there are two more trauma responses that can happen instead of Fight or Flight: Freeze and Fawn.

In a dangerous or traumatic situation, most people are aware of our body's biological fight (becoming aggressive) or flight (running away) responses. However, there are two more common responses that we don't hear about as often: freeze and fawn.

The freeze response is when the victim is unable to move or make a choice in a threatening situation. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

Fawn refers to the victim instinctually trying to appease the aggressor to de-escalate the situation. This can be in the form of agreeing with the aggressor, telling them what they want to hear, or ignoring your personal feelings/desires in any attempt to stop the abuse. This response is especially prevalent in childhood trauma.

Why YSK: These can happen during any kind of abuse/attack: physical, verbal, or sexual. It's important to know that when we react this way, it is our body doing what it thinks is best to keep us safe in the moment. Sometimes it feels like "fight" is the bravest/heroic response, but that's simply not true. There is no hierarchy among the responses, all are equally valid. Your body's #1 priority is keeping you alive with the tools it has available at the time.

Over time, these responses can become a pattern, especially the fawn response. It's important to know that it is not your fault. If you have access, therapy can be very effective for treating trauma and PTSD.