Fight, Flight, or Freeze: What are these responses and what controls them?
A scream jolted me up in bed. It was my mother from the next room, calling my name. I didn't have to listen to her muffled chatter to understand what was going on. The sound buck, buck, buck, buck and a patter of wings from outside told me everything I had to know.
I leapt off my bed, swung the door open, and rushed out of the house grabbing a broom forgetting my glasses on the way.
It was cold outside, and the sun was barely up. The sky was beaming white. I'm basically blind without my glasses, and combined with the white light, everything around was a blend of grey, white, brown, and green. I followed the sounds the squawking chicken, ruffling leaves, snapping twigs, past the small road on the right side of the house to where the woods were. Past a short wall on the other side of the road, the woods gently sloped down.
I instantly saw what I needed to see. Our favorite, expensive black fighter hen was running around in circles, flapping its wings loudly and crying out every single distress signal in the chicken dictionary. A pack of over a dozen excited stray dogs encircled it, each of them trying to land the glory blow that would pluck the life off the graceful bird.
Not even remembering my fear of dogs, I leapt over the wall and landed in the middle of this circle of dogs.
Photo by Sachith Ravishka Kodikara: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-straw-hat-drawing-his-sword-5971346/
I swung the broom around like it was some machine gun.
I don't remember what I was thinking, but it worked. The dogs scattered away; the hen rushed past me and flew into our front porch.
I walked back to our house broom yielding the blind warrior. Somehow, when my pet's life was on the line, I had forgotten my fears, my overthinking, and rushed out to save it before anyone else.
And this wasn't the only time. I narrated this one because it was the only successful rescue operation. but I was always there first, whether it was the early morning or the middle of the night(me and my lousy brothers often forgot to lock the coop up for the night), broomstick or cricket bat yielding, not hesitating for a moment.
So it made me think. What made the same guy who froze when a brawl broke out between his friends and their enemies a hero when it came to saving a bunch of chickens not even knowing what the foe was?
What are the Fight, Flight, or Freeze responses? What influences them?
They are stress responses; part of the automatic defense system of our body called the automatic nervous system(the system that controls all involuntary functions in the body, like heartbeat), and therefore automatic. It gives us the survival instinct to analyze and protect ourselves from danger, and emotions and past experiences play a major role in which response is selected. They decide which feelings dominate, and hence which response is suitable.
Photo by Pedro Figueras: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stress-handwritten-text-on-white-printer-paper-626165/
The Fight response occurs when our body believes that the dangers its facing can be overcome or overpowered. Anger and feelings of anxiety are common amidst this response, and a person in this mode will find themselves too focused on their danger, unable to concentrate on anything else, and "out of control".
The Flight response is the exact opposite of the fight response, as the word suggests. Feelings of anxiety and fear will dominate, as the person believes the danger facing them is too overwhelming, and the body will decide its better to escape. Factors such as self confidence and self esteem may also influence this.
The Freeze response is in between the other two responses. It is a state in the middle where someone feels they can't fight nor flee. The body temporarily freezes or becomes immobile, and the person is unable to make any decisions, react, and feels that the situation is too overwhelming for them to do anything. (Exactly what I felt when that brawl broke out. All that worked in those moments were my eyes.)
What are the changes in your body that make these responses?
The physiological changes(bodily changes) are many; they affect almost every organ in the body since the automatic nervous system is involved.
The reaction starts in our amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for fear or perceived threat, then passes to the hypothalamus, which controls the automatic nervous system. The automatic nervous system has two parts, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The sympathetic nervous system drives the fight or flight responses, and the parasympathetic nervous system drives the freeze response. Whoever is dominant at that moment, based on the factors mentioned in the previous section, will take over. But regardless of who's dominant, generally, when the automatic nervous system is stimulated, the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol are secreted causing the following changes in the rest of the body.
If it is a fight or flight response, the heart rate will rise to increase blood supply to the major muscles(because the body expects some action), the breathing becomes faster to absorb more oxygen into blood(which will taken oxygen to the muscles), the blood's clotting response or coagulation increases expecting injuries, and since the blood is focused on major muscles, the person might look pale and feel cold around the arms and legs. Pupils in the eyes will dilate, to make us see better, and the ears will grow sharper. Perception of pain will reduce.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/human-fist-163431/
If it is a freeze response, the heart rate grows slower, and the body grows still, numb, and rigid. Breathing grows slower(the person also most probably holds his breath). Sweating may or may not increase, and the body might grow cold. Some might even feel faintish and pass out.
Can it be controlled?
The initial responses cannot be controlled. Our brain makes the decisions in an instant, based on past experiences and emotions, and as mentioned earlier, these are automatic. Although, since these responses are stress responses, and trauma responses, we can train ourselves and regulate our stress levels to indirectly control the frequency and intensity of these responses.
For some people, these responses can be overactive due to anxiety disorders or traumatic experiences(fights, accidents, natural disasters, childhood trauma, or any stressful life event) making them overattentive and hostile to their surroundings always perceiving threats. The brain reacts to triggers related from those experiences, and this can be overactive. For example, a stress response can be caused by a vehicle that reminds you of a traumatic accident.
How to Improve it?
Relaxation techniques like meditation, repetitive prayer, yoga, and other mindfulness techniques can help. Physical exercises, like working out at the gym, walking, jogging, cycling, can also help. Social support is also crucial; talking with people who are helpful and supportive can be more relaxing than any relaxation technique. If the problem is serious, mental health professionals can be consulted.
Photo by TMS Sam: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-boy-running-in-body-of-water-during-sunset-694587/
The Take away
Our body decides on Fight, Flight, or Freeze responses based on psychological fears and past experiences. If you have past traumatic experiences or anxiety, your body might overreact. It is not a matter or whether someone is brave or cowardly or smart; what response your body chooses is ultimately who you are and how your life played out. Your response is nothing to be ashamed of.
Sources/Further reading:
Kirsten Nunez, Fight, Flight, Freeze: What This Response Means, https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/fight-flight-freeze, 2023
Martin Taylor, What Does Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn Mean?, https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-does-fight-flight-freeze-fawn-mean, 2024
Olivia Guy-Evans, Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn: How We Respond to Threats, https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html