This makes so much sense. I always go into the 'freeze' mode when stressed and then I feel pathetic for lacking the energy to do things. My friends think I disappear or don't care, but in reality, I just can't find the energy to even converse with people in my home or get out. I need to find a way to rewire my brain to prevent this default response.
Agree. When I feel overwhelmed by unmanageable stress, I go to bed until it passes. I only feel safe in my bed, no couch. I have an ensuite master bathroom, so I only leave to go to the refrigerator for a drink.
Finally some content on Freeze that is proactive, concise and not a long winded rant with no specific steps of actions. Thank you for creating this content and providing clarity and simplicity, to an otherwise complex traumatic response. We don’t need a in-depth terror story on the intricacies of freeze mode or chronic freeze mode🤣 but rather some simplicity and productivity to get us out of it! Loool
We can extend the number of F words from "fight, flight and freeze" to "fawn", meaning to act submissively to others, and "float", meaning to drift along taking no responsibility for your situation. An alternative approach could be to "go figure", meaning to work with your therapist and think through your responses until you have an approach that feels right to you.
I never realized it but I do tend to hold my breath or stop breathing subconsciously. Basically, I was suffocating myself. Now I’m making sure to have a steady and uninterrupted flow of air in my lungs. It seems to help with the mental and physical feelings of grogginess and brain fog.
As a full time caregiver for my husband, my days are chopped into so many pieces that I am now in “flip flops in the toaster”, milk in the closet”, “car keys in the fridge” mode. It’s bad. The good news is that I will be able to hire a housekeeper soon and respite care will restart so I can get away from home and be carefree for a while. Now I will listen to this video and see what’s what.
Just dumping some thoughts here. I feel like the freeze response has come more into the spotlight on the last decade or so and it wasn't really discussed or considered that much before (same with the fawn response, which I do think is different because it's inherently social and may not be on the same level as fight flight and freeze. Ibdofeel like the more I hear people talking about the freeze response and how it can become a disableing pattern in ones life, that there is a big overlap with a concept that was talked about much more in clinical psychology and therapeutic settings: the concept of "learned helplessness". I think they are intimately related, but not the same. And I believe disringuushing the both and also knowing how they relate to each other can lead to more effective way of helping someone or helping yourself. I just find it fascinating, that in three years of advanced biology class in school, where we learned about the functioning of the symathetic bervous system *aswell as* a complete cpurse of bachelors and masters degree in psychology at university, the freeze response never was mentioned once, even though it it there in plain sight.
I was thinking the exact same. Even more so this past year or two! I feel like just a couple years ago I'd search it up and there were only a handful of videos.
I really appreciate the practical techniques you've shared and how clearly you present them. I'm a trauma informed therapist who uses painting and writing as a tool for healing and well being. It's what helped me regulate myself as a child, and then I went on to share it with my patients when I worked in psych hospitals. It's been my life's work to help people discover how soothing and uplifting it is to create.
I went into freeze mode it's like being cornered like you are the fox by a pack of hound's out to get you. You feel that you can't get out of it you avoid people and situations do nothing people say she's done absolutely nothing and judge you it was at the most difficult time of my life i ended up with phychois because of the feeling of being judged by so many people
great tips 👌 As I recall, Mark Divine (of Seal Fit) teaches box breathing as a regular practice so you're calmer in general and tactical breathing for use in combat (1:2 inhale to exhale) to control the heightened stress.
What if I’m in chronic freeze, not just periodically going in and out of freeze. Breathing, Movement dont touch me internally, they don’t go deep. It doesn’t touch the nervous system or trauma. What to do?
Repetition is very valuable in brain retraining, so doing these exercises consistently (even a couple times a week can help) over a period of time can begin to help you "thaw." Secondly, it will take time. Try not to rush the process and be compassionate with yourself as you slowly come out of chronic freeze.
Thank you Great videos Great channel Could you please make a video how to stop lightheadedness and feeling off balance anxiety I have anxiety dizzy spells and they come from nowhere anywhere and I go into full panic where it gets into a loop Get more and more dizzy And nothing but me sitting or laying down not moving because I can't I have to be still and take Klonopin wait and maybe after an hour it gets better but my body by then is so disregulated and shot that I pass out and sleep for over 12 hours. Thank you ❤I would be so so greatful if there was a better way to regulate those dizzy spells I have had this over 20 years and been on meds this long and it's not shifting I am also listening to Irene Lyon about somatic experiencing and it I do not know yet if it helps it's been two weeks of listening to her Thank you again. Please give me hope if possible Thank you ❤
How can i reprogramm my brain to breath deeply all the time? Like when I write this comment i go into freezing mode. For a few weeks i force myself to breath deeply ( 3s in 6s out). But when i don't concentrater on it i often realize I'm beck to flat breating. Can Anybody help?
Repetition and intention will be your best friend! Keep doing what you have been doing, but also actively practice in situations that might trigger your freeze response- we practice exactly this in the re-origin program to help you slowly recondition your response to stressful situations so you can breathe through them!
