Staying Regulated in a Dysregulated World

MACS PLLC
Jan 15
4 min read

Right now, many people feel like the ground is constantly shifting beneath them.

We are living through a time of overlapping stressors: natural disasters, global conflict, political tension, economic uncertainty, and daily exposure to distressing news. Even when nothing is happening directly in your own life, your nervous system is absorbing the emotional climate around you.

At McCloud Acosta Clinical Services (MACS), we work with trauma every day. One of the core truths of trauma-informed care is this:

When the world feels unsafe, the nervous system looks for danger — even when we are physically okay.

That state of ongoing alertness can leave people feeling angry, hopeless, numb, reactive, or exhausted. We are constantly aborbing alerts, communication and messaging. You may notice yourself snapping at loved ones, doom-scrolling, withdrawing, or feeling unable to rest.

None of this means you are weak. It means your nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do in unstable conditions.

Why the Current Climate Feels So Hard

We are not just dealing with “events.”We are dealing with constant emotional activation.

Every day brings headlines about:

Violence or threat of violence
Natural disasters
Political conflict
Economic stress
Loss and suffering

For many people, political tension is especially distressing. Some feel threatened, unheard, or unsafe. Others feel attacked or blamed for their beliefs. Regardless of where someone stands, the emotional tone has become hostile, polarized, and reactive — and that environment is deeply dysregulating to the human nervous system.

When people feel morally or physically threatened, their brains shift into:

Fight (anger, arguing, attacking)
Flight (avoiding, escaping, shutting down)
Freeze (numbness, dissociation, overwhelm)

That’s not a character flaw.That’s biology.

You Cannot Heal in a Constant Emergency

Trauma research shows that healing requires:

Predictability
Safety
Regulation
Connection

But the modern media and political environment is built to keep people in a state of perpetual alarm.

Outrage gets clicks.Fear gets engagement.Catastrophe gets attention.

Your nervous system was not designed to process thousands of threats a day.

So when you feel “on edge,” exhausted, or irritable, that is not because you are broken — it is because you are being exposed to more stress than a human body can metabolize.

Regulation Is Not Avoidance

Some people worry that stepping back from news, social media, or political arguments means they are “not caring” or “not doing enough.”

That is not true.

Regulation is how you stay capable of caring.

You cannot think clearly, advocate wisely, or relate kindly when your nervous system is in survival mode.

Being regulated allows you to:

Think instead of react
Respond instead of attack
Stay connected instead of polarized

How to Stay Grounded in a Hostile World

Here are some trauma-informed ways to protect your nervous system without disconnecting from reality:

1. Limit how much distress you consume

You do not need 24-hour updates to be informed.Choose specific times to check the news — not constant exposure.

Your brain cannot tell the difference between a real threat and a screen-based one. Try a media free day once a week when you don't login and see how you feel.

2. Notice when your body is activated

Signs of nervous system overload include:

Tight chest or jaw
Racing thoughts
Urge to argue or defend
Feeling numb or hopeless

These are signals, not failures.

When you notice them, slow down.

3. Bring yourself back to the present

Right now, ask yourself:

Am I physically safe?
Is there a roof over my head?
Can I feel my feet on the floor?

Trauma lives in the past and future.Regulation lives in the present.

4. You don’t have to prove anything

You do not need to win arguments online.You do not need to defend your beliefs to strangers.You do not need to carry the emotional weight of the world.

Protecting your peace is not selfish — it is survival.

5. Focus on what is inside your control

You cannot stabilize the world.But you can:

Care for your body
Connect with people you trust
Set boundaries
Seek support
Create moments of calm

These are not small things.They are what keep trauma from taking over.

At MACS, We See This Every Day

At McCloud Acosta Clinical Services, we specialize in working with people whose nervous systems have been shaped by trauma, chronic stress, and unsafe environments.

Many of the struggles people are experiencing right now — anxiety, anger, despair, emotional shutdown — are normal responses to an abnormal level of threat in the world.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Therapy is not about ignoring reality.It is about helping your nervous system feel safe enough to live inside it.