Have you ever wondered why you seem to lose control in stressful situations, or conversely, always seek to escape interactions at the first sight of conflict?
These are known as trauma responses – or automatic behaviors that are triggered by overwhelming stress or past traumatic experiences. Whether it’s the instinct to fight, flee, freeze, or people please, these deeply ingrained responses directly shape how we react to conflict, stress, and other difficulties (1). Fortunately, by identifying your instinctive trauma response, you can work to develop healthier coping strategies that better serve you.
This article will explore the 4 trauma responses, including how they commonly manifest in daily life and ways to help manage these reactions for a clearer, balanced mindset.
If you are going through a challenging situation, please reach out to your healthcare provider for help and support.
When faced with stressful or threatening situations, there are 4 main responses that individuals often experience to manage or cope with the stressor: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn (1).
These trauma responses may stem from various experiences and other relationships that have shaped our automatic physiological reactions to how we handle discomfort and distress (2). The roots of these responses may also be purely physiological or even unknown at times.
Here’s an overview of the 4 trauma responses:
Importantly, these responses can vary greatly from person to person and often depend on the specific situation (3). By identifying the responses you typically gravitate toward, you may better understand your reactions and develop healthier, more adaptive coping skills to deal with a variety of life’s challenges.
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Trauma responses are adaptive coping skills developed over time, often in response to trauma, unhealthy relationships, and prolonged periods of distress or adversity (3).
Acting as deeply ingrained survival mechanisms, these responses often originate from various types of childhood trauma, including emotional or physical abuse, neglect, and other damaging experiences that may leave a person feeling unsafe, threatened, or unable to cope in a healthy manner (4).
Here, we’ll look more closely at the four main types of trauma responses, including how they commonly manifest and persist in various situations.
The fight trauma response helps by confronting or controlling the threat.
Those with an activated fight response often try to regain control over situations, seeing confrontation or aggression as the best way to protect themselves (5). This may cause them to become easily reactive or short-tempered in response to challenging situations.
Even if you don’t necessarily view yourself as a ‘fighter,’ this response style may show up as outward displays of assertiveness or frustration as you attempt to feel safe and secure in your environment. When left unregulated, this trauma response may lead to conflict, tension, and other difficulties in your relationships and other aspects of life.
Common symptoms and behaviors of the fight trauma response include (5, 7):
The flight trauma response exhibits itself as escaping or avoiding the situation.
When the threat feels inescapable or impossible to manage, the flight response kicks in to find safety by escaping the stressful environment, whether physically or mentally (5). For those who engage in this response, it often stems from an instinctive desire to avoid conflict, seeing distance as the solution to minimize harm and feelings of distress (6).
Similar to the fight trauma response, the flight response is associated with high levels of physical arousal – except the person is attempting to escape the situation rather than to confront it (7). For this reason, a flight trauma response may manifest as restlessness, panic, and feelings of anxiousness when faced with perceived dangers.
Common symptoms and behaviors of the flight trauma response include (5, 7):
Read more: Understanding Abandonment Trauma
The freeze trauma response acts by shutting out or dissociating from the stressor.
While both fight or flight responses increase physiological arousal in the face of danger or a perceived threat (7), the freeze trauma response involves shutting down to cope with a situation that feels too overwhelming to confront or escape from (8). Similar to an animal in the wild “playing dead” to avoid being hunted, humans can also “freeze” in highly threatening or stressful environments (9).
The freeze response may manifest as feeling “stuck” and unable to make decisions or feel present in the current moment. This can sometimes look like dissociation, in which you disconnect from your thoughts, feelings, and body as a form of self-protection (10).
Common symptoms and behaviors of the freeze trauma response include (8, 9):
The fawn trauma response seeks safety by pleasing others to avoid conflict or threat.
Considered a newer addition to the recognized 4 trauma responses, the fawn response involves putting others’ needs ahead of your own to maintain peace and avoid potential harm (11). Often stemming from adverse experiences, this can manifest as excessive people-pleasing in which you feel safest when accommodating others’ wishes, even to your own detriment (12). People who frequently rely on the fawn response may struggle to assert their needs or set healthy boundaries, fearing that doing so might lead to conflict, rejection, or emotional pain.
Common symptoms and behaviors of the fawn trauma response include (11, 13):
Understanding your trauma response can be a beneficial step toward better handling a variety of life challenges including family conflict, relationship difficulties, work stress, and more. By identifying how you react to stressful situations, you may begin to uncover adaptive ways to cope and maintain a balanced mindset.
To identify your primary trauma response, the first step is to pay close attention to how you react during stressful, challenging, or threatening situations. Reflecting on your patterns of behavior and emotions during these moments can help provide insight into which trauma response you tend to align with most frequently. If you are going through a challenging time, please consult with your healthcare provider.
Here are the main characteristics of the 4 trauma responses to keep in mind (1):
If you’re unsure where to start, consider keeping a journal to document your feelings and behaviors during challenging moments. Over time, you may start to notice patterns that can help you identify which trauma response you rely on most often.
Yes, it’s possible to experience more than one or all 4 trauma responses, though not necessarily in the same way or at the same time (1, 3). People often notice certain responses more, depending on the situation, environment, and who they’re interacting with.
