The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect. –Peter A Levine
When any kind of existential threat occurs, our bodies receive a jolt of adrenaline, and we go into trauma response mode. (Fight, flight, freeze, faint, fawn.) We are physically, emotionally, and intellectually overwhelmed and everyone processes differently. For example, I was initially puzzled by a client’s reaction to a sex assault until she pointed out the relatively recently coined “fawn” response which is more aligned with attempting to please and/or appease. (I love learning from my clients and students.) Since these are essentially defense mechanisms, we may resort to one or more of these responses when faced with ordinary stressful confrontations. These could include our partners, friends, service workers, supervisors, parents, and/or children. Knowing a bit about how your primitive brain works under stress may help you mitigate unhelpful response patterns.