What is your trauma response?
Have you ever wondered why certain situations instantly trigger an intense reaction in you? This is your nervous system's history speaking! The 4 main trauma responses—Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn—are the core blueprints your mind created to manage overwhelming stress or danger.
It's vital to remember that these are not signs of weakness; they are evidence of your resilience and ability to adapt. However, when they operate on autopilot, they can hinder your present-day happiness and relationships. True healing begins with cultivating radical self-compassion for the ways you've had to survive.
Find out how your body and mind react to overwhelming experiences:
Fight:
The fight response is your body’s way of defending against perceived threat.
You may notice:
Anger or irritability
Feeling on edge or ready to confront
Arguments or conflict as a response to stress
Flight:
The flight response pushes you to move away from perceived threat.
You may notice:
Avoiding situations, people, or places
Feeling restless or wanting to “run” from stress
Procrastination or withdrawal as a protective response
Freeze:
The freeze response can occur when fight or flight feels unsafe.
You may notice:
Feeling numb, stuck, or “frozen”
Difficulty making decisions or taking action
Dissociation or zoning out during stressful moments
Fawn:
The fawn response involves prioritising others’ needs to reduce threat.
You may notice:
Prioritising others over yourself to gain approval and avoid conflict.
Difficulty saying "no" and setting boundaries.
Overly agreeable and take on over-responsibility for others' feelings.
Ignore own needs, leading to resentment.
If you're tired of these automatic reactions dictating your life, let's work together to create new, safer response patterns. Click the link below to book your appointment: