Cycle Breaker and Change Maker | Introduction to the Five F's of Trauma Response

Cycle Breaker and Change Maker with Renata Ortega

If you’ve been following along, you know that I like to take a deep dive into how trauma shapes our behaviors and responses to the world around us. Today, I’m introducing something that will lay the foundation for our next few episodes: the Five F’s of Trauma Response.

This is a concept that explains how our brains and bodies react when we feel threatened, even if the threat is no longer present. Trauma lives in the body, and because of that, our responses are not always logical. Sometimes, we find ourselves reacting in ways that don’t seem to make sense. We may feel like we’re constantly fighting, running away, shutting down, appeasing others, or feeling completely helpless—and that’s because these are all deeply ingrained survival instincts.

In today’s episode, I’m going to introduce each of the Five F’s, give you examples of how they might show up in daily life, and explain why recognizing these responses is so crucial for healing. In future episodes, I’ll explore each of these in more depth.

The Five F’s—Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, and Flop—are the ways our nervous system responds to danger. These are instinctive reactions, shaped by past experiences, and often occur before we even have time to think.

1. Fight: The fight response is the instinct to confront a threat head-on. This might look like anger, defensiveness, or an intense need to be in control. People who default to the fight response may often find themselves arguing, feeling like they have to prove themselves, or reacting aggressively in situations where they feel challenged. It’s a way of trying to regain a sense of power.
2. Flight: If fight isn’t an option, flight might be. This response makes you want to escape—either physically by leaving a situation or mentally by staying busy and distracted. People with a dominant flight response may avoid confrontation, overwork themselves, or feel like they can never sit still. They’re always on the move, always looking for an exit.
3. Freeze: Sometimes, the brain decides that neither fighting nor fleeing is an option, so it shuts down instead. The freeze response can feel like mental fog, dissociation, or being unable to act when faced with stress. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a situation where you knew you needed to do something but couldn’t move, that’s freeze in action.
4. Fawn: The fawn response is about appeasement—seeking safety by pleasing others. People who have learned to fawn often prioritize other people’s needs at the expense of their own. They may struggle with saying no, setting boundaries, or speaking up for themselves because they’ve learned that keeping the peace is the safest option.
5. Flop: The lesser-known flop response is when the body completely shuts down. This is the experience of feeling powerless, exhausted, and unable to take action. People who experience this may find themselves giving up easily, feeling helpless, or struggling with extreme fatigue when faced with stress.

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Until the next time - warmly yours,
Renata