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Hey friends, welcome back to the blog.  Today I want to talk more about stress responses, specifically the fight, flight, and freeze responses.  

Fight or Flight or Freeze

The fight or flight (or freeze) response is a physiological reaction to a perceived threat or danger. It prepares the body to either confront the threat (“fight”) or escape it (“flight”). The fight-or-flight response is often associated with physical danger but it can also be triggered by emotional or psychological stress, such as feeling overwhelmed or threatened.  It is an automatic, instinctive reaction to perceived threats, designed to help us survive.  The body releases stress hormones that prepare it for action by either confronting the situation or escaping it.  While fight or flight are the most commonly discussed responses, other reactions like freeze, flop, and fawn can also occur in response to perceived threats. 

The fight response is your body’s way of facing any perceived threat aggressively. Flight means your body urges you to run from danger. Freeze is your body’s inability to move or act against a threat. Fawn is your body’s stress response to try to please someone to avoid conflict. The fawn response often covers up distress and damage you’re feeling inside due to trauma.  The flop response is an automatic, involuntary reaction where the body essentially shuts down in the face of extreme stress or perceived danger.  The flop response is often a lesser known trauma response.  

Anxiety disorders can trigger your fight or flight response even during situations that don’t put you in danger.

Stress management is an integral part of improving your overall health. Identifying your physical, emotional, and behavioral signs of stress can help you analyze and work to overcome them. This will help you determine if you’re truly facing a threat or if your nervous system is overreacting.

Mental grounding techniques include: 

• Focusing on your environment
• Reciting songs, poetry, or affirmations
• Playing the alphabet game
• Reminding yourself you’re safe with safety statements
• Doing mental calculations
• Visualizing overcoming your fears

Physical grounding techniques include: 

• Breathing and focusing on your speed and steadiness
• Touching or holding onto an object tightly
• Putting weight on your heels and physically connecting with the ground
• Tensing your body and focusing on slowly releasing it from your forehead to your toes

Soothing grounding techniques include: 

• Thinking about your happy place and relaxing there
• Treating yourself to something comforting or joyful
• Repeating coping statements
• Speaking positive affirmations

Thanks for reading, until next time.

Emilie Barragan, LCSW

Therapeuo Health – “Tackling physical and emotional pain”

Reference: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-does-fight-flight-freeze-fawn-mean