The overwhelm and also trauma freeze are true for me with ADHD. Something really important that I've found for me is to reset the expectation. I'm not getting up and unfrozen to do laundry, cook, even shower. I'm getting up to get up.That's it. That's the priority. Not doing what everyone else thinks I should be doing. Not what I've been pummeled into believing I have to do to be a worthy human. Imagine if epileptic people had a method to stay conscious and escape a seizure. Or if a person in a coma could sense they were trapped and step-by-step, wake themselves up. What kind of lunatic would say, "remember, you're coming out of the seizure or the coma specifically so you can be useful to everyone else?" Nobody. They'd be rooting wholeheartedly for that person to wake up and reclaim their body. They'd talk about that person getting back active in a gentle, rehabilitative way and talk about usefulness, paying rent and vacuuming the carpet later, because health is the priority. I know freezing isn't in near the same category of badness as a seizure or coma, but compare the compassionate reactions people would have for someone trying to choose and will their way out of those neurological problems to the absolute less-than-zero understanding and blatant hostility we neurodivergents are served up hot and fresh every day (often by people who swear they love us.) About 6 months ago, I decided that it no longer mattered if the entire world judges me in the negative. If they don't live with this problem, they have no business commenting on it, and I deserve to fight to get up _just to be okay in my body_. Not for them. Not to meet the standards that my culture insists I can't like myself until I meet. This is my one body. The only lifetime I know for sure I have. I get up for _me_ now. It makes it so much easier to pull myself out of the pit this way. 7:53
Great observation. I hate to say that a more minimalist (barely minimalist, but compared to my past self MUCH closer!) collection of objects has helped immensely, and having specific areas for categorized things. Less clothes means less laundry and less piles and less folding and less drawers packed with overstimulating different textures and patterns and colours. (Every six months or so I try to pick out my favourites and let go of some that either I don’t wear or which make me feel negatively in some way. So slowly my collection gets pared down, rather than a huge pressure to organize and purge all in one go.) doing that in every category I can and having all like-objects in the same place (all linens in one shelf, all packing supplies in one cupboard, all paper documents in one area) helps me to put them away always in the same spot more easily because there’s no second guessing where it goes. Everything has to fit, too, or something has to go. (Some people call this the Container Method. Only keeping as much as fits in the storage for it.) Less products in the bathroom on the counter and tub makes cleaning either much faster and stress-free, as does keeping brooms accessible, laundry hampers small, cleaning products near the front of the cupboard in the rooms they’re needed most. I don’t know if any of that might help you; it sounds perhaps like common sense, but making everything as easy to access and easy to organize as possible has led to being organized for the first time in my life. The visual clutter is minimized and thus so is so much of the mental overwhelm and overstimulation. Whatever the case, I’m rooting for you to find the balance you’re seeking!
Tai Chi helps me reset… it’s focused on circular continuous slow movements accompanied by breathing. I kept telling master that I think these movements help reset trauma that is stored in the nervous system. I guess that’s what you are saying now… I wish everyone would take tai chi
I would like to tell you something important. You see, I have CFS and CPTSD, etc. I have done almost everything. Recently, a very expensive course to regulate the nervous system with Somatic and Feldenkrais, all from the body, and very interesting, and very serious, but I have only been affected by trauma no matter how much titration I do. I made a lot of economic sacrifices to do it. I invested all my hopes. And I had completely lost hope, I felt completely defeated. It has been awful. And suddenly I found you. The first video I saw on your channel, I cried. And it was because I had regained some hope. I wish that many of you who are working on these things would join forces and knowledge together because each one takes care of a part and we patients of chronic illnesses need a whole because our cases do not adhere to a single solution in so many cases. I have already seen your courses and I hope to be able to take them. Thanks for all this help in the meantime. Thanks from my heart. 💗
Keep investing in yourself, no matter what, most will be crap but you have to work through them to find the good stuff that "clicks" best of luck (luck is bs though) best of effort on self improvement
My story seems to be your story too. I literally just fell across this video now. I too have done it all, pharma, everything. Hope is what is needed through CPTSD/chronic trauma etc. I also use TRE (free from RU-vid-invented 35 yrs ago by Dr. Bercelli) if you can lay down and just shake your body, you can do this. No more reliving the past either. If military bodies worldwide use it, it works. Here's a link to help (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Wr2XFrinOlo.html&ab_channel=DavidBerceli). I've suffered enough I just want to share useful options. Btw, I gain nothing from sharing TRE..I just wish for sufferers to get better.
Excellent video, really great tips that I look forward to trying. So reassuring to know that it's normal to feel frozen like that...I thought it was just me! xoxoxo
Of course we are stuck, Brain need nutrition, suplemants, we cant retrain something that doesnt work properly, it is conected with hormones, nutrition, minerals, aminoacid..like we cant train broken leg!❤🎉
I go into freeze mode in stressful situations and when getting shouted at or sensing danger ⚠️ in these moments I would love to get into fight or flight mode rather to be able to stand up for myself and be able to reply or leave. Do you have any tips how to do that? Because breathing and walking is not something you can do in the moment.
Fight/Flight/Freeze are automatic responses but with proactive practice of nervous system regulation techniques, you should find yourself being able to more effectively manage the perceived danger or stress, and thus being able to choose how you would like to respond to the stressful situations. Hope that helps!
