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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThat being said, human adaptation\nis truly quite a remarkable thing, and knowledge of how to maximize and understand\nevolutionary systems has never been greater than it is right now. So it\u2019s\nalways possible as there\u2019s always a way to do a thing. I, personally, haven\u2019t\nexperienced it \u201cin the middle of\u201d, to be clear, and if being 100% honest. At\nleast not that I can remember\u2026.so it likely didn\u2019t happen as that\u2019d be no small\nthing\u2026a thing I\u2019d likely recall. Prevented or mitigated it, yes, using many of\nthe elements listed above. Quick recomposing post-event, also yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, let\u2019s say that it\u2019s\npossible, for shits \u2013and-giggles. There are times where it might be beneficial.\nIf violence is inevitable, performance necessary, goal dashed, for instance.\nFirst, I guess, we should break down the different causes of freezing and the\ntypes that follow that causality. After my friend updated me on what many\nscientific and psychological studies are dictating, I\u2019d have to agree on there\nbeing 3 different types of causality that trigger a freeze response, with the\npossibility of a 4th<\/sup> as well. I\u2019d also say there\u2019s validity in the 3\ntypes of freeze having different physiological elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Note that my descriptions are not on a\nscientific basis but trying best to articulate my own personal experience with\nthem)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The assessment\/evaluation variety: Waiting\nfor further important information to come in before making best-outcome\ndecision(s). Pausing unconsciously before walking in a poorly-lit backstreet\nuntil further threat-analysis and risk-assessment is done, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The strategic\/tactical: an unconscious but\nintentional freeze to avoid\/evade\/hide from\/diminish\/be de-selected by a\nthreat, risk, danger, or stress. I used to lower myself and minimize movement\nduring speech-time so as to blend-in, go unseen, and avoid selection due to an\nearly fear of public-speaking. Or, have you ever done, or not done as it were,\nsomething under immense stress that turned out to be the absolutely-correct\nthing, but you had no control or reasoning as to why you did it? Me too\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. The possum\/deer-in-headlights: freezing from deep-fear and no alternative. Panic-driven and immediate and present threat, risk, danger, or stress. During a sudden and aggressive confrontation from a volatile stranger as a panic of pain, punishment, violence, or repercussion hits explosively. (I admit to not liking the term \u201cpossum\u201d as the metaphor \u201cplaying possum\u201d so often now refers to an intentional misleading to gain advantage \u2013 which is not what we\u2019re referring to here) This is the one most referred to when talking about the freeze response and often misunderstood to be the only type\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Note that, as the examples given, not all of these are of the physical-threat variety even within their own category. For instance, the deer-in-headlights can be shut-down in front of a room of people that you\u2019re facing when the attention is on you, like the public-speaking example above. Like everything, it is ALWAYS contextual and never binary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get back to the deer-in-the-headlights freeze, as this is the one that self-defense instructors refer to the most, as the post-event trauma is the greatest, generally. It can be a jolting, humbling, overwhelming aftermath that can leave you with pride, ego, and your invincibility-factor severely shaken. I\u2019ve had immense second-guessing, shame, embarrassment, helplessness from past freeze-responses\u2026.but the response often turned out to be the absolute correct one, in hindsight. It saved me a ton of far worse outcomes \u2013 death, injury, killing, court, money-loss. \u201cBest solution.\u201d Every time I can recall freezing in the face of violence or real danger, it was (in hindsight, and with the knowledge I have now) for a very particular reason that aided in my being here today. Against a far superior or more dangerous opponent where fighting would\u2019ve been a mistake and ended badly for me. When action would not have been the best option (including escape or negotiation \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s better to just fucking listen or stand still, no\u2026) In circumstances where not enough info was present to yet make an informed choice or \u201cbest outcome.