Nervous System Dysregulation, Cortisol, and the Herbal Path Back to Balance
understanding the stress response, the difference between dysautonomia and dysregulation, and how herbs help restore your natural rhythm
You might not have the clinical language for it, but chances are, you’ve felt it. That sense of always being “on.” Or always being on the verge of shutting down. The irritability, the emotional whiplash, the exhaustion that no amount of sleep fixes. Maybe you’ve called it anxiety. Maybe burnout. But often, what’s underneath is something quieter, harder to name: a dysregulated nervous system.
“Dysregulation” means your nervous system is no longer shifting smoothly between states of stress and rest. It gets stuck—either in high alert, in collapse, or bouncing unpredictably between the two. This isn’t pathology in the traditional sense.
It’s more of a survival pattern that’s been running for too long.
Your nervous system is your body’s master communicator. It keeps your heart beating and your lungs expanding. It helps you digest food, sense danger, process emotions, and move through the world. But it’s also deeply shaped by experience. And in a culture of chronic stress, unresolved trauma, digital overload, and never-ending demands, the nervous system begins to lose its rhythm.
What was once a finely tuned dance between activation and rest becomes a tug-of-war your body is too tired to keep fighting.
At the center of this process is the autonomic nervous system. It’s made up of two branches: the sympathetic, which gets you ready to fight or flee, and the parasympathetic, which helps you rest, digest, and recover. In a healthy, regulated state, these systems work in harmony. One rises when needed; the other brings you back down. But when the sympathetic system stays in overdrive and the parasympathetic can’t catch up, the whole system starts to unravel. What you feel as anxiety, fatigue, tension, or shutdown is often the body trying—unsuccessfully—to return to balance.
You might be experiencing nervous system dysregulation if you notice:
Feeling constantly wired or hypervigilant
Chronic fatigue despite sleeping
Trouble concentrating or making decisions
Digestive discomfort, especially during stress
A sense of emotional shutdown or numbness
Mood swings or unexplained irritability
Feeling anxious and exhausted at the same time
Dysregulation doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it whispers. It can feel like tension that never releases, panic that arrives out of nowhere, or a flat exhaustion that drains your ability to cope.
That paradox, revved up and depleted all at once, is part of the pattern.
Two Paths, One System: Differentiating Dysregulation and Dysautonomia
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the same thing as dysautonomia, though the terms are sometimes confused. Both involve the autonomic nervous system, but they operate on different levels.
Dysregulation refers to a functional imbalance. It’s when your nervous system gets stuck—too activated, too collapsed, or constantly swinging between the two. It’s often the result of chronic stress, trauma, burnout, or sensory overload. Your nervous system hasn’t failed; it’s simply learned to survive by staying on high alert or shutting down. It may not show up on medical tests, but you feel it: the irritability, the fatigue, the chest tightness, the tension in your gut. And while it can be overwhelming, it’s often reversible. Dysregulation responds to nourishment, routine, safety, and time.
Dysautonomia, on the other hand, is a medical term that refers to a wide range of disorders involving actual dysfunction or damage to the autonomic nervous system itself. These conditions can range from occasional episodes of blood pressure drops or fainting to progressive neurodegenerative diseases like Multiple System Atrophy or autonomic failure in Parkinson’s disease. In dysautonomia, the issue isn’t just overactivation. It’s misfiring. Systems that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and circulation may not be working as they should.
In conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), for example, standing upright causes an abnormal increase in heart rate. This can result from blood volume depletion, nerve damage, or an abnormal increase in the delivery of stress hormones like norepinephrine to the heart. Other symptoms may include dizziness, syncope, gastrointestinal issues, and extreme fatigue. Diagnosis often requires testing, such as tilt-table studies, and treatment may include medications, salt loading, and autonomic rehabilitation.
Even in more ambiguous cases like chronic fatigue syndrome or long COVID, research shows a high frequency of autonomic involvement—sometimes subtle, sometimes severe. But while dysautonomia often involves structural or biochemical issues that need medical intervention, nervous system dysregulation is more about overwhelm than malfunction. The body is still trying to protect you. It just doesn’t know how to come down.
In short:
Dysautonomia is clinical and often requires medical management.
Dysregulation is adaptive and often responds to gentler forms of care.
Both are real. Both are valid. But understanding the difference can help guide what kind of support you truly need.
This isn’t a flaw in the body. It’s an adaptation. One that deserves compassion, not criticism. And while healing doesn’t happen overnight, it is possible to rebuild rhythm. It’s possible to remember what safety feels like. In the next section, we’ll talk about how stress hormones like cortisol play into this pattern—and how herbs can support recalibration, not just sedation.
