Fight, Flight, Freeze, & Fawn trauma responses which are you? Episode #114

When we are in a situation that is not the norm our body reacts in various ways. Your heart rate can elevate, you may feel sweaty, your breathing increase, you may have bladder or issues that send you to the toilet. These symptoms can develop in everyone differently and they can also present differently. Someone could have physical symptoms of not sleeping, eating, or nightmares. Our bodies have a hormone reaction to these moments which can prompt us to have other responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn.

Your body is trying to figure out how to help you immediately and everything else goes to the wayside for a moment until that situation stabilizes. It may take up to 30 minutes for your body to calm back down.

Fight response examples: This is where you fight back, resist, or defend yourself.

• Controls others
  
• Bully
  
• Aggressive or angry behavior
  
• Quick temper or outbursts
  
• A sense of entitlement
  

On the flip side, this response can also be seen as-

• Defending yourself for survival or threats
  
• Having Boundaries
  
• Courage
  
• Leadership
  
• A bit of Moxie
  

Flight- Do you run away or back down when there is a challenging situation.

• Over-achiever
  
• Obsessive and compulsive behavior
  
• Always busy.
  
• Feelings that everything has to be perfect.
  

On the plus side-

Disengagement

Know-how

Perseverance

Industriousness

Know when to let things to or retreat to safety

Freeze- Playing possum in your life or when challenging or traumatic situations arise?

• You feel numb
  
• Helpless
  
• Isolate yourself
  
• Have a hard time making decisions
  
• Brain fog or feeling spacey
  
• Feeling stuck
  
• Depression
  
• Feel ashamed
  

Plus side-

Mindfulness

Peace

Presence

Acute awareness

Fawn- This Bambi response is not the cute one you may be thinking of from the movie but...

• Being a people pleaser
  
• Avoid any type of conflicts
  
• Doesn't like confrontation
  
• Codependent
  
• People take advantage of you
  
• You have low self-confidence, self-esteem
  
• Have little to no boundaries
  
• Afraid to speak your mind or thoughts
  

Plus side-

Listener

Fair

Peacekeeper

Love and service

Compromiser

What can you do to begin healing these?

Admitting you have issues is the first step!

Can you find a trusted friend, family member, or counselor you can share with?

Can you remove yourself from the situation and find a safe home, workplace, or school alternative?

Reach out to a Women's Shelter to create a safety plan if needed.