The vagus nerve is longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. 

It transmits information to or from the surface of the brain to tissues and organs elsewhere in the body. When a body sustains an extended period of stress or trauma, the vagus nerve becomes hyperactive. 

We think of stress and trauma primarily as primarily emotional. The real impact is on the body.

 When the vagus nerve is triggered, it fights to slow the heart, blood pressure drops, and you can experience nausea, tunnel vision, ringing in the ears, low blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat. 

And when the mind suffers, the body suffers. 

And it can be difficult to undo the damage. 

Recent studies suggest that when we experience physical sensations related to intense emotions, it comes back to the vagus nerve. We think of the pain of a broken heart as being outside of our control. 

But science suggests that if we laugh instead of cry, if we sing instead of ache, we might just heal faster. 

Of course, when we're hurting, sometimes it's just easier to keep hurting than to try to heal.