What would be your threat response....fight, flight or freeze?

[FuckKnowsMate]

Just curious about what other people think their body's response to threat would be?
I recall experiencing something when I was on medication and struggling to sleep and think I may have had an episode of 'exploding head syndrome'. I remember very vividly hearing loud knocking on my windows (I was downstairs at the time) and thought the house was about to get burgled and my immediate response was to completely freeze, rooted to the sofa without daring to breathe but could feel my heart through my chest! After calming down, I realised I was actually just experiencing something in the transition state between sleep and awake, however in that moment it felt SO real and I genuinely thought I was in danger......anyway, its now made me think I would be an absolute shitbag in any real danger situation and my response would be to freeze which is pretty useless :(

If you was in danger, do you think you would fight or flight or freeze like me :D

Flight. 100% of the time I get as far away as possible. Which is problematic because I can’t run very far 😂

I was attacked on a train in Europe once. I froze, then tried to push him off, screamed and ran for the door (corridor train). Fortunately people came out of their compartments to help. The guard pulled the communication cord to stop the train and kicked him out in thick snow in the middle of nowhere.

Both flight and fight.
Flight when I was about 10 and me and three mates were chased by two teenagers with knives saying they were going to kill us. This was in a leafy village yonks ago. Never felt so scared, it was almost as if my legs couldn’t go fast enough. We got away and they eventually stopped chasing. We never told our parents and to this day I wonder why.

Fight was when I was in my 20s, crossing a town centre car park at night to get back to my car and a man surged up fast behind me. I had a rolled up telescopic umbrella, turned and whacked him with it. He ran off.

Fight again, another car park this time at a supermarket, a couple of years ago. A young bloke had a right go at DH for something silly to do with parking. He started calling DH an old git, etc. Not having that, I stepped in between them and told the young bastard to jog on. Which he did.

I’m only tiny. Don’t really fancy a fourth time.

I've done all three. Flight - ran away from a man in the street - but then I was about 100 yards from my house and got inside and locked the door. Freeze - someone banging on my front door saying they were going to kill me (turned out they had the wrong house, but it was scary while it lasted) - froze and tried to hide. Could've just left out the back. Fight - briefly beat up a masked teenager who I thought was going to stab me in front of my then-2 yo. I've done combat sports for 20 years so that might have come more naturally to me now than say, 20 years ago.

I don't think it's a conscious choice though. I was terrified in each of the above situations - I never felt like I was choosing what to do. I think a subconscious part of your mind weighs up your chances. Flight is generally your safest option, but may not be possible. Freeze makes sense if you can't run and they won't kill you if you don't make them angry. Fight is only a good idea if a) you are extremely likely to win or b) you haven't got any other choice.

According to my therapist... mine is "fawn". I tend to agree

www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-does-fight-flight-freeze-fawn-mean#:~:text=The%20fight%20response%20is%20your,please%20someone%20to%20avoid%20conflict.

I think mine is fight or be very calm and think straight, I've had a couple of medical emergencies when I just calmly issued instructions and did cpr.

I was once felt up in a packed commuter train where my arms were pinned to my sides but as the doors opened at the station and my arms were freed I was able to shove my attacker onto the platform really hard so that he went flying along with his laptop etc. Served the arsehole right.

Had a couple of incidents with the DC when they were small and tripped up really badly - I ran towards them whereas DH was literally frozen to the spot, found it so weird that he couldn't go to them but I think my calmness in a crisis is probably my adhd at work.

It depends. When I heard someone creeping down the corridor of my hall of residence at 2am, systematically and slowly trying the door handles of each room, I absolutely froze. And continued freezing for quite some time after they left.

But in another situation I absolutely fought. So I think that where my brain thinks freezing is safest, I do, whether I want to or not. Where it though it would be dangerous to freeze (and it would have been) I instinctively fought.

I can absolutely imagine freezing during a sexual assault though. I think that's what most people's brains would do, faced with someone much stronger who could otherwise kill you.

I don't think it's a conscious choice though. I was terrified in each of the above situations - I never felt like I was choosing what to do. I think a subconscious part of your mind weighs up your chances.

Exactly.

It depends on the threat and who it involved. If it was a rampaging axe-wielding maniac, a mugger, a terrorist attack or a fire, I think I’d freeze. If it was an accident or emergency that happened to a loved one I’d scream for help and attempt first aid or whatever was needed but be very panicky and find it extremely hard to be calm. If it was a stranger who was Ill or injured I’d be far more likely to keep calm and be able to do something useful.

20 years of DA, I know I’d freeze.

Gone back to my throwaway name for this as both outing and have used this name to post about one of these incidents before.

My housemate and I were walking home after a party through a dark estate and a man walked past us, then I heard him stop and then follow us, I told her to run and we sprinted as hard as we could back to our street with him chasing us most of the way. I am not built to run but somehow we outran him.

On a separate occasion, I was attacked by a group of men on a night out and had a broken bottle held to my throat, I fought as hard as I could because I thought I was as good as dead anyway.

I think if I’m with someone else, my instinct is to flee with them so they are not in danger but alone I will fight.