Fight/Flight/Freeze Response: Anxiety Skills #1
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- čas přidán 2. 05. 2017
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The fight/flight/freeze response can mess up your life - but it doesn't have to!
Have you ever wondered why your hands get sweaty when you ask for a raise? Or why your stomach gets upset when you're nervous? In this video, I'll explain the fight/flight/freeze response and how it impacts your mind and body.
When we learn to recognize the fight/flight/freeze response, we then have the ability to respond to it in more helpful ways. In my following videos, I teach how to turn off the fight/flight/freeze response, as well specific strategies to turn off anxiety, stress, tension, and anger.
Understanding the fight or flight response is essential if you want to make sense of anxiety disorders, manage chronic stress, or develop more self-control in intense situations.
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Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...
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I'm 75 years young and I have always felt that the underlying emotion that causes Fight/Flight/Freeze is FEAR! I ask myself, "what are you afraid of?" Yes friend fear causes much stress and havoc. Face your fear, it's never as bad as you think! God bless. ❤
I just found your channel and now I'm starting at your first video to watch every video that applies to me. I have constant anxiety and intermittent depression, as well as social anxiety and conflict avoidance. I'm always tense and unable to relax.
How are you now ?
@@fizzaamin9144 Better, especially since I stopped drinking alcohol. I recently went almost 3 months without drinking. But, I still have issues... I also have problems with procrastination and planning. So, I haven't done as much as work on my mental health as I would like. But, recently, I did start doing more reading and watching videos again.
This is very helpful. I really like how you explained the fight, flight and freeze responses using situations that we can relate to (public speaking, asking out a crush...etc).
Ive only listen to a couple of your videos but so far YOURE saying things that sit well with me ...btw thanks for adding freeze to fight flight...until the third word is added fight flight never felt quite right
Tom Evans thanks! Yeah, for a long time scientists ignored the freeze part of that danger response- and so many people just feel upset at themselves for freezing when in reality it was just their deep brain keeping them safe.
And also fawn
@@TherapyinaNutshell
Please I have a question.
What should we do if we try if we try to reframe your negative thinking patterns,but the reality shows you that your negative thinking patterns are right.
For example somebody may think that he may loose his job because he is making too much mistakes at work.but the person is not able to change.for the best because she ist stilk
'
Thank you so much for this information. I've been battling with anxiety disorders for a while and currently my doctor is about to stop my medication and I am feeling those sensations again, I have decided to take action to face this and your videos help me a lot
Try meditation and music
4 years ago I had a major panic attack that sent me to the ER. While the first attack was by far the worst one, I still have occasional bouts of panic when I am driving or under a lot of stress. Until your videos I hadn't stumbled across a great explanation of what was happening to me and how to stop it. I can't thank you enough for making me feel like this is something that I can manage.
Don't forget the fawn response as well! Love these videos and use many exercises with my clients. Thanks so much!
i wish a doctor told me before i fell on the floor and crashed with intense burnout that my immunesystem most if the times was turned off because of extreme long term stress for years. This warning could have taking myself and my health more seriously . Now my recoveryprocess of extreme burnout takes already two years! Thank you for your help and tips
Did you get your non burnout sense of self back eventually?
@@jea18cer still not fully recovered after years. I,ve heard that if you experienced severe burnout it could be a permanent thing, take care!🖐️
kind ,clear, warm and loving are those eyes ❤
Thank you for sharing this important message with us. I liked your Star Trek analogy. It helps me visualize our "Shields" response and know how and when we should "disengage" from this stressful response.
I think because we've taken away a bigger threat away, such as wild animals, our brains move down a level, so to speak, and create these lesser threats as bigger ones. It's like choosing to remove an upper floor in your construction plans and creating the next floor down as the "top floor".
Plain and simple yet effective information. You're saving lives. Thank you so much.
I hope so :)
You are. ❤
@TherapyinaNutshell hi just been diagnosed with pure OCD how do you stop been bothered by people reaction to you x
@@TherapyinaNutshellis there any time frame for doing cbt? How many videos a day? And how many sessions or how does it work for social anxiety?
