Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
down-regulated
English answer:
disconnected, shut down, suppressed
Added to glossary by
Yvonne Gallagher
Apr 8 16:16
1 mo ago
42 viewers *
English term
down-regulated
English
Medical
Psychology
Autonomic nervous system - Arousal - Attachment trauma
Dear colleagues, I’m not sure about the meaning of “downregulated” in the following passage about the types of arousal found in different types of attachment trauma.
I’ve seen that “downregulation” has a specific meaning in certain fields of biology, but I’m not sure it’s exactly the same in this context.
- In particular, I’m not sure about what is being “downregulated”? Might it be the arousal that is being downregulated? As far as I know, the parasympathetic branch decreases the activity of vital organs, i.e. the arousal...
- Is it possible that “downregulated” means “the arousal is regulated at a low level” (maybe it is related to the concept of “hypoaroused set point" mentioned afterwards)? - Or, more simply, “dowregulated” is almost synonymous with “hypoaroused”, i.e. “a low level of arousal/activation”?
Thank you so much in advance for your attention and patience!
**********************
Lanius’s findings of two types of PTSD are congruent with Schore’s proposal (1994) that the core difference between the two types of structured insecure attachment trauma is that one is organized by hyper- and the other by hypoarousal. That is, anxious-ambivalent attachment trauma results in a sympathetic (hyperaroused/upregulated) autonomic bias, whereas avoidant trauma results in a parasympathetic *** (hypoaroused/down-regulated)*** bias. The sympathetic bias generates a *** hyperaroused set point ***, hyperaroused responses to stress, and an underregulated, impulsive personality. The parasympathetic bias results in a hypoaroused set point, hypoactivated responses to stress, and an overregulated/inhibited personality.
I’ve seen that “downregulation” has a specific meaning in certain fields of biology, but I’m not sure it’s exactly the same in this context.
- In particular, I’m not sure about what is being “downregulated”? Might it be the arousal that is being downregulated? As far as I know, the parasympathetic branch decreases the activity of vital organs, i.e. the arousal...
- Is it possible that “downregulated” means “the arousal is regulated at a low level” (maybe it is related to the concept of “hypoaroused set point" mentioned afterwards)? - Or, more simply, “dowregulated” is almost synonymous with “hypoaroused”, i.e. “a low level of arousal/activation”?
Thank you so much in advance for your attention and patience!
**********************
Lanius’s findings of two types of PTSD are congruent with Schore’s proposal (1994) that the core difference between the two types of structured insecure attachment trauma is that one is organized by hyper- and the other by hypoarousal. That is, anxious-ambivalent attachment trauma results in a sympathetic (hyperaroused/upregulated) autonomic bias, whereas avoidant trauma results in a parasympathetic *** (hypoaroused/down-regulated)*** bias. The sympathetic bias generates a *** hyperaroused set point ***, hyperaroused responses to stress, and an underregulated, impulsive personality. The parasympathetic bias results in a hypoaroused set point, hypoactivated responses to stress, and an overregulated/inhibited personality.
Responses
| 4 | disconnecting, shutting down, suppressing |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
| 4 | Synonym to hypoaroused |
Chantale Flentge
|
References
| might help |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
| AI to the rescue |
Michael Beijer
|
Change log
Apr 14, 2024 23:43: Yvonne Gallagher Created KOG entry
Responses
23 hrs
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: Irish, UK, US, Canadian) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
65
Selected
disconnecting, shutting down, suppressing
The short answer to your question: “dowregulated” is almost synonymous with “hypoaroused”, i.e. “a low level of arousal/activation”? is YES
Hypoarousal (downregulated) is on the opposite end of the spectrum from hyperarousal (upregulated) and is due to an overactive parasympathetic nervous response so:
Shutting down when faced with significant stress, adversity, or trauma and feeling emotionally numb, lacking motivation, being socially withdrawn, and with a sense of disconnection/disassociation from your body and feelings.
This inability to manage your emotional response (posssibly due to overwhelming stress, traumatic reminders or triggering events, perceived threats , etc.) mean that your are DOWN-REGULATING trauma symptoms by greater use of suppression and less use of cognitive reappraisal.
