The Fight/Flight/Freeze Response in the Brain

The fight/flight/freeze response (and some research is incorporating a fawn response now also) are all the result of how the nervous system responds to triggers.  There are two subparts of the nervous system: sympathetic and parasympathetic.

The sympathetic nervous system triggers a “Don’t just sit there–do something” response whereas the parasympathetic nervous system triggers the “Don’t move–it’s not safe response.”  

When the sympathetic nervous system is triggered adrenaline is released throughout the body increasing heart rate and breathing, it causes muscles to tense, but most importantly it provides the energy to prepare to fight or run.  This process causes the prefrontal cortext to shut down and you are acting on pure instinct.  

Conversely, the parasympathetic nervous system releases other chemicals in the body that slow the heart rate and breathing leaving you feeling exhausted, weak, shaking, you may feel nausea or have diarrhea.  In extreme cases can lead to total freezing and even playing dead.  

The response that our brain chooses is completely disconnected from our thinking brain.  We do not choose which response to have, our instincts do.  If our brain thinks it’s safe to fight or run, that’s what it will choose in the moment, if the brain does not believe it is safe to fight or run, then it’ll trigger the parasympathetic nervous system and we will experience a freeze response.  

BLAMING OURSELVES FOR HOW OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM RESPONDS TO THREATS IS TRIGGERING

I wrote that in bold and all caps because often times we blame ourselves for freezing or responding the “wrong” way in the face of the threat.  It is again important to remember you did not choose to respond the way you did, your survival instincts did.  However, I want to add that it does not mean you can’t retrain your brain to respond differently, it just takes curiosity and a lot of compassion and over time your brain may stop perceiving certain things as threats so that you can use your wise mind in triggering situations instead.  

Question for reflection:  

Which instinctual response do you feel like you are more prone to default to when faced with a threat? (Many people go between the two depending on the threat, but we often have a default that we tend to gravitate toward).