IBD glossary
Fight, Flight, or Freeze Responses
Animals and their digestive systems
100

A condition that develops when a person is under pressure or very upset

Stress

100

Fight, flight, or freeze?

Your mind goes blank when you're giving a presentation in front of your class

Freeze

100

This animal stores nectar in a special stomach before converting it into honey

Bee

200

A doctor who treats gastrological disorders like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis

Gastroenterologist

200

Fight, flight, or freeze?

You yell at your parents when they repeatedly remind you to do your chores when you're in the middle of playing a game

Fight

200

This animal relies on gut microbes to digest cellulose in wood

Termite

300

Swelling and scarring can narrow the intestines, causing an ________ that can cause digested food to become stuck

Obstruction

300

Fight, flight, or freeze?

You see a stick on the ground and mistake it for a snake, which causes you to jump back and run away

Flight

300

This animal has a digestive system very similar to humans

Pig

400

Thick, chalky drink that coats the inside lining of the GI tract, shows the Dr the inside of the GI tract on an x-ray

Barium

400

Name one relaxation or grounding skill you can do to CALM your fight, flight, freeze response

Relaxation skills (deep breathing, stretching, tensing and relaxing your muscles) 

Grounding skills (noticing one or more of your five senses)

400

This animal has 4 stomachs to digest tough plant material

Cow

500

Lower-than-normal level of hemoglobin (the iron-containing pigment of red blood cells) and/or red blood cells

Anemia

500

Belly breathing is great for activating the _____ nervous system, calming your body

Parasympathetic nervous system

500

This animal has a beak to crush food before digestion. It’s not a bird!

Octopus
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