Functional Freeze, the Trauma Response Where You Seem Perfectly Fine On The Outside

My life had a rough start. Substance abuse in a small town, unstable caregivers, and a sense of deprivation due to my racial identity added to my childhood trauma.

I found myself always busy, accomplished a lot, and seemed to excel with everyone who looked my way. What wasn’t seen was my exhaustion, brain fog and stress as I frantically worked hard to avoid the deep pain I felt. After years of therapy, some maturation, and deep healing, I learned that what I had been experiencing all this time was functional freeze.

What is functional freezing?

Functional freeze is an often-overlooked trauma response best described by a feeling of complete disconnection and going into autopilot.

A person in functional freeze may appear relatively normal to the untrained eye, but when we look more closely, they are simply going through everyday responsibilities without being fully present.

“Functional freeze is a coping mechanism,” explains Dr. Avigil Liu of Bay Area CBT Center, a licensed clinical psychologist based in California. “It’s a pretty adaptive coping mechanism for someone who’s frozen or in shock to be able to function.”

The thing about these coping mechanisms is that, although they are clever ways in which our mind and body help us function in the world, they can ultimately lead to a significantly reduced quality of life.

How is it different from other trauma responses?

A functional freeze differs from a normal shock response by:

• Fighting: The fight The shock response occurs when the nervous system goes into overdrive and is flooded with adrenaline. This adrenaline rush enables the body to fight off a painful threat.
• Flight: Alternatively, this same flood of hormones can trigger the flight response, which occurs when someone runs away from a painful threat to avoid harm.
• Fawn: This is a shock response where the threatened person may appease the offender in the hope of being safe.
• Frozen: This happens when the mind and body communicate and freeze someone when they encounter a dangerous situation. It can feel like getting stuck instead of fighting back or running away. Instead, a person may become numb and feel blurred, as if the situation is not real.

What symptoms might you have in functional freeze?

We asked Kayla Meyer, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology, to share some of the key signs that someone may be experiencing functional freeze. Here are the ones he pointed out:

• Feeling like going through the motions every day
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling disconnected from reality or that life isn’t “real.”
• brain fog; It can also manifest as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or emotional unresponsiveness.

You may also be in functional freeze if you feel constantly disconnected from the things that bring you joy, or if you engage in healthy practices like journaling, yoga, or exercise, yet feel no internal change.

Why does this happen?

“When a person’s nervous system is repeatedly or chronically overwhelmed, an active freezing response is likely,” Meyer shares.

Abusive households and workplaces are breeding grounds for this type of trauma response. This comes from my experience of living in chaos as a child and then experiencing functional freeze as an adult.

“A single traumatic event is unlikely to result in an active freezing response,” she continues.

How Functional Freeze Can Affect Your Life

Functional freezing can rob us of joy, connection, and forward movement in our lives.

If we’re feeling checked out, exhausted, frozen, and stuck in a trauma response, it can be difficult to connect with others and create a meaningful life. It can feel like we’re missing out on all that life has to offer. In a functional freeze, we may lose sight of our greatest goals and lifelong dreams.

If it sounds heavy, that’s because it is. No one deserves to be stuck in a trauma response. Hopefully, though.

How to Get Out of Functional Freeze

The best way to break free from functional freeze is to use grounding techniques:

• Identify five things you see.: Meyer suggests strategies that draw you into your environment. “For example, pick a color and identify five objects around you in that color,” she suggests.
• Let your body do what it needs.: Chelsea Reese, a licensed clinical social worker and yoga teacher in Los Angeles, encourages people to ask if they need rest or activation. “If your body is screaming for rest, allow it—dimm the lights, lie under a weighted blanket, or listen to soothing music,” she says. “If you feel like you need some light activation, try stretching, taking a short walk, or standing up and swinging your arms to invite movement.”
• Change your environment.: Reese also encourages individuals to change their environment, as it can shift their body and mind into a new mood. “If you’re stuck in a room, try stepping outside, moving to another space, or even changing clothes to change your position,” she suggests.
• Practice somatic exercises.: Chloe Bean, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Los Angeles, also encourages slow, gentle movements like stretching or walking for some gentle activation.
• Assess your surroundings.: Ben notes that the simple act of naming the things you see, feel, and hear can bring you out of active stasis and back into the present moment. “With awareness and support, it is possible to melt, reattach, and return to balance and grounding power,” Ben assures.

When should you seek help?

If this article resonates with you, it’s time to seek help. So easy—no waiting or wondering if things are “bad enough.”

If you’re experiencing a functional freeze, there’s a good chance your life is somewhat manageable—after all, there’s a reason. active is in the name. But there is no need to solve just to work.

A good place to start is to find a trauma-informed therapist. You can narrow your search by therapist identity, modality, and focus, making it even easier to find a trauma therapist who checks all the boxes you’re looking for.