I am a victim of domestic abuse. So many times when in the midst of a verbal abuse event...my body would freeze. I could not act. This is so hard to explain to anyone who has never experienced abuse. My friends would say ..."why didn't you do this...why didn't you do that?" In freeze mode, the self seems to disappear unable to cope. Later, I could think of a thousand things that I could have said or done...but in the moment...frozen!
Thankfully, I found my voice and moved on from my abuser.
Thank You, Jesus!!!
Jesus didn't do shit. You did. Take some credit.
@@boo_ yes, Jesus absolutely helped. Without Him we are nothing. You’ll see. 🤗
@@sozo5414 I agree we are pretty much nothing - a temporarily conscious collection of stardust. Disagree with everything else.
Good for you! So glad you found the strength to go. My daughter & granddaughter are dead from it.
Thank you for your channel! I'm really happy I found your play lists about anxiety! ❤
I want to thank you so much for your lessons. Early this morning, my heart started to flutter so fast
and I never experienced this before, so I was very alarmed. Luckily I remembered your lesson about
how to "bear down" and I tried it. My heart came back to a normal beat in a brief time. I wouldn't have
known to do that if it weren't for you! God bless you!
Thanks, quite helpful.
Had called a warm line.
Part of the close of that conversation was promising
to bing here.
Thankyouthankyou
Thank you so much for this. It's so helpful to understand the physiological responses instead of just trying to make everything make sense in the mind.
Thank you Emma! I found your videos back in 2021 after loosing my job to a panic attack.
Back here again after realizing that I’ve lost touch with my senses again.
Very helpful teaching videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
After seeing one of your videos, will start here, go up and watch all of them as my therapy. Thank you for making these videos!
dear emma, i love your videos and watch them all the time. thank you!
This is a good video because I really often have this idea that I'm the one to blame for being anxious, yet this shows that it's a natural reaction from my body that is even supposed to HELP me. I guess I just have to treat anxiety as a barking dog that I need to calm down.
Thank you so much for these videos. You are helping people changing their anxiety-inducing habits, little by little! You don't have to make these videos, but you choose to do it. I can tell that you are in CZcams not for the money. Thank you so much
Very educational, thank you!
Thank you so much. I was having a lot of anxiety suddenly and I could not put a direct area where it was coming from. Recently I watched a prior video of yours and I realized I did not have this emotion until I was told I had to return back to work. This was the reason. Thank you so much and plan to continue to watch your other videos to understand why abd what I need to do to deal with this. - Thank you. 💚💚
Thank you so much for helping us understand what is happening with our minds. 🍃❤️🍃
I have this watch that tracks my sleep quality, after I watch ur videos and tried your techniques that night, I got good deep sleep (i rarely had good deep sleep) for 2 nights straight
This video is so helpful to me. Thankyou
Thank you madame.
Now i m going to start the journey of watching your videos. Because i m sick. Really tired. But i will persevere...hopefully.
Your tone itself is a therapy ❤
pure value...thanks!
Thank You for Helping make the World a Better “ COPING PLACE”
I really enjoy your “Self-Help” videos and Practical knowledge use for Everyday People.
Thanks Again❤️
Thank you sweetie! Always# 1 love your self! Blessings! Happy Valentine's Day!!🙏🙏🙋🙋🙋😘😘🤗😊👣👣👣
Just realized this speaks to me. Thank you
so helpful for me. Thank you
Thank you so much!
WWWaaaaa I love this channel, such a beautiful ressource ! Soooo needed :)
I havent wondered that. But again, thanks for the reccomend.
Thank you so much for this Emma
thanks sooo much!
Was once in rehearsal
of a play when my script
went white, blank; fortunately
i could see words on a fellow
actors script.
