The Lesser Known F in the Fight, Flight, and Freeze Threat Response
The fourth F may be the one you relate to the most
Did you know there are actually four recognised responses to danger? I’ve only recently encountered the term “fawning,” which I relate to deeply. I feel like I’m the last to know, but I want to share some of my learnings about this stress response.
Let me ask you some questions. Do you ever feel like you are responsible for the emotions of other people? Do you have a tendency to put others before yourself? Do you struggle to say no and try to be as helpful and amenable as possible?
If you answered “yes” to all or most of the above questions, you may be susceptible to fawning.
Fawning is an automatic response to perceived danger. Its intended tactic is to alleviate a stressful situation; think of it as a conflict resolution strategy.
You will likely know about the fight or flight response. Some of you may also understand that freezing is also a stress response.
Our stress responses are automatic, meaning we don’t have any control over how we respond to…