A dysregulated society doesn’t happen by accident. It emerges when too many people live in chronic stress, unable to return to a state of safety and connection. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, individual nervous systems don’t exist in isolation. They are shaped by relationships, environments, and the larger culture. When the conditions of daily life overwhelm a society’s collective capacity for regulation, the result is widespread polarization, disconnection, and reactivity.
Several key factors contribute to this dysregulation.
First, economic instability keeps people in a constant state of uncertainty. When basic needs like housing, healthcare, and financial security feel precarious, nervous systems stay on high alert. A body that doesn’t know if it will be able to afford rent or medical care is a body primed for survival mode, making it harder to engage in complex thinking or empathy.
Second, the pace and intensity of modern life leave little room for genuine rest and co-regulation. Long work hours, digital distractions, and the expectation of constant productivity mean that many people are running on empty, with little time to recover from daily stressors. This depletion makes interactions more reactive and less thoughtful, reinforcing cycles of conflict rather than resolution.
Third, social media and 24-hour news create an environment of continuous threat. The human nervous system evolved in small, relational communities where dangers were immediate and resolvable. Now, people are bombarded with alarming headlines, outrage-driven content, and dehumanizing rhetoric from every direction. This keeps stress hormones elevated, making it harder to distinguish real threats from manufactured ones. It also shortens attention spans and deepens divisions by rewarding quick, emotional responses over reflective dialogue.
Fourth, weakened social connections mean fewer opportunities for co-regulation. Loneliness and social fragmentation are at record highs, and without strong relational support, people are more vulnerable to stress. In healthy communities, people help regulate each other’s nervous systems through presence, attunement, and mutual care. But when trust in institutions and relationships breaks down, individuals are left to manage overwhelming stress alone, making them more susceptible to fear-based narratives and black-and-white thinking.
Finally, unresolved historical and collective trauma shapes the way stress is distributed. Societies that have not reckoned with past harms—whether systemic injustices, cultural erasures, or generational wounds—carry that unprocessed distress forward. This leads to recurring cycles of conflict, as people act from inherited nervous system patterns of vigilance, anger, and grief, often without full awareness of their origins.
A dysregulated society is not just a political problem. It’s a collective nervous system issue. Addressing it requires more than policy changes or better arguments. It requires creating conditions where people feel safe enough to think clearly, connect deeply, and engage with each other as human beings rather than ideological opponents.
This post includes content generated by ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. The AI-generated content has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and relevance.