Thanks a lot for these videos, i have been trying to raise my consciousness of most of my action and behaviours which may seem irrational at times and it is all because they are not taking place on my prefrontal lobs but mostly on my limbic and reptilian brain all my " dreams, decision , purchases, actions dance around my fears" and i know most people wuold think that public speaking or a meeting wiht your boss is not a threat it actually is, our psyche is protecting us from both physical pain ( insects, fire, falls) and physiological pain caused by rejection, which presents itself as ridicule, not approval, feeling incompetent , not worthy and even though these feelings dont kill you they do make you feel like dying ( husband left out commits suicide, kid being bullied kills himself, etc) so thats the reason why public speaking, old friends meetings, boss talks, job interviews, asking for dates, end of year parties can be scary at times and we end up avoiding , postponing or simply cancelling.
I recently learned that there exist also a fourth "F" called the Fawn respons, whereby a person gives up and totally surrenders to the person frightning them - they become submissive.
I had that, after months of stalking I simply gave in to get rid of the tension that became too high each time he came to my door.
I was lucky he was a hunter, and once he got what he wanted he lost interest. The hunt was more important to him than the prey.
That's horrible.
Police should've stepped in.
BTW I think she mentions what you say in the "freeze" part after 3:33.
A super well done video!!
Dr. E. R. Blomgren thanks so much!
This is the best video as it is reminding of all the things that have been happening to me as I’m in the flight fight freeze right now. And I’m wondering why I fell so horribly. But this video is helping me understand that it’s all in my mind
Thanks for the great video! :)
Very informative and easy to absorb. Thanks :) The comment connecting 'freeze' response and 'compliance' is enlightening & perhaps helps me understand why some abused or frightened children will fight back or run whilst others simply do what they are told.
A very good explanation
Thank you, emma!
Very nicely done! Thanks for posting this great information!
Thanks!
Very helpful, thank you so much, Doctora! By your leave, Señora Caballera!
❤️, Maybe a Peer Counselor LCSW to get cracking faster before M.D. and so forth, Aye!
I have a “freeze” response and ultra high cortisol levels in the mornings (I had my cortisol checked). And I have fear of starting my day. I don’t know how to prevent “freezing”. It’s seems unpreventable for me because I’m asleep right before it happens.
I’m sorry you’re going through this! It’s super inspiring to see someone with an issue research ways to help themselves, go girl! thank you for being awesome! We got this :)
I explained my life every damn day! It's hell
And perimenopause doesn't help.
I feel the same way every morning! You’re not alone
Same
thank you so much ☀️
I have troubles with this reaction often. I was thinking about dampening this by several things. Please tell me what you think of this idea. 1. Doing something that triggers this everyday many several times. 2. Doing meditation. 3 Wim Hof Method and exposing myself to cold showers/baths. What do you think will happen if I keep doing all 3 for months? Maybe to 2021?
Excellent therapy talk..as a person suffering from anxiety disorder for a long time (also on account of school and workplace bullying) I have experienced many panic attacks while speaking in public (still not stopped speaking though).. the trembling of hands or sweating happens automatically and I am not able to control it....in one case just a few days back i started sweating involuntarily though i kept on with the presentation...however you will be completely surprised that i have also been able to speak effectively on many occasionsand have won prizes in debates.. .I have seen a number of psychologists and taken treatment but either it did not help or I was not impressed with the therapy..Many of them I found were judging and more into labeling my problem and making me feel more uncomfortable.. However I really appreciate your approach which is more comforting and relaxing putting one at ease instantly..I have one issue with public speaking though..apart from my anxiety ofcourse I personally am also very uncomfortable with the idea of public speaking in-terms of making structured presentations before an audience..I tend to prefer or be more at ease and calm in discussions with a like minded group..I don't know why but that's the way I am wired perhaps...
She had me at “its like on Star Trek...”
What i noticed that helps for it is breathing exercises and meditation and stretching
Thank you~🦋
thank u so much!
