Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn: How Your Body Responds to Stress

When your body senses danger it may trigger several reflexive reactions, including fight or flight responses.

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Understanding the Body’s Stress Response System

To understand how and why your body activates various fight or flight response examples, we first need to take a quick look at the complex network of neurons (nerve cells) that facilitates communication between your brain and every other part of your body

The nervous system

Your nervous system, which plays an integral role in every thought you have and every movement you make, is divided into two main parts:

• The central nervous system (CNS) consists of your brain and your spinal cord.
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS) includes all the nerves that branch out from your spinal cord, completing the connection between your brain to your organs and extremities.

The peripheral nervous system can also be broken down into two sections:

• The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements. When you decide to wave at a friend, take a step, or wiggle your toes, your somatic nervous system turns your thoughts into actions.
• The autonomic nervous system handles involuntary movements. The reason you don’t have to actively think about making your heart beat or digesting your food is because your autonomic nervous system takes care of these types of functions

As we’ll discuss below, your autonomic nervous system is also responsible for how your body responds to threats and stressors.

The autonomic nervous system

Three parts of the autonomic nervous system are responsible for three different types of involuntary movements:  

• The sympathetic nervous system handles your stress response. In times of danger, it triggers actions such as dilating your pupils, releasing adrenaline, increasing your heart rate, and redirecting blood flow.
• The parasympathetic nervous system acts as a counterbalance to the sympathetic nervous system. When the danger has passed, this system lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, slows your breathing, and relaxes your muscles.
• The enteric nervous system is dedicated to digestion.

For the rest of today’s post, as we discuss fight or flight response examples and related actions, we’ll we focused on the sympathetic nervous system.

Activating the Sympathetic Nervous System

The sympathetic nervous system is activated when the body perceives a threat. But what constitutes a threat, and how does the activation process happen?

Types of threats

We often think of fight or flight response examples as reactions to threats of severe physical harm or death, such as encountering a dangerous animal or being in the path of an out-of-control vehicle.

These types of situations can clearly require an immediate reaction. But physical threats like these aren’t the only experiences that can kickstart the body’s stress response. Others include:

• Getting in to an argument
• Facing a deadline at work or in school
• Having financial problems
• Being diagnosed with a serious illness
• Living in a chaotic and/or unsafe environment

Activation

Activating the fight or flight response (or triggering other stress responses) involves several brain regions, including:

• The amygdala – Consisting of two small structures within the temporal lobe, the amygdala sounds the alarm when a threat it perceived by sending a message to the hypothalamus.
• Hypothalamus – When this small area at the base of the brain receives the message, it triggers the sympathetic nervous system by signaling for the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and other hormones.
• Hippocampus – The hippocampus, which is involved with learning and memory, compares current circumstances to past events to assess the severity of the threat.
• Prefrontal cortex – This region influences higher-level functions such as making decisions. It helps to determine if the threat requires continued activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Examples of the Fight or Flight Response

So, we now know what the sympathetic nervous system is, what types of threats can trigger it, and how it is activated. But what does this activation look like? 

A common fight or flight response example involves encountering a physical threat, such as when someone approaches you with their fists up or a weapon in their hands:

• Fight – The fight response would be to attack the individual in an attempt to subdue them and neutralize the threat.
• Flight – An example of the flight response would be to take cover behind something that can prevent the person from getting to you, or finding a way to get far enough away that they can no longer harm you.

A potential fight or flight scenario in the workplace involves being yelled at by your boss:

• Fight – A fight response to your boss’s anger could include yelling right back at them. You may blame them for not providing the support you needed or point the finger at someone else on your team that didn’t do their job.
• Flight – In the immediate moments after being yelled at, a flight response might involve momentarily dissociating to protect yourself from the verbal abuse. It could also involve simply walking out of the office or quitting your job on the spot.

In a medical context, fight or flight can be triggered by learning that you or a loved one has a serious medical condition:

• Fight – A negative fight response in this case would involve directing an angry outburst toward the person who informed you of the diagnosis. A more productive fight response would be to commit to pursuing all available options to either slow the condition’s progression or eradicate it completely.
• Flight – A flight response to news of a serious medical problem might involve denying that the problem exists or failing to show up for tests or procedures.

Examples of Freezing and Fawning

As suggested by the headline of today’s post, fight or flight aren’t the only potential outcomes when your sympathetic nervous system is activated. Two other common responses are freezing and fawning:

• Freezing involves the temporary inability to take any action. You are arguing with a person who suddenly pulls out a weapon. Instead of fighting or fleeing, you may find yourself temporarily rooted to the spot, unable to move. This is freezing. You may also momentarily freeze when exposed to verbal abuse or when encountering what appears to be an unsurmountable challenge such as a serious financial problem.
• Fawning is an attempt to eliminate the danger by suppressing your own needs and placating the person who poses the threat. Someone who endured an abusive childhood, or who has been subjected to intimate partner violence, may reflexively respond to anger or aggression by fawning, which can involve immediately agreeing to the aggressor’s demands and apologizing for causing the problem (even when the problem is by no means their fault).  

Dysfunctional Stress Response

Sometimes, such as in the aftermath of a traumatic experience, a person’s sympathetic nervous system can get “stuck” in the on position. In other words, their body will believe that that they are in a virtually constant state of danger. This can cause effects such as:

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Agitation and irritability
• Hostility and aggression
• Reflexive submission
• Hypervigilance
• Exaggerated startle response
• Frequent headaches and stomach aches
• Persistent muscle tension
• Insomnia
• Vivid nightmares
• Appetite changes

Find Treatment for Stress & Trauma in Arkansas

If you have been living with untreated trauma or experiencing dysfunctional stress response, Time Wellness Arkansas is here to help. 

Our center in Fayetteville, AR, is a safe place where you can receive personalized support from a team of skilled and compassionate professionals. Working together, we can help you learn to regain control of your thoughts and behaviors, so that you can start living the healthier and more satisfying life that you deserves.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.