Trauma responses are a normal part of life. They are automatic responses our body does to try to protect us. Our body is naturally wired to sense for safety and unsafety. And this natural wiring kicks in when our body is sensing we are under threat. While trauma responses are innately designed to protect us, they can continue to show up in life when the body is no longer under threat.

Often survivors of traumatic incidents continue to experience trauma responses long after they are no longer in threat. These are not conscious responses trauma survivors are making. When the nervous system senses anything that is similar to a previous traumatic incident it will go into survival mode. This can be very difficult when it’s happening on a regular basis. Even though they are normal, they often don’t often feel good on a regular basis.

What Is a Trauma Response?

When the nervous system perceives danger or threat the body’s defensive system automatically kicks in. Often trauma survivors wonder if they are doing these responses intentionally. This is rarely the case as the body’s autonomic nervous system responds automatically to a perceived threat. Sometimes, multiple responses occur at the same time. At times only one response kicks in more strongly.

These responses are innately protective. They are the body’s beautiful way of keeping us safe. Trauma responses happen when these responses are occurring long after a threat has passed. Even during times of safety, the body is sensing danger. This is primarily due to traumatic event(s) that a person may have experienced in the past. It can almost feel as if the nervous system is stuck in threat mode.

Introducing “Fight”, “Flight”, “Freeze” & “Fawn”

You may have heard of some of the four main types of trauma responses. These are fight, flight, freeze and fawn. The nervous system’s defensive system is designed to do these four things in response to threat.

The first response is to flee from the danger. The second is to fight the threat, if flee doesn’t work. And the third is to freeze and numb the body to survive the danger. The fawn response comes in during persistent and ongoing threats with the goal of reducing the danger. Often they can overlap. All four can be intertwined together and be experienced concurrently. This can be the case for persistent threats that happened over long periods of time.  They don’t typically fit into a neat category in terms of how they occur. Depending upon which defensive response is being experienced there are different signs for each one.

Fight Response

The fight response is exactly what it sounds like: it is the survival response that prepares one for a confrontation to a perceived threat. Some of the sensations that are experienced in the body include: muscular tightness, adrenaline, large eyes, more blood to the face, heart pounding, making fists. There is often a surge of anger.

These are all autonomic nervous system signs that the body is getting ready to fight. In every day life this can show up as a lot of anger and irritability. Being quick to anger, and having a shorter window of tolerance can also be signs of a stuck fight response. Defensiveness and a strong need for control can also be signs of the fight response showing up in everyday life.

Flight Response

Having a strong urge to escape or struggling to settle frequently can be a sign of the flight response being triggered. Whereas the fight response is preparation to confront a threat, the flight response is the autonomic nervous system response to avoid a perceived threat.

In everyday life this can show up as a lot of anxiety or a general sense of restlessness. Often ‘pushing through’ and doing too much can be a sign of the flight response in daily life. Do you find yourself overworking or being described as a workaholic? These can be signs of a stuck flight response. Sometimes when slowing down or resting feels unsettling these can be signs of the flight response. You may have an urge to ‘go,go,go’ or do something at all times. Struggling to feel a sense of ease can also be signs of the flight response not being able to move through the body.

Freeze Response

The freeze response is different from the fight and flight responses. Whereas fight and flight have a sense of movement with them, freeze is the opposite. It can feel like one is stuck in place. A constant sense of numbing or zoning out a lot can be a sign of freeze. The freeze response is the trauma response that can show up when someone has experienced a lot of persistent or ongoing trauma. It’s the response that helps us get through something extremely difficult or ongoing difficulties. By numbing out and feeling less the body protects us from actually sensing how bad something is. Another sign of free is feeling immobilized or finding it difficult to get going in everyday life.

There are other signs of the freeze response including difficulty making decisions. A sense of anxiety over making a decision may be more than anxiety. It can feel like you’re actually ‘stuck’ and unable to make decisions easily. It’s not that you’re unable to make decisions. It can feel more like it’s agonizingly long to do so. Or a sense of anxiety shows up around decision making. In addition to decision making, difficulty taking action may also be there. It may feel like acting takes a very long time.

Fawn Response

Many people haven’t considered people pleasing to be a potential trauma response. Socially, people pleasing can be normalized as a behavioural response without a context. When looking at it through a nervous system lens people-pleasing may be part of the fawn response. The fawn response often develops in an environment where appeasing others was an attempt to create safety.

Sometimes trying to create safety means doing things to please others. The thinking is, if I appease others then bad things will happen less often to me. Prioritizing other people needs can also tie into this. Other beauviours of this response may include difficult saying no to others. me other behaviours of this response may include difficulty saying no. Knowing that one wants to say no, but struggling to do so can be a fawn response. Avoiding conflict is another common feature of the fawn response.

How Do You Know If You’re Having a Trauma Response?

Depending on the type of trauma response that is showing up there will be different signs. With all trauma responses, there will be emotional, behavioural and physical signs. One key tell is when the intensity of the reaction feels disproportionate to the current situation. It is important to remember that your nervous system is responding to a perceived threat, not an actual threat. Hence, the reason a trauma response feels disproportionate or out of alignment.

For example, a loving partner regularly cancelling plans may lead to intense sensations of anxiety, or an urges to create distance in the relationship. This is a sign the flight response is being triggered. In the same instance, a fawn response may show up as normalising the behaviour and adapting to it. A fawn response may create anxiety or feelings of shut down if you consider talking to your partner about the behaviour. The fight response may lead to initiating an argument. Whereas a freeze response may look like shutting down and struggling to find words, or even having the energy to reengage with your partner.

What Triggers a Trauma Response?

Triggers are based on the nervous system perceiving a threat based on past threats (not current ones). Your nervous system can be triggered by anything that reminds it of a past trauma. This can include people, places, sensations, conflict, memories, relationship dynamics, or situations. Anything that remind the nervous system of a past experience, even when the connection is not immediately obvious, can be a trigger.

What Can You Do When You Notice a Trauma Response?

Gentle and practical ways to ground yourself can be the most beneficial when having a trauma response. If anything you try makes the response feel worse, it’s best to stop it and try something different. The first step is to slow down and try to notice what sensations you’re feeling in the body and try to create safety. This can include, stepping away or taking a break from the situation.

If you’re experiencing the freeze response, gently starting to wiggle the feet and hands and then the rest of your limbs. This can bring your body out of the state. A fight response may benefit from stepping away from the trigger. And then doing something like squeezing a towel, or pillow, or shaking off the energy or pushing the feet into the ground.

Going for a walk may also be grounding regardless of the trauma response you’re experiences. The flight response may especially find walking grounding. Orienting to your surroundings can also bring the body out of a trauma response. To do this, you can use your five senses to scan the room and mindfully notice pleasurable sounds, things to look at, nice smells. Sometimes using a sensory toy, such as a squishy can be grounding.

Approaching the reaction with curiousity, rather than judgment, may be helpful. You’re body is simply triggered by something and needs a reminder that it’s actually safe. And it needs some time to actually connect to and land in safety again.

How Therapy Can Help You Understand Your Responses

Ready to try support to resolve the underlying trauma responses? Trauma-informed therapy and Somatic Therapy can help people recognize protective patterns, understand the nervous system, and develop new ways of responding when they feel activated. Somatic Therapy can also help resolve the underlying protective patterns over time so you feel more safe in the world. And more able to lean into enjoyment and feel good overall in your life.

To learn more about Trauma Therapy or book a complimentary consultation contact Grounded Path Therapy.