Difficulty regulating negative emotions has been linked to the onset and maintenance of anxiety and depression
So it's a basically an inability to ENHANCE your mood
Main symptoms of an overactive parasympathetic nervous response include:
Numbness or emptiness
Dissociation or the inability to think
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Shutting down emotionally
Depressed mood
Obviously to get back into a state of control or "window of tolerance" it's necessary to adopt healthier means of coping such as:
Mindfulness-based practices and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions are useful techniques for managing hypoarousal as they can help you shift to a more alert, present state of mind and reconnect with your body and feelings.
Some of the strategies for managing hypoarousal include:
Paced breathing
Engaging your senses
Physical movement
Creative arts
https://www.themeadows.com/blog/hyper-and-hypoarousal-and-tr...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053589/#:~:tex...
This glossary may be useful
https://www.complextrauma.org/glossary/hypoarousal/
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Note added at 6 days (2024-04-14 23:40:52 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Glad to have helped:-)
Hypoarousal (downregulated) is on the opposite end of the spectrum from hyperarousal (upregulated) and is due to an overactive parasympathetic nervous response so:
Shutting down when faced with significant stress, adversity, or trauma and feeling emotionally numb, lacking motivation, being socially withdrawn, and with a sense of disconnection/disassociation from your body and feelings.
This inability to manage your emotional response (posssibly due to overwhelming stress, traumatic reminders or triggering events, perceived threats , etc.) mean that your are DOWN-REGULATING trauma symptoms by greater use of suppression and less use of cognitive reappraisal.
Difficulty regulating negative emotions has been linked to the onset and maintenance of anxiety and depression
So it's a basically an inability to ENHANCE your mood
Main symptoms of an overactive parasympathetic nervous response include:
Numbness or emptiness
Dissociation or the inability to think
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Shutting down emotionally
Depressed mood
Obviously to get back into a state of control or "window of tolerance" it's necessary to adopt healthier means of coping such as:
Mindfulness-based practices and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions are useful techniques for managing hypoarousal as they can help you shift to a more alert, present state of mind and reconnect with your body and feelings.
Some of the strategies for managing hypoarousal include:
Paced breathing
Engaging your senses
Physical movement
Creative arts
https://www.themeadows.com/blog/hyper-and-hypoarousal-and-tr...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053589/#:~:tex...
This glossary may be useful
https://www.complextrauma.org/glossary/hypoarousal/
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2024-04-14 23:40:52 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Glad to have helped:-)
Note from asker:
| Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your help and the useful links! |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your precious help and the really useful links! Many sincere thanks also to Chantale and Michael for their contribution! Have a nice weekend!"
1 hr
Chantale Flentge
Sweden
Sweden
Specializes in field
Sweden
Creative soul, efficient mind
Native in: German (Variants: Austrian, Bavarian, Platt / Nieder (Low German), Germany)
Works in: English to German, Swedish to German, German, and 2 more.
Synonym to hypoaroused
Hey,
i studied educational sience and I am familiar with attechment theories and the consequences of trauma in relation to this.
I would agree to down regulation as a synonym to hypoaroused. In the articel below is it also referred to as overmodulation and undermodulation.
i studied educational sience and I am familiar with attechment theories and the consequences of trauma in relation to this.
I would agree to down regulation as a synonym to hypoaroused. In the articel below is it also referred to as overmodulation and undermodulation.
Reference:
Note from asker:
| Thank you so much, Chantale, for your help! |
Reference comments
7 mins
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: Irish, UK, US, Canadian)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
65
Reference:
might help
no time to get into it but it basically means relaxing and calming yourself down I think
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/up-and-down-regulati...
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/up-and-down-regulati...
Note from asker:
| Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your help! Hope your sister is getting well... Have a nice evening |
47 mins
Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Experienced technical/patent translator
Native in: English (Variants: US, British)
Works in: Dutch to English, Flemish to English, English to Dutch, and 2 more.
Reference:
AI to the rescue
Claude's answer (claude.ai ):
In this context, "down-regulated" refers to a decrease in the activity or function of a biological system, specifically the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" functions, such as slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and promoting digestion.
