You see it in animals on a regular basis. The proverbial “deer within the headlights” the place a creature is so overcome by a state of paralysis that they do nothing. Sadly, folks do that too, and you will need to perceive this so as to overcome your freeze response.
The freeze response is an involuntary stress response, usually misunderstood and accompanied by self-blame. In contrast to the extra acknowledged burst of vitality that comes with combat or fleeing, the freeze response entails a fancy shutdown of organic methods that may depart you feeling trapped in your personal physique, experiencing numbness, rigidity of particular muscle tissue, and what researchers describe as a clean stare into nothingness.
This evolutionary response served our ancestors nicely when dealing with a predator, in trendy life it may possibly manifest throughout nervousness problems, post-traumatic stress dysfunction, and on a regular basis aggravating conditions, usually leaving people questioning why they “cannot conceal” from their very own reactions and questioning if their response signifies one thing extra severe about their psychological well being.
Understanding the Struggle-Flight-Freeze Response
The freeze response represents a complicated sort of trauma response that operates alongside the extra generally mentioned combat and flight mechanisms. From an evolutionary standpoint, these protection responses type a hierarchy of survival behaviors designed to maximise our probabilities of survival when dealing with threats.
Whereas combat and flight responses contain mobilization and a rush of adrenaline surge, the freeze response operates by means of completely different organic pathways, primarily involving the parasympathetic nervous system and what polyvagal idea describes because the dorsal vagal complicated.
Analysis by trauma skilled Ruth Lanius and others has proven that the freeze response entails immobilization reasonably than mobilization, representing a type of hypoarousal reasonably than the hyperarousal seen in fight-or-flight responses. This evolutionary response developed as a reasonably ingenious survival technique—when preventing can be futile and escape unimaginable, freezing might imply the distinction between life and demise. Animals within the wild display this identical response when taking part in useless to keep away from predators, and people have retained this capability as a part of our organic inheritance.
The important thing variations between freeze and different trauma responses lie of their neurobiological signatures and behavioral manifestations. Whereas fight-or-flight responses are characterised by elevated coronary heart price, speedy breath, and hyper-alertness, the freeze response usually entails decreased coronary heart price, shallow respiratory, and a particular sort of consciousness the place people report feeling each hypervigilant and disconnected concurrently.
What Occurs within the Physique?
Throughout a freeze response, a number of organic methods endure dramatic adjustments because the physique shifts right into a state of defensive immobilization.
The limbic system, significantly the amygdala, initially detects the menace and triggers the response, however in contrast to different trauma responses, the freeze response entails a singular sample of nervous system activation.
Coronary heart price may very well lower reasonably than improve, deep respiratory turns into shallow or could appear to cease momentarily, and muscle tone can shift dramatically—generally involving full rigidity of particular muscle tissue whereas others turn out to be utterly limp. This creates the attribute posture related to freeze responses: an individual could seem statue-like or collapse solely.
Neurobiologically, the prefrontal cortex—chargeable for govt decision-making—experiences decreased activation throughout freeze responses, which explains why this response appears like something however a acutely aware alternative. The physique’s digestive and different non-essential methods decelerate as sources are redirected towards survival, resulting in the bodily sensations of numbness and disconnection that many individuals report throughout and after freeze episodes.
What Occurs within the Thoughts?
The psychological expertise of a freeze response entails a singular mix of hypervigilance and dissociation that may be deeply complicated for these experiencing it. In contrast to different trauma responses the place the thoughts races with escape plans or defensive methods, the freeze response usually entails what researchers describe as “alert immobility”—a state the place cognitive processes turn out to be concurrently heightened and restricted. People could report feeling intensely conscious of their environment whereas concurrently feeling utterly disconnected from their very own physique and feelings.
Throughout freeze responses, the thoughts usually enters a state characterised by minimal verbal cues and inner dialogue. Ideas could turn out to be fragmented or disappear solely, changed by a type of cognitive shutdown that mirrors the bodily immobilization occurring within the physique. This psychological state serves a protecting perform, doubtlessly shielding the person from overwhelming vehement emotion or traumatic stimuli that may in any other case trigger psychological harm.
