Emotional “dysregulation” is plasticity

Emotional “dysregulation” is plasticity.~~ My favorite MD is an unusual man of great insight who is also a scientist and researcher. This is a man who has never told me what to do and only supported my process by being witness and offering insights when and if applicable. I found him later in the drug withdrawal journey, after I was off the offending drugs that harmed me. I was still bedridden. He certainly saw the worst of the iatrogenic injury.

He once said to me that those of us who have the most extreme reactions to the drugs are actually the most likely to heal and transform.

This MD said the mere fact that we are so profoundly injured by them is proof of our highly neuroplastic brains. And while the healing process may sometimes be radical and even violent as well as time-consuming, that ultimately when we’ve healed, we’ve also transformed in profound ways.

Indeed, this is becoming my experience.

This is an insight I recently had during a period of contemplation:  “Emotional “dysregulation” is plasticity. It inherently holds healing within it. Stop believing something is wrong with you. Surrender to the ride.” 

It turns out that thought is very much in line with what this MD said to me a few years ago. Now it’s become part of my cellular and experiential knowledge. I share it with you all now so that you too might find it’s truth. (to be clear, I’m still learning it too…these things are all process oriented)

I want to add here that when this insight came to me the term “dysregulation” came on it’s own.

I added the word “emotional” for this post because I thought it would make sense to more people that way. To be clear, however, I think it’s important to note that psych drug use and withdrawal actually creates broad spectrum dysregulation in all of the systems of the body/mind and spirit.

It’s characterized by autonomic nervous system dysregulation which can truly manifest in what seems infinite ways.

People have all sorts of symptoms and many experience a constant flux of “dysregulated” weirdness including hypersensitivities. I am one of those people and this statement embraces it all. I see freedom here, I really do. In opening and allowing and trusting my body is guiding me through this labyrinth…

These sorts of dysregulations are common among folks with trauma histories and also with all sorts of chronic illnesses. (which are also often associated with trauma). Psych drug use and withdrawal simply seems to make them much more extreme in some people.

2025: as someone who continues to struggle with these issues it still holds up that I have strange access to insight and understanding of the body. It’s a double edge sword and I often call it RAZOR’s Edge living.

• The razor’s edge: musings and a collection

More related:

• Posts on NEUROPLASTICITY 
• Posts on TRAUMA
• Medically induced illness: iatrogenic injury

• The Brain’s Way of Healing: Discoveries from Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

• Choice and emotion: a short essay with some musing (about “emotional dysregulation”)

*it is potentially dangerous to come off medications without careful planning. Please be sure to be well educated before undertaking any sort of discontinuation of medications. See: Psychiatric drug withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome round-up

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