\u201d (Is it a real threat? Am I putting myself unnecessarily in harm\u2019s way? Are there intangibles and potential collateral-damage present that would make escalation an error?) Unforeseen and sudden danger where freezing made me unseen, innocuous, unthreatening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an evolutionary protective mechanism (the 3 above) OR an internal resistance to utilizing violence in a situation where I was culpable and the aggressor, which I have had more than once before. (I provoked, exacerbated, or unnecessarily created and had an internal \u201cblockage\u201d that caused internal resistance to engage or engage further \u2013 whether due to elements of nature\/nurture, spirituality, ethics\/morals, conditioning \u2013 something few acknowledge as having the capability to trigger the freeze response. (Now, whether science has a different explanation for this, I don\u2019t know, but these for me were different experiences than the 3 examples given above) Getting back to my above point, the bottom line is it kept me safe regardless of how bloody hurt my macho ego\/pride\/immortality were after\u2026.or how uncontrollable my post-event adrenal dump. (I was there to have that dump and lick my wounds, to the point)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like all evolutionary\nprotective mechanisms, they\u2019re usually there for an important damn reason \u2013 to\nkeep you alive or give best chance for safety or survival. I\u2019d say all things\nconsidered, the best ways then to manage this are STILL prevention, mitigation,\nmanagement, or avoidance – pre-occurrence or at the very outset of its\nmanifestation. Experience (whether real or trained or conditioned) gives a ton\nof comfort to manage situations with more clarity, confidence, and comfort \u2013\nmeaning you likely dodge the freeze-response from happening, at least more often\u2026or\nminimizing its effects to a manageable level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, regarding breaking the mid-stream freeze-response in the face of violence or hostility, remember this. Many modern, leading names in the self-defense industry are now claiming they can or trying to re-engineer evolution. They have the answers. The secrets. There are many instances it is there for a very important and particular reason, as mentioned above. Remember, too, that these people are also not neuro-scientists or psychologists and there can be a real moral conundrum when screwing with the hard-wiring of someone else\u2019s brain chemistry \u2013 especially one you don\u2019t know the history of, don\u2019t know the trauma of, and don\u2019t know the repercussions of doing so in other areas of their daily life that are far more regular than against the extremely-rare vicious hardcore predator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is the potential – the real potential – of greater damage being created. Of over-writing something of great importance. Of augmenting already-present fear, stress, anxiety, and paranoia. I bet there are many (m-a-n-y) more instances where the freeze response – when facing real danger and not self-created or manufactured – saved a lot more trauma than it caused. It\u2019s a thing that is so often neglected to be discussed in the this industry as alllll self-defense instructors have your best interest at-heart and are trying to help you, don\u2019tcha know. We are your one-stop Kwik-E-Mart for all things trauma, fear, and threat-based. I, for one, am very wary of those instructors who claim they can alter evolution, brain chemistry, play with your memories, and re-wire innate survival skill mechanism. Our job is to inform, guide, coach, talk….and refer when needed…and we can be a greatly positive influence and aid in this, make no mistake. But we are not therapists and we are not qualified to deal with all things brain- and trauma-based, contrary to what many will tell you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many times where this can be dangerous or counter-productive \u2013 that\u2019s what professionals are for. Doctors, neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists. Granted, not nearly all of these are ethical or stay in their lane either, but they do have specific training with how to deal with issues of the brain and mind. However, I guess all things considered, with many SD students never in any danger of facing real life-threatening violence and living comfortably in the burbs anyway, I guess it\u2019s a moot point, right. (likely not lost on your local SD coach, either but digressing\u2026) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moral of the story? Be extremely cautious of who you let into your head and mind, and how deep. It’s your last line of defense and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the real predators from the fantasy ones…<\/p>\n\n\n\n *As a final aside, have you ever wondered if maybe the “fight-back” element is so empowering NOT ONLY because you\u2019ve defeated an enemy and saved yourself….but because you on some level know you\u2019ve momentarily conquered yourself in the process? Something to ponder…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A friend asked me my thoughts on whether the freeze response can be broken. It\u2019s an interesting question that caused me to do a lot of self-reflection and deep-thought over the course of the day. Break it mid-stream? Mitigation\/prevention? Post-event? If mid-stream I’d say it’s pretty difficult. Pre- or post-event, sure\u2026with gradual lead-up, emotional-management time, … Continue reading FREEZE-RESPONSES, EVOLUTION-TAMPERING, AND TRAUMA<\/span> ![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.healthyplace.com\/sites\/default\/files\/uploads\/2016\/02\/deer-in-headlights.jpg\")
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