The Pain You Feel is Real: Why Your Nervous System Causes You Physical Pain
Read Time: 8 minutes
Maybe it’s the stomach cramps before a final. Or your heart racing before having a tough conversation with your friends. The fatigue that feels like a weighted blanket, or the shortness of breath that leaves you gasping and trembling. Maybe it’s not even something as defined as that, but just a general feeling of sickness that you’ve had for what feels like weeks (or months, or forever.)
“And what,” you ask, “You’re telling me this is all just anxiety? Stress?!”
Yes and no. Yes, it’s anxiety, and no, it’s not just anxiety. Because your nervous system can do really funky things to your body when it’s firing on all cylinders. It’s important to know that you’re not being too much, or too weak, or well, too anything when you’re experiencing the symptomatic symptoms of the nervous system.
Your Nervous System at a Glance
Your nervous system isn’t just your nervous system, but for the sake of this blog, we’ll keep it relatively simple and take a look at the two main systems that run the show. That is, your sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system.
Think of your sympathetic system as the system that puts your body into arousal (not in the sexual sense, but in the hey, watch out for that oncoming car type of arousal). It increases your heart rate, signals your body to secrete adrenaline, causes sudden shifts in body temperature, and so on.
Remember the vagus nerve? Yep, that’s the largest nerve in the parasympathetic system, so often when we talk about the vagus nerve and how it affects your body, we’re talking about the same thing as the parasympathetic system.
Psst...by the way…
BODY IN TURMOIL? ANXIETY AND STRESS MAY BE THE CULPRIT.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP.
Your parasympathetic system works in two ways: it has what is referred to as a restorative and a defensive component. The restorative side of the parasympathetic system works more in tandem with your sympathetic system, lowering your heart rate when needed, moving the digestion process along, lowering body temperature, and so on. The defensive side of the parasympathetic system is largely “offline,” only activating when the body perceives an immense danger or threat. When activated, the defensive side of your parasympathetic system can do such extreme things as cause erratic heart rates, vomiting, or fainting.
Why Are Our Nervous Systems Such Dicks?
Jokes aside, why would your nervous system make you have diarrhea, vomit, or faint, especially if you were in extreme danger?
Well, let’s throw back to ancient caveman times. Back then, humans were often prey as much as they were predators, and in some instances, fight or flight weren’t options. Here’s where the defensive side of the parasympathetic system kicked in (you might have heard it referred to as “freeze”). The body was essentially told to “look dead, or as close to dead as possible.” Cue massive drop in heart rate to look dead, and minimize any blood loss due to mauling.
Similarly, if ancient peoples needed to GTFO, purging the body of any excess weight or speeding up digestive processes assisted a speedier getaway. Or, if they had ingested anything poisonous, this process attempted to void the body of those toxins.
The Conundrum of “Caveman Software, Modern World”
So what does this actually mean for you, right now, especially on an average weekday? Well, usually, when you’re feeling calm, your sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system are working together just fine, one firing after the other to create a more balanced nervous system. But when you’re stressed, your sympathetic system kicks in, leading to those sweaty palms and racing heart. Your restorative system slows down, making it harder to focus, digest, or even feel present. And if things get way too intense, this all crescendoes into your defensive system activating, making you feel all the worse.
There’s no bear in the room, but your caveman software sure thinks your mountain of homework, deadlines, societal pressures and so much more, are the bears.
Symptoms of a Nervous System in Turmoil
Before we go any further, it’s worth taking a moment to take a look at the common, and not so common, symptomatic symptoms (meaning symptoms you can see or physically experience) of a nervous system that’s gone haywire.
First, symptoms of a nervous system that is exposed to occasional stressful times, or episodic stress, might include:
Stomach “butterflies” or "flips", rapid heartbeats, or sweaty palms before a big presentation or test. You might notice that this goes away fairly quickly after a big event.
Flushed cheeks, shaky voice, or prickles on the back of your neck when getting called on in class, or receiving a surprise text or phone call. There’s a quick flash of “oh no,” and then your body regulates itself.
Jolts of adrenaline when you miss a step, brake hard, or nearly miss a collision. You're suddenly very awake, but that adrenaline fades once you realize you're safe.
Stomach knots before having a hard conversation. You’re uncomfortable, but find that you’re feeling well after you’ve talked.
In all cases here, the nervous system responds, then settles back to a more regulated state. Not so much when your nervous system is stuck in a state of chronic stress. This may look more like:
Constant indigestion, cramps, or vomiting during the school year, particularly around midterms and finals. Sometimes that stomach pain goes away for a bit, but always seems to rear its ugly head.