For instance, you might use the fight response during a heated work meeting to ensure your opinions are heard but lean toward the fawn response with close family members to avoid conflict. These reactions are often adapted based on past experiences where certain behaviors led to favorable outcomes or minimized harm (14).
Thus, while there may be a dominant pattern in your responses, trauma responses may frequently shift and even overlap depending on the specific context and circumstances.
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Your main trauma response is often shaped by early life experiences, particularly those that involve significant adversity or trauma (3, 14).
These deeply ingrained patterns of responses can often feel automatic, seemingly emerging out of nowhere, making them seem difficult–if not impossible–to change. However, with time and effort, it is possible to develop healthier responses and coping strategies that better serve you in challenging situations.
If your trauma response leads to emotional dysregulation or mental health difficulties, working with a mental health professional can help you unpack painful experiences and develop more productive coping skills for healing and growth.
If you’re unsure where to start, the Psychology Today website offers a search feature to help you find nearby therapists in your area (United States only).
Trauma responses may play a significant role in how you navigate conflict and other life challenges, often influencing your emotions, behaviors, and decision-making in ways you might not even realize. By understanding how these responses manifest in daily life and relationships, you may begin developing healthier coping skills to handle difficulties and conflicts more effectively.
Trauma responses may show up differently in day-to-day situations, often in ways that feel automatic or unintentional. They may influence how you respond to stress at work, interactions with family, or even self-care routines. Here are some examples of how each trauma response may manifest in daily life:
| Fight | Flight | Freeze | Fawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reacting with irritability or impatience during delays or obstacles | Withdrawing emotionally or physically when conflicts arise | Shutting down or becoming unresponsive during conflicts | Prioritizing others’ needs to avoid rejection or criticism |
| Becoming controlling or demanding in high-pressure situations | Avoiding deep, uncomfortable, or vulnerable conversations | Feeling unsure about how to communicate your needs effectively | Constantly “people-pleasing” while ignoring your own needs |
| Feeling a persistent need to assert one’s dominance or authority | Consistently needing space from others | Struggling to take initiative in resolving interpersonal challenges | Difficulty setting boundaries or advocating for yourself |
Trauma responses may directly impact the ways we form and maintain secure and meaningful relationships in adulthood (15). Here is a breakdown of how each of the 4 trauma responses may show up within romantic relationships:
| Fight | Flight | Freeze | Fawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reacting aggressively during disagreements to assert control | Withdrawing emotionally or physically when arguments arise | Shutting down or refusing to speak during arguments or conflict | Prioritizing your partner’s wishes to avoid conflict or arguments |
| Difficulty compromising or acknowledging your partner’s needs, feelings, and perspectives | Avoiding deep or emotional conversations with your partner | Difficulty communicating your needs and wishes to your partner | Agreeing with your partner even when you internally disagree to maintain harmony |
| Having feelings of guilt and regret after heated arguments | Feeling overwhelmed by emotional closeness and needing space | Not taking the initiative to resolve relationship challenges | Difficulty setting healthy boundaries in your relationship |
Read more: How to Cope with Childhood Trauma as an Adult
Yes, various therapies are designed to help address and manage different experiences of trauma, including trauma responses (16). The most effective approach will depend on your unique life experiences, including the severity and nature of the trauma.
When finding a provider to help treat traumatic experiences and resulting challenges, always make sure that they are trained in the treatment of trauma and trauma-informed care.
Evidence-based treatments and therapy modalities may be recommended based on your needs and specific trauma. Therefore, it is essential to work alongside a mental health professional who can accurately assess your situation and guide you toward the best path for healing.
The 4-D model is a psychological framework that classifies symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that can develop after exposure to trauma. However, some individuals may experience trauma without developing PTSD, highlighting the complex nature of trauma and how it affects everyone differently (17). Here is how the 4-D model categorizes symptoms of PTSD into 4 dimensions of consciousness (18): Both flight and freeze trauma responses are ways of avoiding stress or danger, but they manifest differently. Fight or flight examples are characterized by heightened physiological arousal, with the flight response often leading you to escape the situation rather than confronting it to avoid potential conflict (7). On the other hand, the freeze response occurs when a person feels immobilized or unable to act, often becoming physically still or mentally dissociated as a result of overwhelming stress (8). Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are all trauma responses that are triggered in situations where you sense danger, threat, or overpowering stress (1). Challenges that may lead to such responses could be, and are not limited to: adverse personal experiences, relationship difficulties, work pressure, family conflict, and other life events that cause overwhelming distress (3, 19).Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 4 D's of trauma?
What is the difference between flight and freeze trauma responses?
What are common triggers for fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses?
Understanding which trauma responses you tend to align with may be a beneficial step toward healing and personal growth. By identifying your primary trauma response, you may take better control of your well-being and develop healthier coping strategies to deal with a variety of life challenges.
Remember, healing from trauma is a long, complex process – but with self-compassion, time, and effort, it’s possible to transform these reactions into productive coping skills. Please consult with your healthcare provider for additional guidance in terms of coping with challenging situations.
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