What Happens During the Flight, Fight or Freeze Response?
When we become threatened, we experience a surge of chemicals designed to allow us to survive through whatever the event is. The physiological effects are increased adrenaline, acceleration of heart and lung action, shaking, dilation of pupils and more. Cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," is an integral part of our body's "fight, flight or freeze" response. The fight, flight or freeze response is essentially a state of acute stress. While stress is usually seen as a negative, it is beneficial if we need the surge of chemicals to help us fight, flight or freeze to avoid danger. However, it is only useful in short bursts. Many of us get caught in this perpetual state, never releasing it from our system and returning to normal, or homeostasis.
How Can We Correct the Fight, Flight or Freeze Pattern?
When we purge the survival chemicals after a trauma, it shows our primitive brain that we survived and we are safe. This sends a signal to the cognitive brain to process the information and throw out the irrelevant associations related to it. Facing and surviving a trauma, if discharged in a healthy way, can actually help us feel more empowered and able to handle things in the future. It can create a sense of security even.
If we don't discharge the trauma though, the primitive brain freezes the event in our systems. Anything in the future that reminds of us this original event, can trigger further responses.
Promising Research on Energy Psychology (Including EFT)
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