Understanding Ourselves: How Trauma Shapes Our Reactions

Have you ever noticed yourself over-explaining your decisions, avoiding conflicts at all costs, or feeling disconnected during stressful situations? These behaviors might be more than just quirks; they could be responses to past trauma. Recognizing these signs can be the first step toward managing them effectively.

• Fight Response:

When triggered by fear or vulnerability, you might react aggressively, raising your voice or arguing. This response often arises from past experiences where you felt powerless or threatened.

How to Manage It: Awareness is key. Recognize when you're getting defensive and take a moment to breathe and assess why you're feeling threatened. Practices like mindfulness can calm your mind, and therapy can help address deeper issues.

• Flight Response:

This involves the urge to escape or withdraw from uncomfortable situations. It's common among those who've felt unsafe or overwhelmed in the past.

How to Manage It: Identify what makes you want to run. When you feel the urge to flee, ground yourself with deep breathing or by focusing on your surroundings. Over time, confronting these situations with prepared responses can reduce the impulse to escape.

• Fawn Response:

Here, you might find yourself bending over backward to please others to avoid discord, a behavior often rooted in environments where disagreement led to negative outcomes.

How to Manage It: Practice setting boundaries and prioritize your needs sometimes. It’s okay to say no or to express your own preferences. Therapy can also help you learn to assert yourself without fear of repercussions.

• Freeze Response:

In moments of high stress, you might feel paralyzed or emotionally numb, a common reaction among those who've experienced overwhelming trauma.

How to Manage It: Recognize when you're freezing up and practice mindfulness to stay connected to the present. Techniques like sensory awareness can help you re-engage with your surroundings and emotions.

• Conclusion: By understanding how trauma can influence our behavior, we can start to take control over our responses, rather than letting them control us. Each step you take towards managing these responses not only helps heal past wounds but also improves your current interactions and well-being.
• Call to Action: Think about the times you've noticed these responses in yourself. What triggered them? How did you handle the situation? Share your thoughts below, and let’s discuss ways to support each other through our healing journeys.