Fight, Flight, Freeze; The Survival Responses of the Body and Brain

When we encounter a stimulus that may be threatening, the brain processes information coming from the senses and combines it with memories, environmental context and previous experiences. The amygdala, a brain structure involved in processing the emotional meaning of stimuli, takes part in detecting threats and activating defensive responses. At the same time, other systems in the brain, including the hypothalamus and the brainstem, are involved in coordinating the bodily response. The sympathetic nervous system may increase the heart rate, change breathing and prepare the body for action.

It is important to understand that the brain does not operate through a single "danger button", but through a complex network of neural and bodily processes.

The fight response is expressed as a mobilization to confront the threat. It may include increased muscle tension, alertness, anger and a readiness to act forcefully. In a situation of real danger, this response may help with self-defense. However, in everyday life it may also appear in situations of criticism, a sense of humiliation or a threat to self-worth. For example, a person who receives a comment from their manager may respond aggressively, even though the situation does not require physical defense.

Not all anger is a survival response, but sometimes an outburst may be related to a sense of threat that the person finds hard to identify in real time.

The flight response prepares the body to move away from the source of danger. It may be expressed in an urge to leave the place, avoid an encounter or quickly end a situation that arouses discomfort. Sometimes the flight is not physical, but behavioral.

A person may avoid complex conversations, postpone tasks that arouse anxiety or distance themselves from relationships when a fear of being hurt arises.

In dangerous situations, moving away is an effective response. The difficulty arises when avoidance becomes a pattern that narrows the person's range of choices.

The freeze response may appear when the nervous system detects a threat and the person experiences difficulty acting. It can be expressed in a temporary reduction of movement, a sense of paralysis, difficulty speaking or an inability to make a decision. A distinction should be made between a brief freeze accompanied by alertness and assessment of the environment and other defensive responses of immobility, which may appear in situations of extreme threat. For example, a person exposed to a threatening event may discover that they were unable to shout, resist or run away.

It is important to emphasize: freezing during a threatening event does not indicate consent, weakness or a conscious choice not to act.

This is a response that may occur involuntarily.

Two people may be exposed to the same event and respond in completely different ways. The response is influenced by many factors, including personal characteristics, previous experiences, the sense of control over the situation, the intensity of the threat and the resources available at that moment. The same person may also respond in different ways at different periods of their life. For example, a person who usually confronts threatening situations may freeze when experiencing significant helplessness. Therefore, the three responses should not be seen as fixed personality types. They describe possible response states of the defense system.

After a traumatic experience, systems involved in detecting threats may remain sensitive to stimuli that are reminiscent of the event. As a result, situations that are not dangerous in the present may trigger intense defensive responses. For example, a person who experienced a violent event may respond with heightened alertness to a loud noise or a sudden movement. At the same time, fight, flight and freeze responses also appear in people who have not experienced trauma, and are not, in themselves, evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder.

A diagnosis depends on the full range of symptoms, how long they have been present and their impact on functioning.

One of the important stages in coping is learning to identify the early signs of the response. It is possible to pay attention to three areas:

• Bodily sensations: A racing pulse, muscle tension, a change in breathing or a feeling of stiffness.
• Thoughts: "I have to get out of here", "I need to protect myself", "I can't cope".
• Behavioral urges: A desire to attack, move away, hide or stop responding.

Identifying the signs does not guarantee that we will be able to change the response immediately, but it may help in understanding what is happening and in choosing a suitable way of coping.

When defensive responses appear frequently or impair functioning, they can be addressed within tailored psychological therapy.

Therapy may include identifying triggering situations, examining interpretations of threat, developing regulation skills and gradual exposure to safe situations.

When trauma is present, trauma-focused therapy can be integrated according to the professional assessment and the person's needs.

It is important to distinguish between a situation in which the body responds to a real threat and a situation in which a defensive response is activated that does not match the danger in the present.

The goal is not to eliminate the survival mechanisms, but to improve the ability to distinguish between danger and a sense of threat.

Fight, flight and freeze are natural responses of the human defense system. They do not necessarily reflect a person's character, the degree of their courage or their ability to cope with difficulties. Sometimes the response suits the situation and helps maintain safety. In other cases it is activated even when there is no real danger.

The ability to recognize survival responses and understand the circumstances in which they appear may allow more flexible and tailored coping, without struggling against their very existence.