Former Miss India and Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly has submitted a domestic violence complaint in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Andheri against her husband, Peter Haag. Jaitly’s lawyers, Sandeep Kapur and Niharika Karanjawala Misra of Karanjawala & Co., filed the petition on her behalf last week. The court has issued a notice summoning Haag to appear by December 12.
Jaitly and Haag married in September 2010 and are parents to three children. In her plea, Jaitly alleges that years of mental and physical abuse have culminated in her suffering a diagnosis of what she calls a “psychovegetative overload”. She states the alleged abuse escalated after 2019.
Her complaint details repeated behaviour she describes as “gas-lighting, arm-twisting, trust issues, emotional unavailability and multiple insecurities” by the respondent husband, all of which she says have severely undermined her confidence, dignity and self-esteem, reducing her in her own words “as a human being”.
Jaitly’s case brings to light not only allegations of marital abuse, but also the serious emotional and physical toll prolonged suffering can impose, including conditions described in her filing such as “psycho-vegetative overload”.
What is “Psycho-Vegetative Overload”?
While the exact phrase “psychovegetative overload” is not yet standard terminology in mainstream psychiatry, the components of the term point to a recognised pattern of vegetative (autonomic) and psychological strain. In German-language literature, analogous terms such as "psychovegetative Beschwerden“ or "vegetative Stresssymptomatik“ refer to symptoms of chronic autonomic dysregulation and mental stress.
In essence: The “vegetative” (or “autonomic”) system governs involuntary bodily functions (heart rate, sweating, digestion, etc.). When someone experiences chronic psychological stress, trauma, or ongoing abuse, the autonomic system can be persistently over-activated (sympathetic dominance), leading to a range of physical and psychological symptoms. The term “overload” conveys that the system has been pushed beyond its capacity to regulate normally.
Why it can develop in prolonged abuse contexts
-Ongoing mental/physical abuse (such as alleged in Jaitly’s case) can keep the body in a state of chronic threat or hyper-arousal, even if not an acute danger.
-Repeated emotional injury (gas-lighting, emotional unavailability, belittling) can degrade self-esteem, sense of safety and trigger a persistent stress response.
-Over time, the regulatory systems (nervous, endocrine, autonomic) adapt poorly and may lead to a state where psychological distress and physical (vegetative) symptoms combine.
-The literature on trauma supports that survivors often develop hyperarousal symptoms (“vegetative over-excitation”) and difficulty regulating emotions.
Common symptoms
Based on the literature around “psychovegetative” symptom clusters and autonomic dysregulation, the following may be seen (in addition to whatever specific local diagnosis is used):
-Cognitive and emotional symptoms: poor concentration, memory problems, irritability, mood fluctuations.
-Physical complaints without clear organic disease: headaches, gastrointestinal issues, muscle tension, generalised malaise.
-Emotional symptoms: feelings of worthlessness, loss of self-esteem, sense of being overwhelmed, reduced confidence.
-Dysregulation of autonomic balance: e.g., feeling “wired and tired” simultaneously, difficulty calming down.
How it relates to other recognised conditions
Treatment & management
-A full clinical evaluation by a mental-health professional is essential: Psychiatrist or clinical psychologist should assess overall mental health, trauma history, autonomic symptoms, physical health.
-Rule out organic causes for vegetative/autonomic symptoms (cardiac, endocrine, neurological) to ensure a holistic approach.
-Use of symptom diaries: tracking when vegetative symptoms flare, what triggers them, what alleviates them.
