What is The Fight-or-Flight Response?
While Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) is our preferred phrasing for this topic, we understand that many people still use the term PTSD, and we will refer to it as such throughout the article.
Have you ever been in a situation where you reacted immediately, without even thinking or before consciously processing the situation? Do you ever think about stories of people lifting cars off a trapped person? These reactions to stress are known as the fight-or-flight response. Through a sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses within the stress system, this essential mechanism helps individuals react in dangerous or stressful situations. However, it's possible to be in an overactive or prolonged state of fight-or-flight response due to trauma or being in stressful environments.
Those who experience hypervigilance, sleep problems or trouble regulating their emotions may have an overactive stress system. Being in a prolonged state of stress can make it difficult to turn off the fight-or-flight response. Stella's breakthrough treatments, like Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR), an advanced Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB), can reset the fight-or-flight response to its baseline, therefore relieving the symptoms of anxiety and stress.
What Is Fight-or-Flight?
Fight-or-flight is a physiological event that occurs when the sympathetic nervous system is activated. This acute stress phenomenon may also be known as the fight-or-flight response or the fight-or-flight reaction. This activation is caused by an individual's perceived threat — something frightening, stressful or even life-endangering.
Fight Response
The term "fight" refers to the body's way of preparing to respond to the threat aggressively for a better chance of survival. In fight mode, an individual may:
- Lash out at others
- Yell or raise their voice
- Feel highly agitated or angry
- Be hypervigilant
Flight Response
Alternatively, flight is the response that occurs when the body urges the individual to "flee" the scene or run from danger. In flight mode, an individual may:
- Fidget
- Avoid the threat
- Have trouble sitting still
- Panic
- Feel trapped
Evolution of the Fight-or-Flight Response
The fight-or-flight response is an evolutionary adaptation first described in the early 1900s. American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon discussed the way that animals release adrenaline in response to a threat, such as in the presence of a predator. This adrenaline caused an increased heart rate, respiration and oxygen flow to the muscles — essentially speeding up the production of necessary survival functions. Cannon interpreted these responses as emergency functions that helped animals survive by preparing the body to fight or flee.
Similarly, when humans experience these bodily sensations as a result of the fight-or-flight response, they instinctively feel more aware and ready to react to any perceived danger.
Though the fight-or-flight response is a survival mechanism that all humans possess, some individuals can experience this response too frequently or in inappropriate situations. When the brain is constantly in fight-or-flight mode as a result of an individual's history of traumatic experiences or stressful situations, it can be considered atypical or overactive.
What Causes a Fight-or-Flight Response?
An overactive fight-or-flight response is a condition that can be caused by one or several factors, which include:
- A history of verbal or physical abuse
- Exposure to phobias
- Hormone imbalances
- The presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Individuals with PTSD often have high levels of adrenaline and experience fight-or-flight as a reflexive trauma response or an automatic trigger of perceived trauma-related reminders.
People with PTSD and consistently atypical levels of stress hormones experience fight-or-flight even when there is no danger, which can result in symptoms of hyperarousal, such as anxiety and an inability to relax. This is why this term may sometimes be referenced as PTSD fight-or-flight response.
Underlying stress and trauma physically affect brain structure and function. This can cause many individuals to develop a hypersensitive fight-or-flight response.
Severe trauma that leads to PTSD can result in lasting neuropsychological effects that significantly impair routine functions, such as:
- Rapidly adapting to new environments
- Maintaining cognitive coherence
- Task performance
- Decision-making
- Cognitive processing
- Memory
- Concentration
- Emotional regulation
- Threat perception
What Happens During Fight-or-Flight?
Can we experience fight-or-flight responses even in situations that are non-life-threatening? The short answer is yes. Many individuals can experience intense, overly frequent activation of the fight-or-flight response as a result of mental health challenges like anxiety and PTSD.
For example, individuals with PTSD have reduced regulatory mechanisms in their prefrontal cortex and reduced hippocampus volume, which can exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety even in the absence of real danger.
Reduced hippocampus volume can result in reduced neuroendocrine regulation, leading to higher cortisol levels when exposed to stressful events. As a result, individuals with PTSD also often have an inflated conditioned emotional response.
Let's examine the automatic physiological and hormonal changes that occur when the body activates this defense response.
What Part of the Brain Controls Fight-or-Flight?
The part of the brain that controls fear, the amygdala, is also responsible for triggering the fight-or-flight response. The amygdala is particularly active during fearful situations. When the amygdala registers a perceived or real threat, it sends signals to the hypothalamus, which plays a critical role in threat response.
The activation in the hypothalamus stimulates the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS consists of two essential functions of the stress system, known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, or the SNS and PNS.
The SNS is key during this process, as it mediates the fight-or-flight response. The PNS, alternatively, is responsible for the body's rest response, or "freezing." This happens when a person is unable to move or act after perceiving a threat. It's important to note that fight, flight or freeze are not conscious decisions. These responses are automatic, immediate bodily reactions that individuals cannot control.
