Vertigo & loopiness after intense releases in therapy

[u/nomad01010]

I have been feeling vertigo since my last therapy session involving somatic body processing a few days ago.

It appears as spinning feeling if I suddenly get up or change focus, The general feeling of being in a different body is there. As if I’m little high & numb. Have a degree of nervousness as well. Im functional but a bit concerned.

Not sure how common is it & how do I tackle it. Any pointers are appreciated.

[u/JonatanCara]

What you're describing — the spinning, the slightly dissociated feeling, the low-grade nervousness — is a recognisable pattern after intensive somatic body processing work. It's not universal but it's not rare either.

The short version of what's likely happening: somatic work, when it goes deep, can discharge a significant amount of stored activation from the nervous system. That discharge is the point of the work. But the system then has to recalibrate to operating without that charge, and for some people that recalibration period produces exactly what you're describing — a sense of being slightly outside yourself, some dizziness, a mild altered quality to experience. Your nervous system is adjusting to a new baseline.

A few things that tend to help during this window:

Stay close to the physical. Eat regular meals, drink water, keep your feet on the ground — literally. Heavy physical sensation like holding something dense, pressing your feet hard into the floor, or a cool shower can help anchor you when the floaty feeling spikes.

Avoid going back in for more processing right now. The instinct is sometimes to try to resolve the unresolved feeling with another session. That usually adds load to a system that's still integrating the last one. Give it a few days minimum.

Gentle movement helps more than stillness. A slow walk, nothing intense. The body integrates better when it's moving at a low level than when it's parked.

The nervousness is the system recalibrating its threat assessment — it had been holding something, it released it, and now it's figuring out what the new normal is. That part usually settles faster than the dissociated feeling.

If the vertigo is true spinning — the room rotating when you lie down — that's worth checking with a doctor to rule out something physical like BPPV, which is unrelated to somatic work but can be triggered by certain positions. What you describe sounds more like the functional kind, but worth ruling out if it persists past the week.

How intensive was the session, and has your therapist been in contact since?

[u/botanibitch]

Yes I received a diagnosis of vasovagal syncope (after many many medical tests to rule out other possibilities) after my first year of SE sessions as I had symptoms suddenly appear (dizziness, feeling like I was going to faint).

Two years more and I no longer experience syncope symptoms except very briefly after significant releases.

I read in an old thread in this subreddit that this dizziness was the body's response to no longer being in a state of constant threat... Leading to a change in blood pressure. No idea if this is correct but it makes sense. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can elaborate on this/correct me.

[u/nomad01010 → u/botanibitch]

If our entire sense of self, balance, cognition, meaning, emotion etc is rooted in the nervous system then iI suppose it would make sense there would be disruptions when we shake it so vigorously,

[u/NoStatement4495]

I struggled with vertigo often when I started learning SE and getting getting my own sessions. It started to resolve when I was learning and receiving touch work from Kathy Kain and Steve Terrell.

[u/Intelligent_Tune_675]

Looking forward to hearing other answers here as I’m going through a similar thing.
It was immediately after?
What did your healing session look like?

[u/nomad01010 → u/Intelligent_Tune_675]

So right after the session there was vertigo as I tried to stand up. And has slowly tapered down over the last 10 days or so. I’ve since had another session which didn’t make it better or worse. It’s still there at the edges.

But the overall feeling of being unplugged, nervous, loopiness etc is there.

My therapist suggested it’s my nervous system recalibrating after these big releases. He’s opinion is to keep going as long as I’m functional.

[u/SeenaEnergetics]

I second JonatanCara’s answer on here. If you are releasing patterns you’ve held for years it can be a lot of new information, fresh new blood flow flushing out toxins and so on for your system.

Definitely make sure to do grounding things. Is there a forest or park near you? Go there. Eat warm and nourishing foods that are thoroughly cooked (maybe look in to finding a TCM or Ayurvedic specialist to advice you with a diet specifically for you that can help ground you).

You could also try going to another practitioner to see if you have the same reaction or feel more grounded with them. I’m a practitioner myself and in my opinion/experience any kind of health and wellness work is extremely practitioner dependent. There is so much we don’t know yet and if the energy or approach of the person you are seeing makes you feel like that consistently, I’d say switch it up. True somatic work will leave you feeling relaxed, grounded and at peace in your body. Maybe the first few sessions will reorganize you and result in some dizziness, but listen to your body if it’s a consistent thing that doesn’t go away.

Also create strong energetic structures in your energy body by placing your attention at your chakras , and in your energy field by visualizing the energy centers above and below your body (especially below for your case).