The attachment system additionally performs an important function in freeze responses, significantly after they happen in interpersonal contexts. People could discover themselves unable to name out for assist or search their attachment determine, trapped in a state the place the same old methods for searching for security and luxury turn out to be inaccessible. This psychological paralysis usually results in vital disgrace and self-blame afterward, as people battle to know why they could not merely “snap out of it” or take motion to guard themselves.
This is What Occurs When You ‘Freeze’
The freeze response manifests by means of a constellation of key indicators that distinguish it from different trauma responses, every representing the physique’s try and survive perceived threats by means of immobilization. At first look, somebody experiencing a freeze response may seem calm or unaffected, however nearer statement reveals the telltale clean stare and strange stillness that characterizes this survival technique. The person turns into trapped between states—neither absolutely activated for motion nor utterly at relaxation—creating a singular type of hyperarousal disguised as shutdown.
Bodily manifestations embrace muscle rigidity or full limpness, usually alternating between the 2 states unpredictably. Respiratory patterns change dramatically, usually turning into so shallow that the individual seems to have stopped respiratory altogether. The attribute posture of freeze responses can vary from statue-like stillness with extensive, unblinking eyes to finish collapse the place the individual can’t preserve their traditional bodily stance. These responses happen with out acutely aware alternative and symbolize the nervous system’s automated evaluation that neither preventing nor fleeing affords viable survival odds.
The freeze response additionally entails a particular relationship with time and consciousness. People usually report feeling concurrently hyperaware of their environment—capable of discover minute particulars with uncommon readability—whereas feeling utterly disconnected from their capacity to reply or react. This creates an inner expertise of being trapped within the current second, unable to entry previous coping methods or think about future options. The result’s a type of acutely aware paralysis that may final anyplace from seconds to hours, relying on the severity of the perceived menace and particular person elements.
Is ‘Freezing’ the Signal of a Extra Severe Drawback?
Whereas freeze responses are regular evolutionary reactions that do not robotically point out underlying psychological problems, their frequency, depth, and impression on day by day functioning can sign when skilled consideration is likely to be helpful.
Understanding when freeze responses symbolize adaptive survival mechanisms versus indicators of extra vital psychological well being considerations requires analyzing each the context through which they happen and their broader impression on a person’s life.
Acute Stress
In conditions involving real threats or overwhelming acute stress, freeze responses symbolize wholesome, adaptive reactions that display the nervous system working as designed. These situational freeze responses usually resolve comparatively rapidly as soon as the menace passes, and people can often return to regular functioning with out lasting results. Nevertheless, when freeze responses start occurring in response to minor stressors or in conditions the place no actual menace exists, this may increasingly point out that the nervous system has turn out to be dysregulated and is working from a chronically activated state.
The important thing consider figuring out whether or not freeze responses to acute stress are regarding lies of their proportionality to the precise menace and their period. Wholesome freeze responses ought to match the severity of the stressor and resolve naturally because the state of affairs adjustments. When somebody finds themselves freezing in response to on a regular basis stressors like work shows, social interactions, or minor conflicts, this implies their menace detection system might have recalibration by means of therapeutic intervention.
Nervousness
Freeze responses can each contribute to and consequence from numerous nervousness situations, and even melancholy., creating complicated cycles that may be tough to interrupt with out correct understanding and intervention.
In panic problems, freeze responses could happen as a part of the panic cycle, the place the concern of getting a panic assault itself triggers a freeze response that then escalates into full panic. This creates a self-reinforcing loop the place the concern of freezing causes freezing, which then confirms the individual’s fears about their lack of ability to deal with difficult conditions.
Generalized nervousness and social nervousness often contain freeze responses, significantly in interpersonal conditions the place people really feel evaluated or judged. The freeze response in these contexts usually manifests as an lack of ability to talk, assume clearly, or entry usually accessible social expertise. Whereas occasional freeze responses throughout high-anxiety conditions are regular, persistent patterns that intrude with work, relationships, or day by day actions warrant skilled analysis and remedy.
