What Is Freeze And How Do I Work With It?

<p>What Is Freeze And How Do I Work With It?<br/><br/>The freeze response involves a state of physiological and psychological immobilization, where the person may feel unable to move, speak, or take action. This response is often considered a form of dissociation, where the individual disconnects from their immediate surroundings or emotions as a way of coping with overwhelming stress or danger.<br/><br/>In codependency, the Freeze response can promote the use of codependent habits like conflict avoidance, people-pleasing, and lack of boundaries because the person does not want to freeze or navigate that level of hypoarousal and collapse, as it is very painful.<br/><br/>So, how do you know you&apos;re in a freeze response:<br/><br/>Physically, your body will feel frozen or paralyzed. Breathing will become shallow, heart rate will reduce, you may experience a rise in tension, especially in the shoulders, jaw, and neck.<br/><br/>Emotionally, you may experience a sense of emotional numbness or emotional detachment from the situation, dissociation, cognitive confusion where decisions and thinking are difficult, and a sense of helplessness about the situation<br/><br/>You may experience time distortion, memory gaps, or intrusive thoughts, along with a verbal communication dropping, avoidance of eye contact, and a withdraw from social contact.<br/><br/>How do we respond to and care for the freeze response in the body?<br/><br/>1) Acknowledge that you&apos;re frozen and that this response is ok. &quot;I give my body permission to be as frozen as it needs to be&quot;.  This helps it feel safer and assists in the body moving from frozen to thawing<br/><br/>2) Establish if you&apos;re physically safe by assessing your physical environment.  <br/><br/>3) If you&apos;re safe, begin gentle movement, like a walk in the yard, allowing your awareness to recognize what is around you<br/><br/>4) Orient a little to your body by recognizing where your feet, arms, head, torso are<br/><br/>5) Pause and acknowledge what you&apos;re awa