A Note for Members of The Buffalo Herbalist Community
Members of the The Buffalo Herbalist Community, I’ve created a special companion guide just for you. It includes everything we explored in this article—plus a printable tea ritual, in-depth monographs of each herb in the blend, and a thoughtful set of journal prompts to help you reconnect with your body’s rhythm.
If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, wired, anxious, or just deeply tired, this guide is a gentle starting point. You’ll find it in its usual place, after the bibliography.
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Cortisol Isn’t the Villain—But It Does Tell a Story
Cortisol is often described as the body’s “stress hormone,” but that doesn’t really capture how complex and vital it actually is. It’s not inherently bad. It’s not the villain. Cortisol is part of what helps you survive. It gets you out of bed in the morning, helps you respond to threats, regulates your blood pressure, balances electrolytes, reduces inflammation, and supports your brain, your heart, and even the development of a fetus in pregnancy.
It’s produced in the adrenal glands, those little pyramids of endocrine tissue perched on top of each kidney, and its release is governed by a powerful internal system called the HPA axis: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
This axis is the bridge between your brain and your adrenal glands. It links perception—what your mind believes is happening—with physiology, or how your body reacts. When you experience a stressor, whether that’s an argument, an illness, a trauma, or a car that suddenly swerves into your lane, your brain sends a signal to the adrenal glands: release cortisol.
That cortisol helps your body adapt and mobilize energy to survive the situation. But cortisol isn’t a one-and-done hormone. Once it’s released, it sticks around for hours. It’s designed to keep you alert long after the threat has passed, just in case another one is coming.
When the Cycle Breaks
In a balanced system, this response is self-limiting. When cortisol levels rise to a certain threshold, the brain receives the message that it’s safe to come down. But when stress is constant or when the body stays in a loop of perceived danger, this feedback system falters. Cortisol continues to rise or eventually bottoms out. Either way, the rhythm is off.
Normally, cortisol follows a daily cycle. It peaks within about 30 minutes of waking, called the cortisol awakening response, and gently declines throughout the day, reaching its lowest point as you settle into sleep. But in dysregulation, this curve flattens or flips. Some people feel foggy and heavy in the morning but alert and restless at night. Others feel flat all day. There’s no rise, no fall. Just fatigue.
This pattern, often called HPA axis dysfunction, is one of the most common physiological responses to chronic nervous system stress. And while most people associate high cortisol with anxiety or weight gain, it’s important to remember that both elevated and depleted cortisol levels can be linked to long-term illness.
Read more about the HPA axis here:
Cortisol as a Messenger
On one end of the spectrum, excess cortisol, as seen in Cushing’s syndrome, can drive metabolic disruption, high blood pressure, immune suppression, and mood volatility. On the other, low cortisol, as seen in Addison’s disease, can lead to extreme fatigue, muscle loss, electrolyte imbalance, and an inability to cope with everyday stress.
Even outside of these conditions, research has shown that erratic or blunted cortisol rhythms are closely tied to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. The World Health Organization has acknowledged that prolonged low-level stress and cortisol disruption are major contributors to global rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and mental illness.
So, when we talk about nervous system dysregulation, we are not just talking about feeling overwhelmed. We are talking about a physiological cascade—hormonal, metabolic, and immune—that touches every part of the body. Cortisol is one of the clearest signals that something is out of alignment. The goal is not to eliminate it. The goal is to restore its natural rhythm. That’s where herbs, nourishment, and the slow work of repair can begin.
Restoring Rhythm: Nervous System Repair Through Herbs and Ritual
There is no quick fix for a nervous system that’s been holding too much, for too long. And honestly, that’s a good thing. Your body isn’t meant to flip between extremes—it’s meant to shift gradually, with care, with time.
Healing a dysregulated nervous system is less about “resetting” and more about remembering. Relearning how to be in a body that feels safe. Rebuilding trust with your own internal rhythm and gently, very gently, bring it back into balance.
This is where herbs can help, not to override the system, but to support its return to balance. To nourish the tissues, temper the stress response, and gently bring the body back to a place where rest feels accessible again.
In herbalism, we work with several categories of plants when tending to nervous system health. Three of the most supportive in this context are nervines, adaptogens, and trophorestoratives.
Nervines are herbs that act directly on the nervous system. Some are calming and sedative, others are more uplifting and restorative. They can help smooth frayed edges, slow a racing mind, and support the body’s shift out of sympathetic dominance. Think of them as allies for the moments when you feel overstimulated, anxious, reactive, or on the verge of collapse.
Some of my favorite nervines include:
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): Especially helpful for racing thoughts, tension, and emotional reactivity. It has a quieting effect that doesn’t sedate, making it useful during the day.
