To fight, flight, freeze or fawn?

Explore the spectrum of fight, flight, freeze, and fawn reactions. From anger and anxiety to isolation and people-pleasing, learn about the diverse ways trauma can affect us. Share to spread awareness! #trauma #fight #flight #freeze #fawn #anger #anxiety #peoplepleaser | Mind, Brain, Body Lab

Fight. Flight. Freeze. Faint. Fawn. The five Fs of survival response. When we are unsafe our sympathetic nervous system kicks into gear and picks a way to protect us. Sometimes our instinct is to FIGHT (someone or something close to our size and strength) Sometimes our instinct is to FLEE (snakes and spiders eeee) Sometimes we play dead and FREEZE (mountain lions, lion lions, dinosaurs) Sometimes our system just knocks us out entirely trying to protect us from the pain of inevitable death FAINT

Research on trauma and its effects on the body has been a topic of interest in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and medicine.Stress Response: Traumatic events trigger the body’s stress response system, leading to the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones prepare the body for a “fight or flight” response, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness.Neurobiological Changes: Trauma can cause significant changes in the brain’s structure and funct

A trauma response can be understood as an adaptive response of the nervous system rather than a flaw when we consider its purpose and the context in which it arises. While trauma responses can be distressing and disruptive, they often serve a protective function, allowing individuals to cope with overwhelming or dangerous situations. Here are a few reasons why trauma responses can be viewed as adaptive: -Survival mechanism: Trauma responses, such as the fight-or-flight response, are evolutionari