F's of Trauma
Engaging in physical or verbal confrontation to protect oneself or others.
What is the Fight response?
Heightened alertness and sensitivity to potential threats, allowing for quick responses
Hyperarousal
Steering clear of reminders of the trauma to prevent re-traumatization.
What is Avoidance?
This may be used as coping mechanism to lighten the emotional load.
What is humor?
Providing for people's needs ahead of your own.
While this way of engaging with others does not always occur as a result of trauma, people who have endured traumatic experiences are at a high risk of developing these traits.
What is co-dependency?
Becoming immobile or paralyzed, which can sometimes make a person less noticeable.
What is Freeze?
Downplaying the severity of the trauma to cope with its impact.
What is minimization?
Withdrawing from others to reduce the risk of further harm.
What is isolation?
Temporary emotional numbing to reduce the intensity of painful feelings.
What is Numbing?
May be a way for self-protection, having control, avoiding vulnerability where the person avoids having to lean on, trust, or receive support from others.
What is Extreme Independence?
Escaping or avoiding the traumatic situation to ensure safety.
What is Flight?
Refers to a state of being under-aroused or activated in the nervous system. A persons mind an body may slow down.
Hypoarousal
Reverting to a previous, less stressful state of functioning.
What is Regression?
A response where someone may feel embarrassed, worthless, humiliated and dehumanized often impacting a persons sense of self and identity
What is Shame?
This response may present as having interest and preoccupation with sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. May temporarily distract or elevate feelings of distress, seek a sense of connection, or help regain a sense of control.
What is Hypersexuality?
This response is may also viewed as an "appease" or "submit" response. The response involves a state of surrender or total collapse in a traumatic situation.
What is Flop?
Having limited emotional responses to internal and external events.
What is Numbing?
Mentally detaching from the traumatic experience, reducing the immediate emotional impact
What is Dissociation?
Refusing to acknowledge or accept the reality of the traumatic event, protecting oneself from overwhelming emotions.
What is Denial?
This response may present as a sexual response that is consistently inhibited and low sexual desire. May help to avoid triggers and reminders of trauma, a way to emotionally numb.
What is Hyposexuality?
Wanting to please become closer, looser boundaries, overly accommodating and possibly partner with someone who is a threat.
What is the Fawn?
Intense, sustained focus on one’s surroundings, helping to detect and respond
What is Hypervigilance?
Separating traumatic experiences from other areas of life to maintain functioning.
What is Compartmentalization?
Redirecting strong emotions or impulses toward safer targets.
What is Displacement?
This complex issue may be part of trauma response where trauma has led to a disconnection or disregarding of body needs such as self-care and cleanliness. Also, this can be seen the as extreme cleanliness and orderliness can lead with difficulties related to cleaning as a way to gain a sense of control and order and environment. (These may have other roots besides trauma as well).
What is Hygiene and Cleanliness behaviors?