What is the freeze response?

You can really see how much pent-up energy a rabbit holds—it's a great example of the freeze response. This kind of response can be emotional or physical: imagine having a surge of energy but feeling completely stuck, with no way to release it. Stage fright is another common example, or the sudden shock you might experience while hiking—like freezing in place when you unexpectedly come across a bear on the trail.

Last night, I walked out onto my deck and sat down to enjoy the summer weather. I was reading and paying little attention to my surroundings. When I glanced up, I jumped. There was a baby bunny in my yard. I didn’t even notice the bunny at first when I looked up. I was not expecting to catch the bunny’s large eye staring intently at me.

That bunny saw me as a potential threat and froze in place.

In that short moment of time, I could feel the intense fear the bunny held and the energized stress response. Although I was not doing anything threatening, the bunny still was afraid and stuck. I could energetically feel the bunny’s surging adrenaline, observing and still, with the unmet urge to run away. The bunny’s nervous system was in both hypo-arousal and hyper-arousal states, so the bunny had a strong urge to run away and energy despite feeling stuck and frozen In place.

Have you ever felt that way? Like you had a surge of energy through your body to run away, but you were stuck in place or your legs just won't move. A good example of this, might be stage fright.

When parts of your sympathetic nervous system have reached a state of overload, like the bunny, you may experience the freeze response. Like the flight response, those who tend to freeze likely disassociate or disconnect their mind from their body in the present moment. However, unlike the flight response, individuals do not become preoccupied with other tasks during the freeze response but instead remain stuck.

When this protection is activated, it frequently leads to "freezing"—feeling frozen and unable to move, trapped, or oblivious to reality. You don't feel like you're there, and you're mentally checked out as you leave out what's going on around you and what you're feeling in an attempt to obtain emotional security.

Other ways the freeze response may show up:

• Withdraw into your mind

• Don’t feel able to care

• Difficult to be present

• Body feels heavy

• Loss of words, silence (wanting to speak up but can’t)

• Phobic of being seen

• Shrinking and Invisibility

• Masking true self

• Terrified and Fearful

• Anxiety

• Confusion

• Wary

• Physically or Emotionally Numb

• Dissociation and Spacing Out

• Derealization or Things don’t feel Real

• Can’t think

• Sleep

• Panic Attacks

After you are out of the stress or threat, you may replay the situation repeatedly in your head. You may find your mind flooding with actions you could have taken or words you “should” of said. You might feel guilty, angry about being stuck, or “feel stupid.”

Again, the nervous system is wise. Your freeze response is trying to help you.

I almost did not see the bunny because it was so still. This has likely helped the bunny to survive and overcome threat. Our nervous systems are attempting to do the same for us!

When healthy, resourceful, and adaptive, the freeze response may assist you in slowing down and evaluating the situation carefully to figure out what to do next. Research highly recommends mindfulness meditation for those who dominantly experience the freeze response. Journaling, meditating, or walking in nature help bring the body into a parasympathetic state and promote a regulated nervous system.

Gaining clarity is a strong point of a healthy freeze response. Other strengths of the freeze response include experiencing:

• Calm

• Serenity

• Peace Reflection Thoughtfulness Contemplative Conscientious No FanFare Deliberate Steadiness

With help from a licensed therapist specializing in Nervous System work and trauma-informed care (TIC), you can overcome the freeze response under stress. If you feel ready to address the trauma that has impacted your relationships and get out of survival mode, we would love to help you at Carmel Therapy Network overcome and heal this response. Working with a trauma-informed psychotherapist, you can work towards healing your freeze response. Going to a provider skilled in trauma healing is a significant first step in getting support and helping get unstuck. You’ve got this!