Understanding the Flight, Flight, and Freeze Responses

Why didn’t you fight back? Why didn’t you run away? Survivors are constantly questioned, criticized, and shamed for their responses to assault. In reality, when our body senses a perceived threat, we experience one of three stress responses: fight, flight, or freeze. All of these responses are normal.

What is a stress response? The brain contains a region called the amygdala, whose function is emotional processes (Gepp, 2021). When your amygdala senses danger, it gathers information and sends it to your sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s involuntary responses. From there, the adrenal glands receive a signal to pump adrenaline (the fight-or-flight hormone) into your blood. Adrenaline increases heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure and prepares your body to run, jump, or react in another way. Small airways in your lungs open wide, which quickens breath; as your brain receives more oxygen, your senses sharpen.

The fight response is related to emotions of rage, anger, irritation, and frustration (Responses, n.d.). This response involves physical fighting (i.e. pushing, hitting, struggling to escape) or verbal fighting (i.e. saying ‘no’) (The 5 Fs: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flop and Friend, n.d.). Overall, to fight means to move toward the assailant.

The flight response is related to emotions of panic, fear, anxiety, and worry (Responses, n.d.). Opposite to fight, this response involves distancing yourself from danger. This can look like running, hiding, or backing away (The 5 Fs: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flop and Friend, n.d.).

Lastly, the freeze response stems from emotions of numbness, depression, and helplessness (Responses, n.d.). Basically, your body is overwhelmed and becomes unable to move. You go tense, still, and silent (The 5 Fs: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flop and Friend, n.d.). It’s important to note that freeze is not giving consent. Rather, it is an instinctive survival response, used by animals to avoid potential further harm.

More recently, a new stress response has been discovered: fawn. This is associated with self-blame, guilt, and shame, as you attempt to avoid harm by ignoring your own feelings and appeasing your assailant (Responses, n.d.). You may try to flatter your assailant, calm them down, or apologize, even when it isn’t your fault (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn: Responses to Stressful Situations, 2023).

After experiencing trauma, you may naturally associate people, places, and things in everyday life with the event; you may even experience flashbacks or nightmares, all of which may trigger a stress response (Gepp, 2021). That is normal. Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are the body’s natural ways of protecting you from danger.

Nonetheless, when activated too often, the stress response may impair your mental health and overall well-being. Thus, it’s critical to take care of your mind and body after experiencing a traumatic event.

PAVE is here to support you through your healing journey. For a variety of support and resources, check out Survivors.org.

Sources:

The 5 Fs: fight, flight, freeze, flop and friend. (n.d.). Rape Crisis.

Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn: Responses to Stressful Situations. (2023, January 9). MasterClass.

Gepp, K. (2021, June 22). What Is Fight, Flight, or Freeze? Psych Central.

Responses. (n.d.). SURVIVORS VOICES.