Traumatic Experiences
The connection between freeze responses and trauma is especially complicated, as freeze responses can happen throughout traumatic occasions, develop as conditioned responses to trauma reminders, and turn out to be a part of post-traumatic stress dysfunction symptom clusters.
Nevertheless, when freeze responses persist lengthy after traumatic occasions have ended, they might point out that the nervous system stays caught in survival mode, decoding secure conditions as threatening based mostly on previous experiences. Put up-traumatic stress dysfunction often entails freeze responses triggered by trauma reminders, the place psychological elements and environmental cues activate the identical organic methods that protected the person throughout the unique trauma. These trauma-related freeze responses usually require specialised remedy approaches that tackle each the underlying trauma and the dysregulated nervous system responses.
4 Steps to Overcome the Freeze Response
Overcoming problematic freeze responses requires a multi-faceted strategy that addresses each the fast expertise of freezing and the underlying nervous system patterns that contribute to those reactions. The next methods work collectively to assist people regain company over their responses and develop larger resilience within the face of stressors.
1. Leisure and Respiratory Strategies
Studying to manage the breath offers one of the crucial accessible and efficient instruments for interrupting freeze responses and supporting nervous system restoration. When caught in a freeze response, the breath usually turns into shallow or appears to cease solely, contributing to the sense of being trapped and unable to behave. Creating a relationship with acutely aware respiratory helps bridge the hole between the involuntary freeze response and voluntary return to regular functioning.
Particular respiratory methods that assist restoration from freeze responses embrace diaphragmatic respiratory, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system’s calming department reasonably than its immobilizing department. Field respiratory—inhaling for 4 counts, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, and holding empty for 4—offers a structured solution to regain management over physiological responses. Progressive muscle leisure may also assist tackle the rigidity of particular muscle tissue that happens throughout freeze responses, systematically releasing stress and restoring regular muscle tone.
The important thing to success with respiratory methods lies in training them recurrently throughout calm intervals, not simply throughout disaster moments. This creates neural pathways that turn out to be extra accessible throughout stress, offering dependable instruments for nervous system regulation after they’re most wanted.
2. Grounding
Grounding methods assist people reconnect with the current second and their bodily physique, counteracting the dissociative elements of freeze responses. These methods work by participating the senses and offering concrete, fast experiences that anchor consciousness in present actuality reasonably than threat-based perceptions. Efficient grounding approaches embrace the 5-4-3-2-1 method: figuring out 5 issues you’ll be able to see, 4 issues you’ll be able to contact, three issues you’ll be able to hear, two issues you’ll be able to scent, and one factor you’ll be able to style.
Bodily grounding methods will be significantly efficient for freeze responses, as they assist restore the connection between thoughts and physique that turns into disrupted throughout these episodes. Urgent toes firmly into the ground, holding a textured object, or making use of mild strain to arms or legs may help reestablish bodily consciousness. Chilly water on the face or arms, sturdy mints, or different intense however secure sensory experiences may help “get up” a nervous system caught in freeze mode.
Motion-based grounding, even small actions like wiggling fingers or toes, may help start the method of popping out of freeze responses. The objective is to not drive dramatic adjustments however to softly encourage the nervous system to recollect its capability for voluntary motion and response.
3. Discovering a Protected House
Creating and figuring out secure areas—each bodily and psychological—offers essential assist for stopping and recovering from freeze responses. A secure house is likely to be a particular location the place freeze responses are much less more likely to happen, or it is likely to be an inner sense of security cultivated by means of numerous therapeutic practices. The idea of security is central to freeze response restoration as a result of these responses usually happen when the nervous system perceives menace and determines that neither combat nor flight responses supply viable paths to security.
Bodily secure areas needs to be simply accessible and related to optimistic, calming experiences. This may contain creating a particular nook of a house with comfy seating, significant objects, and nice sensory experiences. The bottom line is consistency—having a dependable place to retreat when overwhelmed helps the nervous system study that security is obtainable and accessible.
Psychological secure areas contain growing inner sources for self-soothing and nervous system regulation. This may embrace visualization methods, optimistic self-talk, or connecting with internalized pictures of supportive relationships. Skilled remedy will be significantly useful in growing these inner sources, particularly for people whose freeze responses are associated to previous trauma or attachment difficulties.
