Fight, Flight, and Freeze: Your Brain’s Survival Mechanisms

Disclaimer: The neuroscience articles on this website were written by students studying psychology and neuroscience. They are intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice from a licensed psychologist or neuroscientist. For personalized advice and treatment, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional.

You may have experienced times in your life where you felt like you could not control your reaction to a situation. This can occur when you encounter a scenario that reminds you of trauma you have experienced in your life, whether you are aware of it or not. The fight, flight, and freeze responses are how your body reacts to situations it believes are dangerous. This is an automatic response that your body has to keep you safe, but sometimes, you may react to things that seem ordinary instead. For example, someone may react with the fight or flight response when they have to get a shot at the doctor’s office.

What is the “fight” response?

The “fight” response is how your body might react if it believes you can attack the danger head on. Your body will release stress hormones that will make your heart rate speed up, your ability to feel pain will decrease, and you may begin to sweat. You may feel angry or like you want to confront the bad situation. Let’s go back to the person at the doctor’s office. If they react to the shot with the fight response, they may push the doctor’s hand away, yell out, or use inappropriate language.

What is the “flight” response?

Your body may react with the “flight” response if it anticipates that the danger is not something you can fight. This will also cause your heart rate to speed up, may result in a restless feeling, or make you feel like you need to move around. The person sitting in the doctor’s office may try to face the door while the shot is administered, or they may even get up and run from the room. They may be very jumpy and need help sitting still, or they may find themselves full of racing thoughts about their anxiety towards the situation they are in.

What is the “freeze” response?

You may react with the “freeze” response if your body does not feel like it can fight or escape the problem you are facing. Your heart rate may slow down, you may feel a sense of dread, or you may feel stuck and unable to move. The person who is getting a shot at the doctor’s office may feel like they are frozen in place, or like they are watching the shot happen to them from far away. They may also feel like they are unable to speak.

How long does this bodily response last?

Once the triggering situation passes, the feeling of being stuck in one of these responses typically fades after about thirty minutes.

Are there other ways my body may respond to triggers?

Sometimes, people may experience other responses, like the “Fawn” or “Fib” response. These occur after the initial fight, flight, or freeze response. The fawn response looks like someone who suddenly jumps into a hospitable overdrive, which means they become overly agreeable and polite to try to calm tensions. The fawn response tends to be more common in people who grew up in abusive households, or who had narcissistic parents. In the context of the person in the doctor’s office, they may make a huge effort to appear calm (or even excited) about getting the shot, even though they are actually terrified. The fib response looks like someone who tells a lie in order to avoid questioning or judgement, or to buy more time for a better answer. In the case of the person at the doctor’s office, they may try to convince the doctor that they’ve already had the shot, which may at least buy them some more time before they have to endure the shot. The fib response can be common among people who have ADHD.

Why do I react to seemingly ordinary events with one (or more) of these bodily responses?

Sometimes, people who have been through traumatic events can be triggered by everyday events that remind them of their past. Even something small, like a familiar object or a particular scent, could trigger a memory of a time where they were unsafe. When the body is reminded of a time it was unsafe, it will jump into fight, flight, or freeze mode to try cope until the body returns to safety.

How can I reduce my fight or flight response?

Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation can help with an overactive stress response. You may also be able to reduce an overactive stress response by doing regular exercise, which can decrease your body’s stress hormones. A strong support network is also helpful for reducing stress, so it is important to form relationships with people around you, such as your friends, classmates, and coworkers.

How does this help me?

Now that you know what the different responses are, you may begin to recognize them when they happen to you. You’ll be able to identify that your body is feeling unsafe, use some of the above techniques to help calm yourself, and then try to figure out what may have caused that feeling. In the future, you may be able to work to avoid that trigger, or if it is unavoidable, you can learn better ways to cope with it to help you feel safe and less likely to react with the fight or flight response.

In summary:

There are several different reactions associated with the fight or flight response. These reactions include the Fight response, Flight response, Freeze response, Fawn response, and Fib response. These responses are automatic, but you can work to prevent them by using relaxation techniques, exercising, and building a support network. Can you think of a time when you reacted to a situation with the fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or fib response? How did you handle it?