Describing the Fight, Flight, Freeze Response: What It Is and How to Deal With It
Jessica Bell
May 11, 2022
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like your life was in danger? Maybe you were walking down a dark street and heard footsteps behind you, or someone approached you in a threatening way. If so, then you experienced the fight, flight, freeze response. This is a natural response that humans have when we feel threatened. In this blog post, we will discuss what the fight, flight, freeze response is and how to deal with it!
What causes the fight or flight response?
The fight or flight response is caused by the release of adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are released when we perceive a threat. They cause an increased heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. This is all part of the body's natural defense mechanism to prepare us for fight or flight.
What is the fight or flight response?
The fight or flight response is a natural reaction that humans have when we feel threatened. This response is created by the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for stress. It is an evolutionary response that helped our ancestors survive in dangerous situations. When we sense danger, our body releases adrenaline and cortisol, which prepare us to fight or flee. During this process, we might experience a racing heart and rapid breathing to prepare for physical action, increased blood pressure and tense muscles to create a higher pitch of voice, and sweating. The pupils dilate as well to allow more light to enter our eyes. These reactions are meant to help us protect ourselves from harm and is completely normal. However, sometimes when we are faced with danger, we may not be able to fight or flee. In this case, we freeze.
What is the freeze response?
This is a natural response that helps us survive when we are outnumbered or outmatched. By freezing, we become less noticeable to our predators and may have a better chance of surviving the encounter. While still being highly alert, the freeze response leaves your body frozen, numb, or unable to move.
Freezing is a form of self-preservation that is completely natural. It may be used to escape an attacker, just as fight or flight are. Freezing can have the following effects:
-
Help someone hide: Being motionless in some cases may protect a person from harm or cause an attacker to lose interest. Tonic immobility is sometimes a last resort for animals when battling or fleeing, since many animals will not consume anything that is dead.
-
Increased virtual perception: A 2015 research claims that freezing is linked to a better perception of one's environment. The researchers examined how people's reactions to shock affected their capacity to comprehend visual information. Those who froze had a superior understanding of what they saw in low-quality or poorly defined pictures, and they processed risk-relevant information more quickly.
-
Prepare for movement: According to a 2017 study, freezing might be a period when the brain decides how to react to the danger. In tests where participants had more time to prepare to take action, a spell of immobility was more often observed. Researchers have observed in animal studies that freezing allows animals to continue scanning the environment in order to figure out the environment.
-
Reduce the impact of the event: According to a 2017 study the freeze response might be linked to dissociation. Dissociation happens when someone has a traumatic experience. It makes unpleasant events seem less real, causing people to feel numb or disconnected. This may explain why the freeze response is more prevalent in individuals who have experienced trauma in the past.
How can we deal with the fight, flight and freeze response?
First, it is important to understand that this response is natural and normal. It is our body's way of protecting us from danger. A reaction to anything that the body perceives as a threat is normal and should be expected.
Second, we can take steps to reduce the likelihood of feeling threatened in the first place. For instance, we can choose to walk down a street with more light, or we can carry a pepper spray with us when we are out and about for added protection. It can be also helpful to add emergency contacts to your phone or to share your location to trusted friends and family from time to time to let them know of your whereabouts.
Third, it can be helpful to understand what triggers the response. Perhaps an embarrassing situation or a specific person could be the trigger. Preparing for your triggers beforehand may lessen your fear and anxiety, reducing the chances of an undesirable reaction.
Finally, if we do find ourselves in a situation where we feel threatened, we can try to stay calm and remember that our fight, flight, freeze response is there to help us. During the high-stress situation, remember that presence of mind is key; try doing slow inhales and exhales to calm yourself down to stay alert in the moment.
Remember that the fight, flight and freeze responses are simply a reaction to what your brain perceives as a threat in your environment. Your reactions may not always be what you desire as it may be difficult to function properly during the entire process, but understand that these responses are all normal. Your nervous system is doing its best to protect you.Â