Overreactions to loud noises, a feeling of being constantly on edge, and/or hypervigilance. Stressful home, family or social situations that don’t resolve can put our nervous systems into overdrive.
Headaches, migraines, and/or chronic fatigue that seems to weigh heavier on you the more responsibilities you have.
Indeterminate pain that doesn’t seem to be touched by any medication. Your nervous system has frayed to the point that it interprets sensations as painful and dangerous.
These symptoms are a result of the same nervous system, but one that has a difficult time balancing itself. It’s been stuck for too long in a state of hyperarousal, and it needs help learning how to regulate again.
Please keep in mind that not all symptomatic symptoms are evidence of just an overwhelmed nervous system. Symptoms may also be evidence of other chronic medical issues, so it’s always important to check in with other medical professionals.
What Can Teen & Young Adults Do Now to Regulate Their Nervous Systems?
So, by now, you’re probably aware that all those funky, physical feelings you’ve been having are a result of stress and/or anxiety. But what do you do about it, right here, right now? What are some small steps you can take to try and stop the runaway train that seems to be your nervous system?
Here are a few things to consider when trying to regulate a dysregulated nervous system:
Real, uninterrupted rest. This means a good night's sleep, sans screens or late-night texts or doomscrolling.
Gentle movement. Think yoga, a walk outside, or even slow stretches. Any movement that helps ground yourself to the here and now helps to bring your nervous system to the present.
Nutritious food and water. This is tricky, as we all know it’s much easier to eat processed, “fast” food rather than take time to prepare whole foods. But even keeping a water bottle handy and a few fruits, nuts, or veggies nearby can help give you the nutrition you need to help regulate.
Connection and social support. Your social circle, your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, those you look up to, etc., have a huge impact on your nervous system and overall mental health. While it can be hard to find those meaningful connections, making time to spend around people who are regulated can, in turn, help you balance out.
While these aren’t quick fixes by any means, they can be the start to a more regulated nervous system.
Colorado Teens & Young Adult Therapy for Anxiety, Stress, & Burnout (AKA Therapy for The Caveman Nervous System in a Modern World)
Sure, we all get anxious. But if you feel like your nervous system is out of control, and your symptomatic symptoms are getting the better of you, it’s time to reach out to professionals. At Interfaith Bridge Counseling, we get that teens and young adults are tasked with handling a lot, and none of it is getting any easier anytime soon. We also get that when your body acts up, you’re not just being “whiny.” We see you.
If you’re a resident of Colorado, reach out today for a complimentary call. Our therapists look forward to helping you listen to your body, to understand just why it's “acting up” and what it may be trying to tell you. To then help you find what helps your nervous system get back to a more balanced state, so that you can, you know, actually begin to feel human again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Why You Feel the Symptomatic Symptoms of the Nervous System
-
Because stress, as much as we believe it’s just in “our heads,” flows through our whole body. When your sympathetic system revs up, it disrupts digestion almost immediately, which is why food can feel like it's "just sitting there," or why you lose your appetite entirely before something big. It's not in your imagination, and it's not just a “weak stomach.” It's your nervous system rerouting energy away from digestion because it thinks you need that energy somewhere else.
-
On its own, no, a stress-driven racing heart is your body's normal response, and it settles back down once the moment passes. That said, if your heart is racing constantly, not just around specific stressful moments, or it's paired with chest pain, fainting, or trouble breathing, that's worth getting checked out by a doctor to rule out anything physical, since chronic nervous system activation can also show up as real medical patterns like POTS (a heart rate/blood pressure regulation issue).
-
Because it genuinely is physical. A chronically activated nervous system can lower your pain threshold and intensify how strongly your brain registers pain signals, meaning the same headache or stomachache can feel a lot worse during a high-stress stretch than it would on a calm week. And here's the twist: worrying about the pain itself can amplify it further, so stress and pain end up feeding each other in a loop, not just sitting side by side.
Until next time,
About Our Author | Lena McCain MA, LPC. 0017723
Lena McCain is our Founder here at Interfaith Bridge Counseling, where she continues her support as our Clinical Director. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health: Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University.
Lena’s drive and passions lie in the realm of community building and youth collaboration, which she has spent the last 12 years studying with an emphasis on one’s exploration of personal growth, community healing, and multicultural values. Lena’s expertise in these areas and the therapeutic field acts as a reminder to our community, teens, and young adults that they are not alone in their experience of life.
