From Overwhelmed to Aligned: Healing Nervous System Dysregulation and Rediscovering Self

There was a season in my life — maybe you can relate — where every day felt like a battle I was losing.

Between raising children, building a career, trying to be a present wife, keeping up with the endless “to-do” lists, and holding space for everyone’s needs, I found myself constantly overwhelmed. I juggled everything with a smile on the outside but deep down, I was struggling.

Mood swings, irritability, feelings of inadequacy — they often hit me hardest around my cycle, but truthfully, they simmered under the surface all month long. I felt scattered, exhausted, quick to react, and honestly, not like myself.

It was during this chapter of my journey that I stumbled onto something life-changing: the realization that what I was experiencing was more than “just stress” or “mom life.” It was nervous system dysregulation—and it bore striking similarities to symptoms often associated with ADHD.

Understanding this opened up a new world of healing for me, and chiropractic care became a cornerstone of that transformation.

The Overlap Between ADHD and Nervous System Dysregulation

If you’ve ever felt like your brain just can’t slow down, if you’re easily distracted, overwhelmed by small things, struggle to regulate your emotions, or feel like you’re constantly “on edge,” you’re not alone — and you’re not broken. And it’s tempting to want to attach a name or diagnosis to it, especially in the wake of skyrocketing rates of adult ADHD diagnosis.

ADHD and nervous system dysregulation share so many symptoms:

• Difficulty filtering distractions and maintaining focus

• Heightened emotional reactivity

• Restlessness, impulsivity, and racing thoughts

• Trouble sleeping and fully recovering

• Chronic feelings of inadequacy or overwhelm

Both conditions ultimately boil down to an overwhelmed and under-regulated nervous system — a brain-body connection that isn’t adapting efficiently to stress, stimuli, and demands.

And for mothers carrying an incredible mental, emotional, and physical load every single day, it’s no surprise that these patterns can take root and steal our peace.

Why Moms Are So Susceptible

Motherhood is beautiful — and it’s also relentless.

We’re constantly multitasking, managing emotional needs (our kids’ and our own), carrying invisible to-do lists, and rarely getting enough true rest.

Hormonal changes, especially surrounding pregnancy, postpartum, and the menstrual cycle, amplify the nervous system’s sensitivity even more.

I personally experienced severe mood shifts around my cycle. One moment I would be patient and calm; the next, I was overwhelmed by irritability, guilt, or sadness. I hated how unpredictable I felt inside. I wondered if I was failing — as a mom, a wife, a person.

It wasn’t until I began to understand the role of the nervous system that I realized this wasn’t about weakness.

It was about disconnection.

My nervous system had become stuck in survival mode — constantly scanning for threats, reacting to everything, unable to reset.

My faith in God’s design and my body’s innate intelligence drove me to seek natural ways to restore balance to my nervous system.

Chiropractic Care: Restoring Connection from the Inside Out

One of the most powerful tools in my healing journey has been neurologically focused chiropractic care.

Thanks to the work of researchers like Dr. Heidi Haavik, we now know that chiropractic adjustments don’t just help with back pain — they restore function and communication within the nervous system itself.

Chiropractic care:

• Improves the communication between the brain and body

• Enhances the function of the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for focus, emotional regulation, and adaptability

• Balances the autonomic nervous system, helping shift us out of constant “fight or flight” mode and into “rest, heal, and regulate” mode

• Helps clear the “static” that comes from spinal misalignments, allowing the brain to receive clearer, calmer input from the body

In my experience, chiropractic care helped me reconnect with my body and restore balance in a profound way.

It wasn’t just about feeling less achy or tired. It was about feeling more like myself again—calmer, clearer, more grounded.

Healing Flows Above, Down, Inside, and Out

As I continued this journey, I realized healing isn’t linear, and it isn’t just physical. It’s spiritual. It’s emotional. It’s whole.

For me, true healing flows:

• Above: through connection to God, remembering that I am deeply loved, created, and equipped.

• Down: through feeling back into my body, allowing myself to sense, breathe, and listen.

• Inside: through restoring balance with bodywork like chiropractic adjustments, breathwork, prayer, and mindful movement.

• Out: in how I perceive my environment, adapt to stress, and show up for myself and my family.

This model became a guiding light for me — a reminder that healing isn’t something I chase outside of myself.

It’s a restoration of something already within me.

Chiropractic Care for Moms (and Anyone Who Feels Stuck)

If you’re a mother — or anyone — who feels trapped in the cycle of overwhelm, irritability, and exhaustion, know that there is hope.

You don’t have to settle for just surviving.

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through your days.

Through chiropractic care, along with reconnecting spiritually and emotionally, you can begin to regulate your nervous system again.

You can reclaim focus, patience, adaptability, and joy.

You can finally breathe deeper, rest better, and move through life with more resilience and grace.

Final Thoughts: You Are Worthy of Healing

The challenges of nervous system dysregulation are real — but so is your body’s God-given ability to heal.

You are not too broken, too far gone, or too weak.

You are powerful, beautiful, and capable of profound restoration.

Chiropractic care was one of the keys that helped me unlock the door back to myself. And if this resonates with you, maybe it could be a key for you too.

Above.

Down.

Inside.

Out.

Healing flows — and it’s already within you.