When the text mentions "parasympathetic (hypoaroused/down-regulated) bias," it suggests that individuals with avoidant trauma have a tendency towards decreased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This means that their baseline level of arousal is lower than normal, and their physiological responses to stress are dampened or less intense compared to individuals without this type of trauma.
The term "down-regulated" is used in contrast to "upregulated," which would indicate an increase in activity or function. In this case, the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "fight or flight" response, is described as hyperaroused or upregulated in individuals with anxious-ambivalent attachment trauma.
======================
ChatGPT's answer (chat.openai.com ):
In the context provided, "down-regulated" refers to a decrease in physiological or emotional response, particularly in terms of the body's autonomic nervous system activity. The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, and arousal. It has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with "fight or flight" responses (or hyperarousal), and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with "rest and digest" responses (or hypoarousal).
When the phrase mentions a "parasympathetic (hypoaroused/down-regulated) bias," it's describing a state where the body's arousal level is reduced below the typical or expected level of response. This down-regulation leads to decreased physiological and emotional responses to stimuli, which can manifest as an under-reactive, inhibited, or overly controlled (overregulated) personality. This state is contrasted with a "sympathetic (hyperaroused/upregulated) bias," where the body's arousal level is increased, leading to heightened alertness, anxiety, or impulsivity.
In the context of PTSD and attachment trauma, down-regulation as a result of parasympathetic bias means that individuals may exhibit responses characterized by emotional numbing, withdrawal, and a general lack of reactivity to the environment, reflecting a hypoaroused or inhibited state. This concept is critical in understanding the psychological and physiological underpinnings of different trauma responses and attachment styles.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2024-04-08 18:16:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
@haribert: Claude, or "Claude 3 Opus" is an AI model, like ChatGPT. It can sometimes help when you are researching terminology. You can even upload whole documents so it can use them as context when answering a question. It can be accessed @ https://claude.ai/
In this context, "down-regulated" refers to a decrease in the activity or function of a biological system, specifically the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" functions, such as slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and promoting digestion.
When the text mentions "parasympathetic (hypoaroused/down-regulated) bias," it suggests that individuals with avoidant trauma have a tendency towards decreased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This means that their baseline level of arousal is lower than normal, and their physiological responses to stress are dampened or less intense compared to individuals without this type of trauma.
The term "down-regulated" is used in contrast to "upregulated," which would indicate an increase in activity or function. In this case, the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "fight or flight" response, is described as hyperaroused or upregulated in individuals with anxious-ambivalent attachment trauma.
======================
ChatGPT's answer (chat.openai.com ):
In the context provided, "down-regulated" refers to a decrease in physiological or emotional response, particularly in terms of the body's autonomic nervous system activity. The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, and arousal. It has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with "fight or flight" responses (or hyperarousal), and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with "rest and digest" responses (or hypoarousal).
When the phrase mentions a "parasympathetic (hypoaroused/down-regulated) bias," it's describing a state where the body's arousal level is reduced below the typical or expected level of response. This down-regulation leads to decreased physiological and emotional responses to stimuli, which can manifest as an under-reactive, inhibited, or overly controlled (overregulated) personality. This state is contrasted with a "sympathetic (hyperaroused/upregulated) bias," where the body's arousal level is increased, leading to heightened alertness, anxiety, or impulsivity.
In the context of PTSD and attachment trauma, down-regulation as a result of parasympathetic bias means that individuals may exhibit responses characterized by emotional numbing, withdrawal, and a general lack of reactivity to the environment, reflecting a hypoaroused or inhibited state. This concept is critical in understanding the psychological and physiological underpinnings of different trauma responses and attachment styles.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2024-04-08 18:16:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
@haribert: Claude, or "Claude 3 Opus" is an AI model, like ChatGPT. It can sometimes help when you are researching terminology. You can even upload whole documents so it can use them as context when answering a question. It can be accessed @ https://claude.ai/
Note from asker:
| That's interesting, Michael, thank you! But who is "Claude"? |
| Thank you so much, Michael, for the information! |
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| neutral |
Christopher Schröder
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