How the Body Absorbs Racism
Understanding sympathetic dominance
My hands trembled at the steering wheel. Going 20 miles per hour over the national speed limit in my patched-up Renault Megane (a French car, for those not familiar) and pushing it to its structural and engineering limits, I struggled to compose myself on the drive back home from the North of England.
“Too urban? I sounded too urban?” The words kept replaying over and over again in my overwrought mind. “What could that even mean?” I mumbled the question to myself, but I knew exactly what it meant.
I’ll be the first to openly admit I’m not the most eloquent and erudite of speakers (or writers, for that matter). Reflecting on what the comment entailed brought about a feeling I knew all too well — the complex overlay of angst, anger, and indignation mixed with despair, inertia, and concession prompting me to take it on the chin and move on. Stiff upper lip, as they say here in old England. (And if there’s one thing Great Britain knows well historically, it’s racism.)
I was returning from my first-ever pitch event before an eclectic crowd of investors and industry specialists. The nature of pitch events, the circus of fundraising for VCs, is a topic for another day. This particular one had started so well, with smiles and banter all around. As is customary to anyone in a similar situation, my eyes landed on the one person who didn’t seem impressed, which was fine. Maybe he didn’t like the idea, the technology, or the plans. But no, that wasn’t his issue. It seemed the sticking point for him was my “urbanness,” whatever that means. The whole room, stunned to silence at his feedback, knew exactly what he meant.
The combination of aggravation and injustice I felt is very familiar to minorities who have experienced perpetual racial aggressions, whether micro (in the workplace and public experience) or more macro — such as verbal or physical threats or what comes of systemic racial imbalances.
For many years, philosophers and ancient societies associated the human mind with that of the heart, often believing them to be interlinked. Over the years, science has largely proven this to be the case.
Messages permeating modern society make us well aware of the adverse effects of racism on mental health, but what if I said it didn’t stop there? What if I said that racism actually has an adverse effect on our physical health and can reduce the life span of those on the receiving end and bring with it other health complications? This shouldn’t be news to most therapists, but it might be news to you. Some concerning things emerge when you explore one key measure of emotional regulation and its impact on psychophysiological health: a metric known as heart rate variability.
What is heart rate variability?
For many years, philosophers and ancient societies associated the human mind with that of the heart, often believing them to be interlinked. Over the years, science has largely proven this to be the case.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the fluctuation of the length of heartbeat intervals and represents the ability of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and its two branches—the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches—to respond to a variety of physiological, psychological, and environmental stimuli. In other words, whether it be physical stress, such as excessive traveling or physical overwork/overtraining, or psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, or PTSD, your body will respond in similar ways, even if the response is so subtle you don’t notice it. HRV is often used in Biofeedback Therapy and Biofeedback machines or product such as seen here.
There are many ways to assess ANS activity. One simple way is by measuring the time between the initiations of succeeding heartbeats, called the R-R interval, because contrary to popular belief, every heartbeat rhythm isn’t quite the same.
Exposure to racism leads to neurological and biological responses that affect mind, mood, and body. Given that, imagine what comes of daily racism.
For simplicity’s sake, consider this: Low HRV is associated with impaired regulatory and ANS functions, which reduces one’s ability to cope with stress and leads to emotional dysregulation. Studies have found a correlation between HRV and stress-related mental disorders. Research specifically on anxiety and its relationship to HRV is also well documented. Studies have explored the neurobiological mechanisms behind a range of anxiety disorders and revealed the presence of “sympathetic dominance” (you’ll be hearing that a lot) in patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
So, how does this correlate with racism and physical health?
The knowledge that racism has a negative impact on mental and physical health is well established. One 2018 study explored the neurobiological impact of racism exposure, noting the relationship between the “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis” and how perpetual exposure to racism leads to long-term ANS and endocrinological dysregulation. In simpler terms, this means exposure to racism leads to neurological and biological responses that affect mind, mood, and body. Given that, imagine what comes of daily racism.
Another study offered an explanation of the response to racism by identifying that people living in hostile environments develop a coping mechanism called “racism-related vigilance.” This vigilance occurs when a person anticipates racism by mentally and emotionally preparing for discrimination — putting them in a constant state of “sympathetic dominance.” This leads to a greater likelihood of expressing negative emotional responses, such as anger, hostility, and anxiety. The situation creates a dangerous feedback loop of sorts. Racism occurs, and those on the receiving end feel constantly on the defensive and more likely to respond with negative emotion because of it, which in turn solidifies the racist framework. Ultimately, this leads to a cyclical and worsening environment for those experiencing racism. Sadly, the state of sympathetic dominance” has been linked not only with emotional dysregulation, but also with long-term cardiovascular health risks. Simply put, the research makes clear that racism is both a stressor and a mortality risk factor.
Rewind to my experience with the person at the pitch event. Our relationship ultimately took an interesting twist. Many years later, after enduring similar business challenges, he and I unknowingly reconnected. We were both surprised. As we spoke, it became clear we had quite a bit in common. He apologized for his past behavior and offered new words of encouragement. Instead of feeling on edge, I noted a sense of relief — if only this were the dominant experience.
