Willow Vine Counselling

Hyper-arousal is a very common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as complex-PTSD (c-PTSD). It occurs when a person’s body kicks into fight/flight/freeze/faun, or high alert, when feeling triggered by events around them. A person in hyper-arousal will act like there is danger present, even if there isn’t, which can make it difficult to respond to everyday situations effectively. Common symptoms of hyper-arousal are problems sleeping, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anger and angry outbursts, panic, anxiety, being easily scared or startled, self-destructive behaviour and a debilitating sense of guilt or shame. 

A person in hyper-arousal will act like there is danger present, even if there isn’t

So, what can you do if you find yourself in a state of hyper-arousal? It may seem simple, but you already have an important tool within you that can go a long way to help with emotional regulation.

Your breath. 

While in hyper-arousal it is common for people to experience shortness of breath. While this is an automatic response, holding your breath actually contributes to the anxiety and feelings of dysregulation that come with hyper-arousal. Natural, full, diaphragmatic breaths contribute to a sense of calmness, regulates the nervous system, brings about physical relaxation and promotes your ability to think – all of which help with emotion regulation and decreasing hyper-arousal. 

As mentioned, this may seem simple, we all have the ability to deepen and control the breath within us. However, in a state of hyper-arousal it can be difficult to think clearly enough to even remember this tool. Here are a few breathing techniques which should help you regulate your breathing when you are in a state of hyper-arousal.

Deep Breathing 
Taking deep breaths where the exhale is longer than the inhale has been proven to help with hyper-arousal. When the exhale is even a few counts longer than in inhale the vagus nerve, which runs from the neck down through the diaphragm, sends a signal to your brain to calm the body down by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). 
* To start, find a comfortable seated position.  Sitting still and tall. 
* Close your eyes and begin breathing through your nose. 
* Inhale for a count of 2, hold for a count of 1, exhale for a count of 4, and hold the breath out for a count of 1. 
* Continue breathing slowly and calmly in this pattern. 
* If the 2-4 count feels too short you can increase the ratio to 4 in, 6 out or 6 in, 8 out, but if longer breaths raise your anxiety don’t push yourself. The most important part is that the exhale is always longer than the inhale. 
* Continue breathing in this way for at least 5 minutes. 

Alternate Nostril Breathing 
This practice involves breathing through one nostril at a time, helping to de-stress and release tension and fatigue by lowering the heart rate. Focusing on this practice can also help bring you back into the here and now which is particularly useful when dealing with hyper-arousal. 
* Begin in a comfortable seated position, closing the eyes and focusing on taking long slow deep breaths.
* With your right hand bend your index and middle fingers, keeping your ring finger, pinky finger and thumb extended. 
* Close your right nostril with your right thumb. 
* Inhale deeply through the left nostril.
* At the top of your inhalation close the left nostril with your right ring finger and release the right nostril. 
* Exhale through your right nostril, ensuring that you exhale is longer than your inhale.
* Keeping the left nostril closed inhale through our right nostril. 
* At the top of your inhale seal the right nostril again and exhale through the left nostril. 
* Continue breathing like this for up to 10 rounds – increasing as you become more comfortable with the practice.  

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