

However, it isn't something that you want to experience in most of your day-to-day activities. It can be very useful when you are facing a traumatic or terrifying event. Keep in mind that the freeze response is normal it's the body's way of trying to keep you safe. It is the response that causes some animals to "play dead" instead of running or fighting, and sometimes it works. The freeze response kicks in when there is no hope of fighting off, or fleeing from, the dangerous situation. There is hope that one or the other will get you out of danger and fear and return you to your normal state of being. Fight and flight responses have one thing in common: hope.

The freeze response is a little different. Your response may be to try to fight that person instead of trying to flee. Exchange the snake for an angry person who you know you can't outrun.

This assessment happens almost instantly and instincts take over to get you away from the danger. Your body senses the danger, and you respond by quickly moving away or fleeing from the angry snake. Imagine that you are walking along and come upon a rattlesnake that is poised to strike. These responses are what allow us to instinctively assess and deal with dangerous situations. Both animals and humans possess the fight, flight, and freeze responses when it comes to dealing with fear and trauma. Dealing with the freeze response can be frustrating, but you can deal with the freeze response in PTSD recovery. In other words, our response doesn't fit the current situation.

The physical response of freezing, feeling paralyzed, or feeling like you are out of your body (dissociation), can be triggered by events that are not at all life-threatening for those of us with PTSD (PTSD and the Freeze Response). However, if you are a trauma survivor who has been diagnosed with PTSD, the freeze response may not be serving you well. The freeze response is a normal, physical response to extreme fear or trauma. Have you ever been so terrified, that all you could do is freeze in your tracks, afraid, or even unable, to move? If so, you may have been experiencing the freeze response to fear, which is a common symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In PTSD recovery, the freeze response can be difficult for some to understand.