Every person's specific physiological reactions depend on which systems dominate the fight-or-flight response at any given time. However, once the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, the body will activate the adrenal glands, which will release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones, when released instantaneously, produce changes throughout the body to prepare an individual for injury, pain or running away, such as:
- Cold hands and feet
- Reduced pain perception
- Elevated hearing and vision
- Sweaty or cold skin
- Increased or decreased heart rate
- Increased or decreased breathing
Physical Signs That Someone is Experiencing a Fight-or-Flight Response
The fight-or-flight response is the body's natural reaction to perceived danger, triggering a series of physical changes that prepare a person to either confront the threat or escape from it. Here are some key physical signs that someone is experiencing this response:
- Increased Heart Rate: The heart pumps faster to send more blood to muscles, preparing the body for quick action.
- Rapid Breathing: Breathing becomes faster and shallower to take in more oxygen, which fuels muscles for a quick response.
- Dilated Pupils: The pupils expand to allow more light in, improving vision and awareness of the surroundings.
- Sweating: The body produces sweat to cool itself down, helping to regulate temperature during intense physical action.
- Muscle Tension: Muscles tighten, readying the body for a burst of strength or speed.
- Dry Mouth: Non-essential bodily functions, such as saliva production, slow down to focus energy on immediate survival needs.
- Digestive Changes: The digestive system may slow or stop entirely, which can result in a "knot in the stomach" feeling or nausea.
These physical signs are automatic responses driven by the nervous system to enhance survival in dangerous situations. While these reactions are helpful in short-term crises, experiencing them frequently due to chronic stress can negatively impact health over time.
Fight-or-Flight Response Examples
The fight-or-flight response looks different for everyone. In fact, there are some situations in which people may not even realize that the fight-or-flight response is at work. For example, if you've ever been walking down a street and quickly detected a car coming in your path and moved out of the way in time, that was a fight-or-flight response.
If you have experienced the feeling of "butterflies" in your stomach when worried or stressed, this is also the body's way of preparing for a threat. People who engage in flight response may react to stressful situations by walking away mid-conversation. The flight response may also look like running away from a snake or a growling dog.
These external signals may be related to previous traumatic and stressful events, triggering the fight-or-flight response and manifesting as symptoms of anxiety.
Can Someone Get Stuck in Fight-or-Flight Mode?
It's possible to feel stuck in a constant state of fight-or-flight. In some individuals, experiencing trauma can overwhelm the ability to cope, creating a highly sensitized nervous system. Once this happens, the individual may sense a potential threat or danger even in situations where they logically understand they are safe, as the sense of felt safety is separate from logically understanding they are safe. Without treatment, an individual can become "stuck" in fight-or-flight mode and lose control over their body's response to stress.
Living in Fight-or-Flight Mode: Long-Term Health Risks of Chronic Stress
The fight-or-flight response is a stress response, which means it should only occur when a person perceives a potential or real threat. Once stuck in fight-or-flight mode, it can be very difficult to regulate the nervous system.
Living with chronic stress and a dysregulated nervous system is associated with increased anxiety and risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, overactive fight-or-flight responses that contribute to an excessive or prolonged stress response can result in PTSD.
The effects of chronic activation or heightened stress as a result of overactive fight-or-flight include:
- High blood pressure
- Increased levels of stress hormones
- Fatigue or disruptions in sleep patterns
- Anxiety, depression and PTSD-like behaviors
- Mood disorders
- Cognitive impairment
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Heart disease
- Digestive issues
- Lapse in memory
- Migraine headache
- Exacerbation of conditions like fibromyalgia and gastritis
Treatment Options for Calming the Nervous System
There are many effective ways of helping manage chronic stress, calm the nervous system and reduce an overactive fight-or-flight response. Some traditional somatic methods include:
- Breathwork: Breathing exercises can lower the nervous system response by slowing the heart rate, regulating breathing and increasing feelings of relaxation. The 4-7-8 breathing method involves breathing in deeply for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds and exhaling slowly for eight seconds.
- Mindfulness: The cognitive skill of mindfulness involves maintaining awareness of the present moment, including thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Practicing mindfulness can turn on the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which can positively impact mood and ability to handle stress.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: Another effective somatic exercise for soothing an overactive nervous system is the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique. This method involves clenching and releasing various muscle groups throughout the body to reduce stress and anxiety.
Breakthrough treatments — such as Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR), an advanced Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) protocol — are innovative approaches to providing symptom relief for stress and trauma. By injecting anesthetics near a bundle of nerves called the stellate ganglion, which regulates the brain's fight-or-flight response, this treatment method can help regulate the sympathetic nervous system and relieve symptoms of anxiety and PTSD.
Licensed professionals may recommend and perform DSR SGB treatment to address high levels of stress toward perceived threats. DSR works by resetting the nervous system to its pre-trauma state, so an individual can better manage stress and experience lasting relief.
Find Relief From High Levels of Stress With Effective Treatments From Stella
Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight can be utterly exhausting. At Stella, we prioritize fast and effective treatments for a variety of stress and trauma-related conditions. Stella's DSR SGB treatment can reset the nervous system and calm the fight-or-flight response.
DSR SGB treatment can also provide relief for co-occurring PTSD, depression and anxiety. It's our goal to help you regain control over your body's stress response and promote your mental well-being. If you're interested in learning more, contact our Care Advocate team at (773) 839-6964.
