The fight, flight, freeze response

This resource explains the body’s natural threat response system, including fight, flight, and freeze, and how this can be triggered even when there is no real danger.

It is designed to support therapists in helping young people understand their anxiety responses, reducing confusion and fear around physical and emotional reactions.

References and Further Reading

  • Bracha, H. S. (2004). Freeze, flight, fight, fright, faint: Adaptationist perspectives on the acute stress response spectrum. CNS Spectrums, 9(9), 679-685. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852900001954.
  • Steimer, T. (2002). The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 4(3), 231-249. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2002.4.3/tsteimer.
  • Keifer Jr., O. P., Hurt, R. C., Ressler, K. J., & Marvar, P. J. (2015). The physiology of fear: Reconceptualizing the role of the central amygdala in fear learning. Physiology, 30(5), 389-409. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00058.2014.