What are the 10 skills though for anxiety management
Thanks so much
hello there i have anxiety and because of that i get headaches while studying please do make a video on that or suggest something
I really like your presentation. I would say you are gifted in presenting this. Short, sharp and simple. Star Trek "All power to the shield" is something that I can easily related to. I watch your presentation with Chinese subtitle on. It is still amazing. I am new to your channel. do you have some very basic therapy like CBT? the reason is that a mental health social worker (my supervisor) said that our government promotes and prefer practitioners using CBT, as it is short sharp and simple as well. Thank you so much.
💕 thank you. I struggle with the freeze part. When I'm scared my stumic gets knoty an I stop in the middle of an
activey when I'm scared. I do either a long or short pause when I see that its clear and safe I proceed with the activey if I don't think it safe I don't proceed N change tasks
You are awesome Emma
Hi Doctor,
I have tried contacting, could you please tell me how do I connect with you?
I really appreciate the Star Trek analogy
Thanks for this information.i have complex ptsd
I’ve modified it to fight, flight, love. It fits the stages of grief, too. Denial- flight, anger- fight, depression- flight, bargaining- fight, acceptance- love.
You... are an angel
Nicely explanation
thanks
I basically have been stuck in fight flight and freeze am I cortisol levels have skyrocketed over the years because I'm stuck. Too much of reliving my abuse over and over with therapists has made my body so sick.
Change the therapists, because reliving an experience isn't the only way to heal mentally. I think reliving it is dumb.
Thank you for your videos. Is it possible to email you for a quick question?
You are my hero
Thanks
You're Welcome!
what happened at 1.44 with the instant smile?
Can you make a video on procrastination?
I KNEW you were gonna have a deep voice!!!!
Severe ADHD with dysthymia (Persistent depressive disorder), anxiety spells, and - now - body dysmorphia due to mtf transition. The channel is a balm. Thanh you.
Thanks so much! I've been studying the autonomic nervous system for decades. I have Dysautonomia with PARAsympathetic dominance (with severe bradycardia, severe hypOtension, etc). Not many discuss this aspect. Might you have suggestions to retrain which stimulates the sympathetic for balance? Most focus on the other way around. I'd truly appreciate your advice! Best always, L
Thank you now I can understand what happened?
Great video I feel like that before fight
thanks
@@TherapyinaNutshell when I have somebody screaming at me or try to fight me I start shaking and I feel weak ...if they punch me I transform in wild beast..Some people have natural ability to fight with their mouth and not feeling bad until they dont get beaten up
1:24
Front part, get activated
4:37
Thank u, ma'am
Thank ypu💚💛🧡
I got myself an apple watch to measure my heartrate (bpm). It updates my bpm maybe once every couple of seconds. Wanted something to more accurately show if vagal tone is improving, might try a Fitbit watch or something else if anyone has suggestions.
Can you comment on benzo withdrawal and being stuck in fight/flight as I taper for 17 months and counting. Just stuck in this and trying everything???
There are still crazy people out there!
How much days a body can survive fight flight freeze response???I'm currently living in this response for 14 months now
Will this fix the gut once we learn to relax? My stomach is a train wreck from being in this fight flight situation for 15 years
A question, can you have the tight or flight response for most of the day?
Yes, you can. I've had it sometimes for weeks at a time.
Ma'am we experienced a lot of anger as well...how can that be handled?
I just want to say to the creator of this channel. God bless you in Jesus name. You have helped me tremendously. Please keep doing your good work.
Question, is it possible to encounter this response so much in a particular situation that you stop experiencing anything later on? I have a "supervisor" with extremely high expectations who is harshly critical and openly berates me in front of my co-workers. Apparently, this is not a me issue as several of my colleagues have also had the same experience with said person. As a result of these repeated and similar interactions, I have experienced all three fight (talking back, questioning them), flight (asking to leave the situation or use the bathroom, moving to another task in another part of the room) and freeze (zoning out their voice, sitting down and doing mundane tasks like organizing items on the counter). I would even experience palpitations and the sweaty palms before I was about to have an encounter. However, these days, I feel unfazed and apathetic and I feel myself just responding affirmatively, "Yes, I'll do that" or "Yeah, that can be done" and not really caring otherwise. Is that normal?
