If we cannot run away or are unable to fight, we go into a freeze state unable to move or act.

During a disrespectful event, such as abuse, our logic is turned off and our nervous system automatically goes into a survival-mode (‘fight, flight, or freeze’) response. If we cannot run away or are unable to fight, we go into a freeze state unable to move or act.  This is an animal instinct to feign death so an attacker will lose interest. Additionally, when physical and/or psychological pain becomes too much to tolerate, the mind distances itself from the experience by numbing the body and the psyche, which is called dissociation. During a traumatic event, the nervous system goes into survival mode and sometimes gets stuck in this function. If the nervous system stays in survival mode, stress hormones, such as cortisol, are constantly released, causing an increase in blood pressure and blood sugar, which can in turn reduce immune system and healing functions and also make it difficult to handle any other stressful situation. As a result, when the body is in constant distress, physical and psychological symptoms start to manifest.