Milky Oats (Avena sativa): A gentle tonic for nervous system depletion. It doesn’t act immediately, but over time, it rebuilds resilience in those who feel burned out and frazzled.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Light and bright, lemon balm is wonderful for anxiety that sits in the chest and belly. It also supports digestion, which is often compromised when the nervous system is under strain.
Then there are the adaptogens—plants that help regulate the body’s stress response over time. Adaptogens don’t force cortisol up or down; rather, they support the HPA axis in regaining its natural rhythm. This makes them ideal for those living in a state of chronic activation or exhaustion.
Some adaptogens to consider:
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Grounding, calming, and nourishing. Ashwagandha is one of the best herbs for restoring depleted vitality while gently easing stress and promoting sleep.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): A nervine-adaptogen hybrid, reishi soothes the heart, supports immunity, and calms the overstimulated mind. It’s ideal for those dealing with both stress and inflammation.
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea): More stimulating than the others, rhodiola is useful for those with fatigue and brain fog, especially when stress has dulled motivation and mental clarity.
Note: Rhodiola may interaction with some medications — please double check this and speak with your healthcare provider for use of ANY herbs mentioned in this article.
Read more about Ashwagandha and Reishi here:
Lastly, we have the trophorestoratives—a category of herbs that support the long-term healing and regeneration of a system. These are especially helpful for nervous system repair, as they gently rebuild rather than override.
Milky Oats is a cornerstone here, offering deep, nourishing support for those who feel fried, frazzled, and stretched thin.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), though often dismissed as “just a tea,” is a powerful nervous system ally when used consistently. It’s soothing to both the gut and the mind, especially when stress shows up as digestive discomfort, tension, or irritability.
Nettle (Urtica dioica) brings a more mineral-rich, nutritive kind of restoration—perfect for those whose nervous depletion is layered with fatigue, poor resilience, or blood sugar crashes. These herbs don’t sedate or stimulate; they restore. Slowly. Steadily. From the roots.
Read more about Nettle here:
The Slow Return to Safety
There’s no single herb or protocol that can undo years of pushing through. Nervous system healing doesn’t come in a bottle, and it rarely happens on a timeline we expect. But when we start to understand the body’s language—its signals, its cycles, its fatigue—it becomes a little easier to meet ourselves with compassion.
These herbs aren’t meant to fix you. You were never broken. They are here to support the remembering. The remembering of what calm feels like, of what it means to have space between the trigger and the reaction, of what it’s like to belong in your own body again.
It’s also important to know: this isn’t about “doing it right.” There’s no universal blueprint for healing. No one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s version of balance looks different, and that’s the beauty of it. Herbs don’t come in with a hammer to silence your symptoms. They aren’t meant to stimulate or suppress and call it a day. They offer gentle, intelligent nudges. They whisper to the body, not shout at it. They support you, wherever you’re at, and help guide you back to your center—not someone else’s version of it.
Start slow. A cup of tea in the morning. A dropper of tincture in the evening. A quiet moment to check in with your breath before reaching for your phone. These are the rituals that remind the nervous system it’s safe to rest. And over time, those small practices become a new rhythm. A softer one. A more sustainable one.
Until then, remember: your body isn’t asking you to do more. It’s asking you to listen.
—Agy | The Buffalo Herbalist
P.S. Don’t forget about the goodies I’ve created in the companion guide to this article. You’ll find PDF study materials including a nervous system relaxation tea blend, reflection journal prompts, full monographs of the featured herbs of the tea blend, and some notes on nervous system dysregulation. It’s all waiting for you below.
Bibliography
Stone, L. B., McCormack, C. C., & Bylsma, L. M. (2020). Cross system autonomic balance and regulation: Associations with depression and anxiety symptoms. Psychophysiology, 57(10). https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13636
Costa, T., Taylor, A., Black, F., Hill, S., McAllister-Williams, R. H., Gallagher, P., & Watson, S. (2023). Autonomic dysregulation, cognition and fatigue in people with depression and in active and healthy controls: observational cohort study. BJPsych Open, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.68
Jones, C., & Gwenin, C. (2020). Cortisol level dysregulation and its prevalence—Is it nature’s alarm clock? Physiological Reports, 8(24). https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14644
Ruscio, M., DC, & Ruscio, M., DC. (2024, November 21). How to stop burnout and fix a dysregulated nervous System - Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC. Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC. https://drruscio.com/dysregulated-nervous-system/
Goldstein, D. S. (2002). Dysautonomias: clinical disorders of the autonomic nervous system. Annals of Internal Medicine, 137(9), 753. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-137-9-200211050-00011
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