Natural Support for BPD | Calming the Nervous System and Rebuilding Emotional Resilience

Written by: Doc, Dr. Aschia Florvilus Rodby | Published on: May 1, 2025

Let’s Get Real About BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is not a character flaw. It's a complex, often misunderstood condition rooted in deep emotional dysregulation and a nervous system stuck in survival mode. The outbursts, the fear of abandonment, the emotional rollercoasters—they aren’t you being "dramatic" or “too much”.... and honestly, that narrative is outdated, unhelpful, and flat-out wrong. They’re truly symptoms of a system trying to protect you, often because of trauma, unmet needs, or chronic nervous system dysregulation.

While medications and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) remain central to many care plans, there’s a growing body of evidence supporting natural and holistic strategies to supplement traditional treatment. And no—it’s not about curing BPD, but about empowering the body and brain to heal, rewire, and self-regulate.

Let’s walk through what that can look like.

---

So, What Helps?

Let’s start where most people don’t: with the nervous system. Regulation is Key.

You’ve probably heard of the vagus nerve. It’s the superhighway between your brain and your body. It tells your heart to slow down, your breath to deepen, your digestion to kick in, and your emotions to regulate. When it’s not functioning optimally (which is common in BPD), everything can feel intense, urgent, or unsafe—even when there’s no real danger.

This is where chiropractic care, breathwork, and cold exposure are helpful. These aren't fads or trends—they’re tools to retrain your system to come out of fight-or-flight and back into rest-and-regulate. (There's a reason they've become so popular in our restless, hustle society). Chiropractic adjustments to the upper cervical spine and areas near the vagus nerve can be especially powerful here. Breath practices like 4-7-8 or slow exhales activate the calming side of your nervous system. Even something as simple as splashing cold water on your face can reset your brain's stress loop.

A 2023 paper in Frontiers in Psychiatry emphasized the role of autonomic dysfunction in BPD and highlighted vagus nerve stimulation as a promising complementary intervention.

Food + Mood = More Connected Than We Think

Here’s a lesser-known truth: unstable blood sugar can feel like unstable emotions. The highs and crashes of sugar or skipping meals can mimic anxiety, irritability, even rage. If emotional regulation is already tough, this makes it harder.

One of the best ways to support BPD naturally? Eat with your nervous system in mind. That means consistent meals, plenty of healthy fats and protein, fiber to slow things down, and reducing ultra-processed sugars. Add in mood-supporting nutrients like inositol, magnesium, and omega-3s, and you’re giving your brain real fuel to stabilize

Let’s Talk About the Gut

We can’t separate the brain from the body, and especially not from the gut. The gut-brain axis is a real, two-way communication channel. When the gut is inflamed or out of balance, your mood usually is too.

People with BPD often show signs of inflammation, and some researchers believe that calming that inflammation could reduce symptom severity.

Simple changes like adding fermented foods, reducing processed foods, and experimenting with gluten or dairy elimination (if sensitivity is suspected) can be huge. Supplements like L-glutamine for gut lining, curcumin for inflammation, and good probiotics may also help

A 2023 study in Neuronal Signaling found elevated inflammatory markers in people with emotional dysregulation disorders, including those with BPD, suggesting that targeting inflammation may reduce symptom severity.

---

Not All Movement Is Helpful (AND That’s Okay)

Okay, controversial statement... I know, but hear me out.

Some people feel better with high-intensity workouts, while others, especially those prone to dissociation, need slower, grounding movement. That might look like Tai Chi, somatic-based practices, or even just walking in nature with intention. Your movement doesn’t have to be punishing to be powerful. Try using body-weight exercises with slow pacing and intentional breathing, or even dance and rhythm-based activities to help reintegrate the mind-body connection.

The Brain Loves Nutrients

There are a few supplements that have shown promise for emotional resilience and mental clarity in people dealing with intense emotional patterns:

• Omega-3s, especially EPA, can reduce reactivity and impulsivity.

• Magnesium L-Threonate helps quiet an overactive brain and supports neurotransmitters

• NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) supports glutamate balance and emotional regulation.

• L-theanine brings a sense of calm without making you feel tired.

  
  

You’ll always want to check with your provider first, especially if you’re on medication, but these can be part of a smart, supportive strategy.

---

Beyond Talk Therapy

I love a good DBT workbook, but sometimes talk therapy isn’t enough. If you’ve ever felt like traditional therapy wasn’t getting to the root, that might be because the body holds the score, not just the mind.

Try modalities like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, IFS (Internal Family Systems), and or neurofeedback. They help you process stored trauma, integrate fragmented parts of your experience, and restore a sense of felt safety in your body. It’s not about thinking your way into calm, it’s about teaching your body that you are safe, and letting your brain follow.

So, What’s the Role of Chiropractic?

At Well With Doc, we take a neuro-informed approach to care. Chiropractic isn’t just about pain, it’s about reconnecting your brain and body, calming the nervous system, and allowing the spine (which houses your central communication network) to move freely and function fully.

When there’s a subluxation—aka a miscommunication between joints, muscles, and the nervous system—your brain gets faulty signals...think FM frequency, but all you have is an AM radio. That miscommunication can show up emotionally, cognitively, or physically. When we adjust intentionally, we’re helping reset those circuits so your brain can stop reacting like the world’s on fire.

---

Living with BPD can feel like living with a fire alarm that never stops going off. You’re not weak for feeling exhausted by it. What you are is resilient. When we approach healing through the lens of nervous system health, whole-body nutrition, and trauma-informed care, that resilience has room to grow roots.

If no one’s told you this lately: your nervous system isn’t broken, it’s just doing what it was trained to do. BPD is not a moral failing. It’s a body that has been fighting to keep you alive in ways it no longer has to. When we start from a place of compassion and work with the nervous system, not against it, healing becomes less about fixing and more about remembering who you are underneath the chaos. You deserve support that honors your biology, your story, and your future.

Whether you’re exploring chiropractic, looking for functional support tools, or just want someone to walk alongside you—I am here.

This is the work I do at Well With Doc. Nervous system first. Always.

Click to Reclaim Your Resilience

Sources

1. Guerriero G, Liljedahl SI, Carlsen HK, et al. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to acutely reduce emotional vulnerability and improve emotional regulation in borderline personality disorder (tVNS-BPD): study protocol for a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial. Trials. 2024;25(1):397. Published 2024 Jun 19.

2. Petruso F, Giff AE, Milano BA, De Rossi MM, Saccaro LF. Inflammation and emotion regulation: a narrative review of evidence and mechanisms in emotion dysregulation disorders. Neuronal Signal. 2023;7(4):NS20220077. Published 2023 Nov 15.

3. Dhaliwal K, Danzig A, Fineberg SK. Improving Research Practice for Studying Borderline Personality Disorder: Lessons From the Clinic. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks). 2020;4:2470547020912504. Published 2020 Apr 1.