Not only do I have freeze response…I have absences when in trauma mode…so I can’t do anything…and if I do get anxious…I can’t remember how I got from one situation to another…ie was in a shop, lost my cousin and became “aware” in a different part of the shop…not knowing how I got there or where I was…very disorientated and confused…very scary…🥰
Does anyone else feel like they’re quite literally losing their mind? Mine began shortly after having my daughter and that’s been more than a year and a half ago and it only seems to get worse. Every single day I feel like I’m closer and closer to insanity. I just would like to know this is “normal” and that I’m not alone bc I’m so lonely out here.
Hi I want to take your course on Udemi about neuroplasty
You are so beautiful, it helps me recover
please just a Question . if this fight or flight turn off the thinking part in brain , then who takes the decision making ? and am I being unconscious and Automated ? and for OCD PERSON , who's anxiety triggered because of thoughts that need an answer or problem solving so we need thinking , then in this case is the thinking part is also turn off or what ?
i think for us ocders it's slightly different - our animal brains trigger a freeze response that thinks the only way it can be turned off is by "solving" or "answering" the problem. in reality, there is no solution or answer needed, we just need to accept the anxiety and use the physiological calming techniques to help us overcome the freeze response, and see that we don't need to answer the ocd's demands - that way our brains will gradually stop getting triggered :) i have experienced this firsthand. stay strong friend!
Hello Emma, I hope you have an answer to my following question, as I have looked everywhere without clear explanation to this.
Whenever I talk to people I don't know well, whenever I get confronted, when I have a job interview or talk to a person of authority, my eyes start tearing up (like when you yawn) and it has made my life really difficult. I want to move away from my toxic household but with this issue I can't. I had agoraphobia e few months back but I consulted a psychologist and helped me overcome it in about half a year. I have social anxiety too, and this may be the reason this thing happens. I really want this stupid reaction of my eyes go away.
I appreciate any advice. I am 22 years old by the way and this situation prevents me from even having a relationship with a girl.
You probably analyze situations too much, like when you are talking to the person, in the back of your mind you are thinking things, which are mostly negative. The more you get into social situations often, and get rejected, refused, hated on, made fun of, or whatever else, the less you care about being accepted, or being perfect for that matter. Because, there is something about going through these things and surviving that boosts one's confidence and mental strength.
Let's say you like a girl, but you never muster the courage to ask her out. You might save yourself the embarrassment if you don't ask her out, but you might regret it and think lower of yourself, because you don't have the courage to get rejected.
@@DiamondsRexpensive First of all, thank you very much for answering my comment, I appreciate it.
I am sure that it has to do something with the bad social situations I have been in, in the recent past (mostly traumatic and dangerous) and adding my anxious way of thinking to the equation, things got more difficult for me. I am at work every day and I get that feeling almost every time I talk to anybody. Even when somebody tells a story about a confrontation or something similar, I instantly feel that way. I hope this feelings pass because it is torture for me.
Every time I watch a war movie, talk to anyone about war topics or go to a military airshow, I'd tear up...I didn't understand why. But, I recently discovered that being present at 5 yrs old in a civil war in my country had major impact. I only have flash backs and I don't recall too much of it, but it was enough for me to get like that.
Maybe there's something else deep inside that you haven't figured it out yet. It will take time, but I'm sure you'll get there. I really hope you do.
I was curious why my anxiety causes so many physical symptoms, I suffer with facial tics, (blinking,eye rolling) hard time swallowing food, dizziness these are newer issues and they seem to change! I also have others annoying issues. these make my anxiety even worse, and most the time i dont even know why i am having anxiety. >_
I wish I could just shut my thoughts off. My brain makes me believe the thoughts and then I stay getting triggered by that same thought coming up throughout the day. It makes me believe I need to leave/run away when there isn't any danger and actually my life is pretty great besides having debilitating anxiety