Specifically, fight-or-flight is an active defense response where you fight or flee. Your heart rate gets faster, which increases ...Fight,Flight,Freeze:WhatThisResponseMeansMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,Ph.D.,CRNP—WrittenbyKirstenNunezonFebruary21,2020InthebodyInthemindExamplesOveractiveresponseHowtocopeWhentoseeaproTakeawayThefight-flight-freezeresponseisyourbody’snaturalreactiontodanger.It’satypeofstressresponsethathelpsyoureacttoperceivedthreats,likeanoncomingcarorgrowlingdog.Theresponseinstantlycauseshormonalandphysiologicalchanges.Thesechangesallowyoutoactquicklysoyoucanprotectyourself.It’sasurvivalinstinctthatourancientancestorsdevelopedmanyyearsago.Specifically,fight-or-flightisanactivedefenseresponsewhereyoufightorflee.Yourheartrategetsfaster,whichincreasesoxygenflowtoyourmajormuscles.Yourpainperceptiondrops,andyourhearingsharpens.Thesechangeshelpyouactappropriatelyandrapidly.Freezingisfight-or-flightonhold,whereyoufurtherpreparetoprotectyourself.It’salsocalledreactiveimmobilityorattentiveimmobility.Itinvolvessimilarphysiologicalchanges,butinstead,youstaycompletelystillandgetreadyforthenextmove.Fight-flight-freezeisn’taconsciousdecision.It’sanautomaticreaction,soyoucan’tcontrolit.Inthisarticle,we’llfurtherexplorewhatthisresponseentails,alongwithexamples.What’sgoingoninthebodyDuringafight-flight-freezeresponse,manyphysiologicalchangesoccur.Thereactionbeginsinyouramygdala,thepartofyourbrainresponsibleforperceivedfear.Theamygdalarespondsbysendingsignalstothehypothalamus,whichstimulatestheautonomicnervoussystem(ANS).TheANSconsistsofthesympatheticandparasympatheticnervoussystems.Thesympatheticnervoussystemdrivesthefight-or-flightresponse,whiletheparasympatheticnervoussystemdrivesfreezing.Howyoureactdependsonwhichsystemdominatestheresponseatthetime.Ingeneral,whenyourANSisstimulated,yourbodyreleasesadrenalineandcortisol,thestresshormone.Thesehormonesarereleasedveryquickly,whichcanaffectyour:Heartrate.Yourheartbeatsfastertobringoxygentoyourmajormuscles.Duringfre