When Your Symptoms Don’t Make Sense: A Starting Point for Those New to Mold & Nervous System Healing

I’m writing this as someone who is still learning—not as an expert, not as someone “on the other side,” but as a person trying to make sense of symptoms that don’t show up clearly on tests.

If you’re new to conversations about mold, nervous system dysregulation, autoimmune patterns, or unexplained symptoms: this can be incredibly confusing, and the amount of information out there can feel overwhelming.

What I’m Learning So Far

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that nervous system dysregulation is not a mental or mindset issue. It’s not something you fix by deciding to calm down or think positively.

The nervous system is designed to protect us. When it’s exposed to chronic stressors—like mold, inflammation, illness, prolonged stress, or unresolved overwhelm—it can get stuck in survival mode. Not because it’s broken, but because it learned that staying alert was necessary.

That understanding alone has softened how I relate to my body.

Why Mold Affects Some People More Than Others

One thing that helped me make sense of the mold conversation is learning that not everyone exposed to mold gets sick—in fact, only a relatively small percentage of people develop chronic symptoms.

What seems to matter is susceptibility.

Current research and clinical observation suggest that people who struggle more with mold exposure may already have:

• immune system dysregulation

• autoimmune or inflammatory conditions

• genetic differences that affect how toxins are cleared

• or nervous systems that have already been pushed into long-term survival mode

This doesn’t mean anyone is weak or broken. It means some bodies are already carrying a higher load—and mold may be the thing that overwhelms an already stressed system.

Why Healing Feels Slow

I kept hearing the phrase:

“You can’t heal until the nervous system can regulate.”

At first, that felt discouraging. Now I hear it differently. Healing requires safety. A body that still senses threat—whether from ongoing exposure, inflammation, poor sleep, or stored stress—has a harder time repairing.

Regulation isn’t about forcing calm. It’s about slowly teaching the body that it’s safer now than it once was.

What Many People Find Supportive (Including Me)

Not as instructions—just patterns I keep seeing and experiencing.

For many people, nervous system support includes:

• Gentle movement, rather than pushing or fixing

• Rhythmic input (walking, rocking, repetitive motion)

• Sleep support, especially around nighttime safety and consistency

• Reducing physiological stressors like blood sugar swings, inflammation, or ongoing exposures

• Working with practitioners who understand trauma and the nervous system from a bottom-up perspective, not just cognitively

What has surprised me most is how relational regulation can be.

• Sleeping near another human—my body rests differently when I’m not alone at night

• Hugs, being held, and physical closeness as real safety signals

• Laughter that interrupts vigilance and lets the system exhale

• Being with people who feel safe, without explaining or proving anything

• Letting go of “doing it right,” which has helped more than trying harder

  
  

None of these fix everything. But they soften the edges—and sometimes that’s enough.

Gentle Resources (Not Instructions)

If you’re curious and want to explore at your own pace, some people find it helpful to learn from:

• Polyvagal theory–informed educators

• Somatic Experiencing or trauma-informed practitioners

• Functional or environmental medicine perspectives on mold

• Sleep specialists familiar with autonomic nervous system patterns

Not as answers—but as ways to build understanding.

If You’re New, I Want You to Know This

• You don’t have to understand everything at once

• You don’t need to follow every protocol online

• You’re allowed to move slowly and stay curious

• Your symptoms are real, even if they’re hard to explain

Your body isn’t broken. It may be overwhelmed—but it’s still intelligent.

I’m still navigating this myself. I’m sharing because being new in this world can feel isolating, and sometimes what helps most is simply hearing: you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining this.

One thing this experience has made clear to me is that regulation is rarely something we do alone. Our nervous systems are shaped in relationship, and they often heal in relationship too.

Finding — or creating — spaces where we can be together in safety, presence, and gentle attunement matters. Whether that’s with one trusted person, a small group, or a shared practice, co-regulation can be a powerful part of healing.

As a yoga therapist and somatic practitioner who specializes in trauma and nervous system regulation — and as someone living this from the inside — I’m feeling called to create spaces where we don’t have to regulate alone. If this resonates and you’d like to connect or be part of that kind of shared space, you’re warmly invited to reach out.