Polyvagal Theory and Autism

[Ronin82]

So, I came across this video of Dr. Stephen Porges being interviewed about his theory and protocols around Autism intervention. I found it fascinating, especially the distinction he made between children, adults, and those with trauma. I love the concept of convincing the nervous system its safe and find that to be a constant struggle in my everyday life. I know the interventions that do the most good for me are those that reach the lizard-brain and get it to switch to safe mode for a while (mostly touch-based therapies).

I'm interested in hearing y'all's ideas on the subject. Do you find yourself in a fight/flight/freeze state most of the time and have difficulty getting out of that place? How do you feel about this video and the ideas expressed in it? He mentions the importance of "Mother's Voice" in this video, but I've always had a better reaction to male voices than female ones. How about you?

 

[PastelPetals]

Porges...a very textural name very viscous
But on a more serious note:
My mother is very interested in polyvagal theory and she is a trauma specialist so it's quite relevant to her work so I have heard of this theory before.
I agree that I find myself in fight/flight/freeze most of the time and that could be due to PTSD, Autism, or both (I am betting on both but I also think I was at greater risk to trauma due to being autistic)
I do find it hard getting out of that place not only due to PTSD but also due to the sensory experiences that go along with autism. Loud noises, strong smells, bright lights hurt me and therefore feel dangerous (an sort of feedback loop between the two) so I am often put in fight/flight/freeze (though mostly freeze as of late) but I do have meltdowns now and in my childhood that were very fight or flight (or both) and sometimes could just be due to my body not feeling right but not being able to describe it or a change. I think I just perceive everything as danger. Not sure how to stop it though. My mother always described me as "homeostasis challenged" and apt descriptor and fits well in this theory.

 

[mw2530]

The polyvagal theory is the best explanation I have found that describes the reasons behind the behavior of those on the specturm. Been a while since I have been reading about the theory, but dived in a fair amount a few years ago. I think I have a few books relating to the theory somewhere in my place. Very interesting when I first found out about the theory. When I first read about it I felt like someone understood what I experience on a daily basis for the first time in my life. Can't recall how I stumbled upon it initially, but could very well have been on this forum.

 

[Crysalis99]

Discovered Polyvagal Theory last April/May. Dove head first into it, even practicing some of the exercises myself.

So I don’t have anything thing to add context to the ASD piece but what I will say is, I work as a behavioral health clinician (and we begin and end our work with trauma informed care in mind) in Juvenile Corrections. We had a psychologist win a million dollar grant from a local university to do a Yoga Prison project which incorporates that wholistic idea behind Yoga. The kids loved it overall and was greatly beneficial to their mental health.


What I would be curious about is how the newer Neurofeedback (I’m under simplifying as I’m ignorant about it really…would love to get trained in it) affects ASD symptoms.

Neurofeedback basically creates new neuro pathways in the brain to release traumatic events so that you’re no longer neurologically dependent on the “bad” nerve connections. I admit my knowledge of neuro feedback is minimal at best.

 

[Gerontius]

So, I came across this video of Dr. Stephen Porges being interviewed about his theory and protocols around Autism intervention. I found it fascinating, especially the distinction he made between children, adults, and those with trauma. I love the concept of convincing the nervous system its safe and find that to be a constant struggle in my everyday life. I know the interventions that do the most good for me are those that reach the lizard-brain and get it to switch to safe mode for a while (mostly touch-based therapies).

I'm interested in hearing y'all's ideas on the subject. Do you find yourself in a fight/flight/freeze state most of the time and have difficulty getting out of that place? How do you feel about this video and the ideas expressed in it? He mentions the importance of "Mother's Voice" in this video, but I've always had a better reaction to male voices than female ones. How about you?

Very interesting, Ronin, and on par with your usual.

The whole deal here with the "Mother's Voice" bit is interesting; I don't know who I get along with best but some women's voices I cannot stand. Others, I am fine with. For men, fine--same thing. Some men's voices I detest and others are all right. Hard to say.

The whole deal with fight-flight-freeze comes up mostly when I'm trying to get something done! I feel like fight-or-flee while driving, for one thing; people follow awful close these days & I have developed a certain detestation of people who own Audi or BMW brand sedans. By a "certain detestation" I mean that if they & their motor cars dropped off the face of the earth to-morrow morning and I knew they had fallen in a volcano, I'd be bothered for about two minutes. Tired of those homicidal rich, prissing about at thirty over in their fancy oversized cars.

But I don't know. I feel like I'm in a flight state most of the time & make up for it by being rather blustery mainly because I cannot really see that well. Sure, I can see great on an eye chart, but I'm not able to process a lot of it--Grocery stores and other places are a mess, and why, when walking on the sidewalk, do people have to walk over TOWARD me. Had some fellow do that while I was walking in the forest. I walked right into him and kept going.

I just hate dealing with all this. I'm not depressed any more, not like I was, but I hate dealing with people and their fancy automobiles and their gregarious tendencies. Flight describes the way I feel most of the time--I am starting to constantly want to leave society and get out into the forest or something and just make a little wooden shack and live there--but I'm scared that one day I will feel cornered.