Understanding Trauma: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn

Defining Trauma

Trauma, for most of the public, conjures up images of war, divorce, car accidents, and other major life disruptions. These can be classified as traumatic, research has expanded our definition of trauma to include not only single incidents/events but also ongoing experiences. 

However, trauma informed practitioners will likely provide a holistic, nuanced, and inclusive  narrative around trauma. For those that understand trauma, it can be described as any experience that is non nurturing in nature. Harmful, or non nurturing events, lead an individual to learn alternative ways to protect oneself. Some of these protective mechanisms are incredibly helpful, while others create more harm over time. 

This definition can spark intense reactions from others. Intense reactions around this widened trauma description typically occurs from a place of protection/defense. 

For example, an individual who was the victim of a mugging and assault may begin carrying weapons or wearing protective devices to call for help. This response would lead only to a stronger ability to defend oneself if needed. This is an expected response and a response we would hope the individual would keep over time. 

However, if the same person begins having panic attacks, nightmares, or trouble sleeping after an extended time after the mugging - these are also ways the body learns to “protect” itself in an attempt to be prepared for future threats. However, this response after a trauma is less helpful and actually creates more risk than before the event occurred.

In the second outcome, this person would likely experience significant distress and a lower quality of life. They would likely want to pursue some type of treatment to return to their prior coping ability through therapy or other appropriate means. 

What counts as a  traumatic experience?

Widening the Definition of Trauma

As trauma research progressed, the field recognized that trauma was no longer reserved for veterans of war but was more present in life than previously recognized. The mental health field has opted to use small “t” and big “t” trauma to enhance comprehension of the various types of trauma. Small and big are not intended to place any value on the importance of any experience, but rather to categorize an “event” or an “experience”. 

Big T trauma consists of event based trauma, while small T trauma consists of experiential traumas. Event based trauma includes a moment or several moments in time where one could point to traumatic origins. These types of traumas could include events such as experiencing a life threatening accident like a car accident, near drowning, an attack, a sexual assault, ect. Whereas small t traumas may include more subtle or recurring experiences. Small t traumas may include ongoing bullying from peers or a family member, being parentified as a child, having a parent who was cold/hostile, being excluded by social groups, and many other harmful experiences. 

So with all of these inclusions some people may be confused on whether or not this broader inclusion of small t traumas would result in “taking away” from others big t traumas.   

The answer to that is a firm “NO”. 

There is enough space for everyone to experience healing from their pain. While big t traumas are more validated, it is because they are more easily understood from others. Small t traumas can be more nuanced and often build on each other. Small trauma frequently compounds, making them more challenging to treat at times and less likely an individual may reach out for support. 

An Overview of Four Trauma Responses

Trauma is a non nurturing experience or group of experiences that results in a shift in the need to protect oneself. Not all trauma responses are created equally! They can exist on a spectrum of severity, however typically present in a few core patterns. Those patterns are flight, fight, freeze, and fawn. 

During a traumatic experience the central nervous system (CNS) is affected. The CNS is responsible for stress responses to threats. To avoid getting into a full biology lesson, this will be explained in simplistic terms, however you should know that after trauma the brain systems and body systems are affected and become overactive. Meaning a trauma response, regardless of which one, will affect one’s body, thoughts, and emotions!

Overall, the body and brain want to keep you safe. It is programmed to learn to protect itself. It will send out the same danger alerts whether the perceived threats are real or imagined.  The body doesn't know the difference!

This may be best illustrated using a modern example. A work email from your boss requesting a meeting to review your work is common in modern workplaces, however having a panic attack from this “threat” is less common. After traumas, the body begins to over interpret things as threats. This means after trauma, the body may go into “protection” mode from that email instead of seeing it as safe. The response would be helpful if a true threat was present such as knowing this will result in employment, expecting the boss to have an abusive reaction, or in the case of a physical threat. 

Depending on the presenting trauma response, the details of this may change. However some symptoms may look similar - which is an initial strong emotional response paired with irrational thoughts and strong body symptoms. Whether one has a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response may alter the presentation of this “safety response”. 

Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn

The presentation of these responses may depend on personality, biology, environment, and nature of trauma origins. For the sake of this blog, each will be described briefly despite being complex. 

Fight

The response of fight presents as an individual facing threats directly. This will sometimes appear aggressive and confrontational, but it can also present a need to be protective of others. Using the email example before, someone triggered by this email with a fight response may not wait until the meeting but may insist on handling the issue immediately. The response may present as being highly defensive or blaming others for the mistakes as opposed to taking ownership. In the body this response may be experienced as an accelerated heart rate, sweating, psychomotor agitation, action, and other symptoms. The fight response may also appear as anger, control, narcissism, bullying, or other explosive behaviors.

Flight

The response of fight presents as an individual who is highly avoidant of perceived threats. In the email example, an individual with a flight trauma response may quickly correct the mistakes in an attempt to avoid unwanted discomfort caused by being “called out” or in hopes they can avoid conflict with the manager overall. In the body this may appear as having shallow breaths, rapid heart rate, and being distracted by “other priorities”. This may present as difficulty relaxing or  trouble being in the “present”.Other presentations of flight may also include workaholism, overthinking, anxiety, panic, OCD, or perfectionism.

Freeze

The response of freeze presents as an individual who “shuts down” in the face of perceived threats. In the email example, this individual may forget to respond to the manager or may seem to struggle to continue with work altogether. This individual may even begin to make additional mistakes after due to the response. In the body, this can present as a slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, cloudy thoughts, and trouble initiating tasks. This may also present as trouble making decisions, feeling “stuck”,  dissociation, isolating, or numbing. 

Fawn

The response of freeze presents as an individual who avoids conflict through pleasing and  appeasing. This response is strongly based in relationship to others. A fawn response presents as an abandonment of tending to oneself and instead becomes dedicated to others. In the body, this may appear as adapting to others moods and needs and anticipating shifts - this leads to a significant abandonment of self and may begin to feel like one is living through the lens of others perceptions. This may also present as people pleasing, lack of identity, inability to set boundaries, chronic overwhelm, and codependency.

Finding Help & Healing From Trauma

If this blog resonates with you in a meaningful way, it may be a sign that professional help is a necessary step.Seeking mental health support is a critical step to enhance wellbeing and quality in life. This blog has aimed to provide information regarding trauma- it is not meant to replace professional services. By reaching out to professionals, support groups, helplines, or other online platforms - you can begin to take charge over your healing journey.

If you are in Ohio seeking therapy services, I would love to book an introduction call and see if we are a good match together.

If you live outside of Ohio or are uninterested in working together you can also explore online services to be linked to a therapist such as MentalHealthMatch.com, Psychology Today, Therapy Den, and so many more sites! I wish you the best in your healing journey!