How To Holistically Heal… From A Freeze Response To Stress

When Stress Becomes Too Much To Handle, Consider This...

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In this edition…

1. HEALING: When Stress Becomes Too Much To Handle, Consider This...

2. REVERENCE: What Triggers Your Freeze Response To Stress?

3. EXPLORING: Feeling & Meeting Your Freeze Response

1. HEALING: When Stress Becomes Too Much To Handle, Consider This...

In last week's newsletter, we explored the Fight or Flight response to stress. Now, let's dive deep into the freeze response to stress.

When we cannot regulate the fight or flight response or when the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) becomes exhausted, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) steps in, specifically through something called the Dorsal Vagal pathway. This system takes over when the SNS (which controls the fight or flight response) becomes overloaded or exhausted. The freeze response is akin to hitting the brakes completely; your body becomes immobile, conserving energy to protect itself from further stress.

The freeze response kicks in when the stressor feels too intense and we are unable to handle feelings of fear, anxiety, or irritation. It's as if the body says, “I can’t handle this anymore,” and goes into a state of immobility. In this state, we may disconnect from ourselves and others, lose our ability to relax or feel calm, and enter what is called an “emergency state.”

When the freeze response is activated, the body slows down drastically. This can lead to feelings of:

• Tiredness or exhaustion

• Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected

• Flatness or depression

• A sense of being stuck or unable to act

It’s a survival mechanism, but when we remain in this state for too long, it can prevent us from fully engaging in life, making it harder to heal or recover from stress.

The Difference Between Freeze & Shutdown

Although the freeze and shutdown responses may seem similar, there are important distinctions between the two.

• Freeze occurs when the body’s fight or flight response has been activated, but the individual is unable to either fight or flee. This response often happens when the stressor feels too overwhelming, or when the person feels trapped or helpless. In this state, the body becomes immobilised but remains full of tension and energy, ready to spring into action if the threat goes away.

• Shutdown, on the other hand, is a deeper state of collapse. It happens when a person has been in a state of hyper-arousal or stress for too long, and their body becomes physically and mentally exhausted. In this state, the individual may disconnect from their surroundings, feeling numb, emotionally flat, and unable to engage with the world.

While both responses are ways the body deals with overwhelming stress, they affect the body and mind in different ways. Here’s how freeze and shutdown differ across various physical and emotional responses: