Trauma Responses: What Are They, Exactly?

We tend to think of fight or flight as the body’s only two responses to trauma. In reality, we can react to perceived threats in several different ways.

Evolutionarily, they’re all designed to help us survive, but in today’s world where we’re rarely in life-threatening danger, they can affect our mental health in the long term. These are the four common trauma responses and what they look like.

Fight response

The fight response is just that—fighting back against the threat. The goal of the fight response is to ultimately ensure safety through confrontation. Historically, this would have helped our ancestors ward off predators or other dangers. This response is fueled by adrenaline and can manifest in several ways:

• aggression, which can range from verbal outbursts to physical confrontations

• a strong desire to control the situation and eliminate the perceived threat

• reacting defensively to criticism or perceived slights

• irritability, anger, or rage

Because we aren’t typically in life-or-death situations every day, the fight response doesn’t always look all that physical. If you find yourself in intense workplace arguments, feeling road rage when someone cuts you off on the freeway, or going on Twitter rants after someone slights you, you might be experiencing a fight trauma response. While this can sometimes be useful in setting boundaries, it can also lead persistent conflict and volatile relationships with others over time.

Flight response

The flight response is the impulse to escape from danger. It involves physical or emotional withdrawal from a threatening situation. For our ancestors, fleeing from a predator or danger meant survival. Today, flight can manifest as avoiding having tough conversations, leaving a stressful job, or emotionally withdrawing from others. The flight response can deeply affect romantic relationships, since it’s hard to be vulnerable and intimate while in escape mode. If you’re in a flight trauma response, you may:

• avoid places, people, or activities associated with past trauma

• feel consistently anxious, worried, or nervous about perceived threats

• feel unable to relax

• try to avoid criticism through perfectionism

Freeze response

The freeze response is essentially shutting down in the face of danger. It can feel like emotional and physical paralysis. It’s essentially stalling while evaluating whether it would be better to fight or flee. It can also be a last resort when neither fighting nor fleeing is possible. Playing dead or staying completely still might cause a predator to lose interest. Today, freezing might look like zoning out during stressful situations, feeling stuck in life decisions, or being unable to respond in moments of acute stress. Some characteristics of the freeze response include:

• emotional numbness

• feeling disconnected from reality

• being unable to move or speak in the face of danger

• a sense of being outside of one’s body

• staring blankly

Fawn response

The fawn response involves appeasing the threat in an attempt to avoid conflict. Typically, we don’t often talk about the fawn response, though it’s common. The fawn response helps to diffuse the threat by seeking to please and placate. This might have helped in situations where direct confrontation or escape was not possible, for example, when dealing with someone more powerful than you. Over time, fawning codependency, burnout, and a loss of personal identity are common. Ultimately, it’s emotionally exhausting. Here are some signs of the fawn response:

• people-pleasing behaviors

• difficulty saying no to others

• putting other people’s needs above your own

• being overly sensitive to other people’s feelings

Are you coping with trauma?

Over time, these trauma responses can take a toll on your mental health. The after-effects of trauma can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other issues. If you’re struggling to deal with your past trauma, reach out to a therapist today. Trauma-focused therapy can help you heal.

To find out more about how trauma therapy can help you understand your trauma responses, please reach out to us.