4. Social and Skilled Assist
Recovering from problematic freeze responses usually requires assist from others, each private connections {and professional} sources. Social assist offers exterior regulation when inner sources turn out to be overwhelmed, serving to to co-regulate nervous methods by means of reference to calm, supportive others. This assist may come from trusted associates, members of the family, or assist teams the place people can share their experiences with out judgment and study from others who’ve confronted related challenges.
Skilled assist turns into important when freeze responses considerably impression day by day functioning or are associated to underlying trauma or psychological well being situations. Trauma-informed therapists who perceive the nuanced nature of freeze responses can present specialised interventions that tackle each the signs and their underlying causes. Therapeutic approaches like EMDR (Eye Motion Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic experiencing, and polyvagal-informed remedy have proven explicit effectiveness in serving to people overcome problematic freeze responses.
The method of searching for assist itself will be difficult for people susceptible to freeze responses, because the vulnerability required to achieve out can set off the very responses they’re searching for to deal with. Beginning with small steps—maybe reaching out to at least one trusted individual or scheduling an preliminary session with a therapist—may help construct momentum towards extra complete assist. Do not forget that therapeutic from freeze responses is never a solitary endeavor; the human nervous system is designed to heal in relationship with others, making social {and professional} assist not simply useful however usually important parts of restoration.
Learn how to deal with the freeze response.
The freeze response, removed from being an indication of weak spot or failure, represents one in all humanity’s most subtle survival mechanisms—a testomony to the outstanding adaptability of our nervous system within the face of perceived threats.
Understanding this evolutionary response by means of the lens of recent neuroscience and trauma analysis helps illuminate why so many people discover themselves trapped in states of immobilization throughout aggravating conditions, usually accompanied by disgrace and confusion about their physique’s automated reactions.
By recognizing freeze responses as involuntary organic processes reasonably than character flaws, we are able to start to strategy them with compassion and curiosity reasonably than judgment and self-blame. The journey from freeze to freedom entails endurance, follow, and sometimes skilled steering, however with correct consciousness of the truth that therapeutic is feasible, people can study to work with their nervous system reasonably than in opposition to it.
Whether or not your freeze responses stem from acute stress, nervousness, or traumatic experiences, keep in mind that your physique’s protecting mechanisms developed over thousands and thousands of years of evolution—and with the fitting instruments and assist, you’ll be able to assist your nervous system study new, extra adaptive methods of responding to life’s challenges whereas honoring the knowledge of your organic inheritance.
Now, it is essential to determine in case your freeze response pertains to some form of nervousness. In case you really feel like it is likely to be, then it is best to perceive what sort of tension you are experiencing (this text will assist) and in addition use the 3-3-3 rule to supply a fast reduction when you could have these anxious moments.
Study extra about how gratitude can positively impression your life and psychological wellbeing.
Lastly, if you wish to improve your happiness and life satisfaction, then watch this free video that particulars the 7-minute behavior for planning your day to concentrate on what’s essential.
References
[1] Okay. Roelofs, “Freeze for motion: neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, vol. 372, no. 1718, 2017.
[2] L. M. Gladwin, E. J. Hermans and E. J. Roelofs, “Freezing promotes notion of coarse visible options,” Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 144, no. 6, p. 1080–1088, 2015.
[3] A. Krause-Utz, R. Frost, D. Winter and B. M. Elzinga, “Dissociation and Alterations in Mind Perform and Construction: Implications for Borderline Persona Dysfunction,” Present Psychiatry Experiences, vol. 19, no. 1, 2017.
[4] Okay. Kozlowska, P. Walker, L. McLean and P. Carrive, “Concern and the Protection Cascade: Scientific Implications and Administration,” Harvard Assessment of Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 4, p. 263–287, 2015.
[5] N. B. Schmidt, A. Richey, M. J. Zvolensky and J. Okay. Maner, “Exploring human freeze responses to a menace stressor,” Journal of Habits Remedy and Experimental Psychiatry, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 292-304, 2008.