Join a full contact combat gym, it's a big and scary step but you won't regret it. Look up "stress inoculation" its how you build stress tolerance slowly to the point you don't find things like being shouted at or having to stand up for yourself, even if it means to fight.
Great advice . . . .Love the concept of the brain latching on to newly recognized patterns that is initiated in order to change your normal, problematic, unhealthy behavior. 👍
i like the idea of tracing shapes. I just did that with my finger on my desk, right in the middle of a stuck/anxiety phase that's been lingering for the last hour and I will admit that this exercise gave me the best outcome after the breathing in/out. I did it slowly and watched my finger move in oval shapes. It really helps! Thank you so much, now I have a new tool to use :)
OH ok so the way to get out of freeze is to move…duh!!!!!! I”ve done all the suggested and the facts are we also need help with resources because the lack of resources is a REALITY!
Thank u so much for these video's ❤️ love the calm relaxing background music in this video too 👌 just wondering if the tatical breathing is ok to breathe out thru the mouth? Or is it best out thru nose? Also, is doing some qi gong fluid type movements also a option or good way to move out of freeze? Thankyou 😊😊😃
Can you elaborate on the big swings between going into a freeze and then fight flight back-and-forth. As you try to move out of one and your system flings into the other, do you have a video on that?
This is a great question and we can certainly film a video on it in the future! These big swings are absolutely normal as your brain tries to find its baseline. Just like with a pendulum, it must swing to both extremes in order to settle in the middle. Be gentle with yourself. You got this!
Wait. When I am in freeze mode, I don't know it until I come out. I am just not aware. I know something has happened but what/why. So how can I do these movements under this circumstance?? Hasn't happened in a long time. Seems to happen when I suddenly become aware that someone is looking/watching me. . And then I come out of it. I am not aware of what is happening during this freeze mode.I have often wanted to ask the "looking" person what he observed. Lasts very short time. Why sometimes and not others?
The freeze response is an automatic, subconscious reaction to perceived threats. This is often triggered by sudden stress ie, feeling scrutinized. During it, you may be unaware of what’s happening until you come out of it. The response varies based on your stress levels, past experiences, and current emotional state, which is why it happens sometimes and not others. We have more information on our website. www.re-origin.com/articles/nervous-system-stuck-in-fight-or-flight
It's not okay because the rest of the world doesn't understand this reaction. It's impossible to explain to someone without knowledge that this is real. Don't be ridiculous why are you so stressed by this, just get over it - is the response. More freeze mode.
Yes, we agree there isn't enough awareness on this topic! But luckily we can remember that although we cannot control what other people say or think, we can learn what our own nervous system needs and the tools to regulate it. We hope this video helped 💙
If the freeze response is normal, why have I not seen it in other people? I have had 57 years to witness it. I am the only person I know of that experiences this.
Hi David- Freeze response can often be masked more easily than fight or flight because it is more of an "internal" looking response to stress. Many people also have something called "functional freeze" where they can get things done throughout the day, but then struggle to do small things at home like the dishes or laundry. It is very common and it looks different on everyone. You are surely not alone!
I would like to know if besides having long COVID symptoms i also more physical health and those are causing me o lot mental problems too. I have adrenal fatigue syndrome, peripheral neuropathy with having me in a constant pain, also suffering from chronic dehydration, anxiety and chronic insomnia .besides the 24/7 pain. All this is new because through out my life I have a lot of health issues and was able to work on me with a lot of help to feel better. This is new for older, alone, vey sick and have to find by myself how to help me. Do you think you can help ? My physical body needs to,be ah usted my balance is out of balance and a lot pain has to do with that
For other people affected negatively by the background music Sometimes it helps me to increase the Play back speed and then just kind of muscle through it It would be better if it wasn't in the background though.
Love your work so much! Thank you for always sharing such helpful tools! 🙏🌺 However, please consider using a different example instead of the Navy Seals. The American Military has commited war crime after war crime all over the world.
Your voice sounds so soothing and comforting, I just felt better listening to you, first time not even paying attention to what you were saying, because I was so impressed by the compassionate tone. It felt like a sonic massage 😊😊😊
We have lots of exercises and techniques to help with this in our program, we also have more free resources on our blog page that may be useful for you too www.re-origin.com/blog
Everything makes sense, and I am working with a therapist, but I would like to put out there some things to understand more, hear from some guys here: 1. Just listening to all the steps here to get rid of the freeze response here in this video, sent me into one. I started yawning and staring and didn't take in much information and had to rewind and listen again. Why? Am I just way overwhelmed already to 'stack' even more on top? 2. My 'regular' to do list is so long, stuff I need to do on a daily or weekly basis', washing, dog-walking, exercise, make dinner, dishes, etc, that I froze up just with those already and don't even get to me large task list of once-offs. How do I handle this? 3. Doing movement help in the moment, but when sit down to work again, hoping not to freeze, just thinking oi this same-old work tasks, makes me freeze immediately again. I am in perpetual freeze and the only way get anything done is to put myself into a panic (by waiting to do my work tasks until the last minute, for instance). But this is so taxing on my life, it's not a good way to live.
