Trauma Responses: Beyond Fight or Flight

The "fight or flight" response has long been recognized as a primary stress reaction, but trauma responses are much more nuanced than this binary model suggests. With nearly 8 billion people on Earth, the "fight or flight" framework fails to account for other responses such as "freeze," "fawn," "faint," and more. To fully understand trauma responses, we must look beyond the conventional "fight or flight" concept and explore the variety of reactions individuals may experience.  

When we face stress, our Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis activates, leading to the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. This physiological reaction prepares us for a perceived threat by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. How we respond to this physiological arousal can vary significantly:  

Fight: The fight response involves reacting to a threat with aggression or assertiveness. This can manifest physically, through actions like standing your ground or preparing to confront the threat, or verbally, through yelling or arguing. It’s important to note that fight doesn’t always imply physical violence; it can also involve emotional expressions such as screaming or crying.  

Example: If someone encounters a grizzly bear while walking in a forest, their initial reaction might be to confront the bear directly, believing they can overpower it.  

Flight: The flight response involves the urge to escape from danger. This can mean physically running away or feeling a strong restlessness if escape isn’t immediately possible. Additionally, flight can manifest as emotional or psychological distancing rather than physically fleeing.  

Example: Upon encountering a grizzly bear, a person might immediately start running, understanding that they cannot fight the bear but can potentially outrun it.  

Freeze: The freeze response is a complex and often frustrating reaction to intense stress. It occurs when an individual feels unable to fight or flee and thus becomes immobilized, similar to a “deer in headlights.” This response doesn’t necessarily relieve stress; individuals may still experience feelings of dread and physical symptoms such as pale skin, numbness, and a slow, thudding heartbeat.  

Example: When faced with a grizzly bear, someone might freeze in place, unable to move, hoping the bear will lose interest and leave.  

Fawn: The fawn response involves trying to please or befriend the threat in an attempt to avoid harm. This response can be particularly guilt-inducing for trauma survivors, as it may lead them to feel responsible for their trauma. However, the fawn response is a survival strategy where the individual tries to appease the threat by being excessively agreeable or accommodating.  

Example: In the presence of a grizzly bear, a person might try to show the bear they mean no harm by adopting a non-threatening posture or even approaching it, hoping this will prevent the bear from attacking.  

Fright: The fright response, similar to freeze, involves extreme fear but is characterized by a state of tonic immobility or “playing dead.” This response is common in various species and involves collapsing or becoming unresponsive when faced with imminent danger.  

Example: Encountering a grizzly bear, an individual might collapse to the ground and lie still, mimicking the behavior of a dead animal.  

Flag: The flag response, often seen in survivors of abuse, involves dissociation from a highly stressful experience. The individual may feel detached from their own body, as if observing from a third-person perspective. This response can lead to gaps in memory as the brain attempts to shield itself from the traumatic experience.  

Example: When faced with a grizzly bear, a person might dissociate, feeling detached from their own body and unable to recall the details of how they dealt with the situation once it is over.  

Faint: The faint response involves a complete physiological shutdown in response to overwhelming stress. Unlike fright, which involves playing dead, fainting is a collapse due to extreme stress or fear.  

Example: In the presence of a grizzly bear, an individual might faint from feeling overwhelmed and the body's inability to cope with the threat.  

The primary function of the brain is not to keep one happy or calm, but to keep one alive.

Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are natural ways our bodies react to real or imagined danger.

The fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses are types of trauma responses and stress responses that occur when the brain perceives a threat.

These are part of the body’s automatic defense system, known as the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate and respiration.

The fight-or-flight response is the most well-known, involving either confronting (fight) or escaping (flight) a threat.

The freeze response involves becoming still or numb, while the fawn response involves appeasing or submitting to avoid harm.

These behaviors are deeply rooted in human behavior and evolution, designed to enhance survival in dangerous situations.

 The stress response occurs when the demands of the environment are greater than our perceived ability to cope with them.

The level of stress is influenced by how an individual perceives the event and their capacity to handle it.

The Physiological (Bodily) Stress Response

• Eyes: the pupils dilate. Allowing your eyes to absorb more light improves your eyesight so that more attention can be dedicated to danger. You might notice a “tunnel vision” or realize that your vision becomes “sharper.”

• Ears: the same concept for the eyes applies to the ears. You will notice that your ears essentially “perk up,” and your hearing can become “sharper.”

• Heart: heart rate increases, and there is a dilation of coronary blood vessels. A faster heart can feed more blood, oxygen, and energy into the body, enhancing your power to run away or fight.

• Lungs: breathing quickens and becomes shallower. Again, this quicker breathing takes in more oxygen for your muscles.

• Skin: you become pale, and your face gets flushed. Blood vessels in the skin contract, directing more blood where it is needed – the muscles, brain, legs, and arms. Your hands and feet get cold because of this too.

• Muscles: your muscles tense up all over the body, becoming primed for action. Because of this, your muscles might shake or tremble, particularly if you are not moving.

• Stomach: you may get nausea or “butterflies” – blood is diverted away from the digestive system, which can cause these feelings.

• Mind: thoughts begin to race. This quicker thinking can help you evaluate your environment and make rapid decisions if necessary. Hence, it can be challenging to concentrate on anything other than the danger you perceive. You may also feel dizzy or lightheaded if one does not actually run or fight under the trigger.

• Pain: your perception of pain temporarily reduces while under the fight or flight or freeze or fawn trigged

Emotional and Cognitive Signs

• Feeling angry is common here — it’s like your body gearing up to push back or defend yourself. Anger gives you energy to face obstacles or protect your boundaries.

• You might also feel fear or anxiety, which often feels very similar to excitement — like your heart pounding or sweaty palms — because your body is getting ready for action.

• Irritability is another usual sign — little things might get under your skin more easily.

• Your attention can get really focused on the threat, sometimes so much that it’s hard to think about anything else.

Understanding these diverse trauma responses helps us appreciate the complexity of human reactions to stress and trauma. Recognizing and validating these responses enhances our ability to support individuals who have experienced trauma and deepens our overall understanding of stress management. It is crucial to remember that regardless of an individual's response, their traumatic experiences are never their fault, especially for survivors of abuse or assault.  

While it may be challenging to understand why the body might “shut down” when one might have preferred to fight or flee, it is important to recognize that the body’s priority is to achieve safety in the best way it can. This does not mean that you “chose” to react in a particular way; rather, it means that your body did its best to cope with intense and unfair challenges. It is essential to approach yourself with kindness and compassion, acknowledging that you did what you could under the circumstances.