The Actual Technicalities

Inbalance in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The operation of the ANS is largely automatic, or below conscious awareness, we can however consciously talk ourselves into an emotional state, such as the state of terror. Once the biochemical response to the emotional state has been triggered, it is not under voluntary control – you may be able to control the outward manifestations of your anger, but the inner chemical reaction is still doing its work. In today’s society, to often the sympathetic is induced to react to everyday stresses, or a subconscious emotional fear – often over long periods.

Historically, the ANS response was healthy and vital – and provided “fight or flight” in EMERGENCY situations. However, as the once instinctive regulation of the body by the ANS developed into rational responses and more sophisticated behaviour, the raw emotions were denied their immediate and natural release. These days the ANS has to respond to different stimuli and can sometimes now get “stuck”.

You will notice in the above explanation that the operation of the ANS is designed to be TEMPORARY – always returning to a level of normal comfort once the crisis has passed. That was fine in bygone days when the “emergency” might be a Bengal Tiger plunging out of the scrub at us. Today the emotional change that fires the ANS into action is more likely to be an aggressive Government Department, a legal fight that won’t go away, relationship or work difficulties, which seem insolvable, rather than the fleeting appearance of a Bengal Tiger. Knowing now the “superchange” effect upon the body and mind the activated ANS imposes; imagine the pressure when the long-term nature of modern problems does not relent sometimes for years! It is little wonder that we crack at our weakest point. For some it is depression, other migraine, and difficult relationships at work or home, anger, skin problems, sleep problems, psoriasis, the list goes on. The variety of both emotional and physical problems caused by an unresolved emotion is endless. But it is important to recognise that the (say) skin problem is a SYMPTOM – an emotion is the real CAUSE. PST aims to resolve the cause rather than just provide a coping strategy for the symptom.

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