integrate Polyvagal-Informed Therapy with other evidence-based approaches. Healing the nervous system is not just possible—it is essential for lasting change.
